Submitted by: Frank Adams
Source: Centennial Program Booklet (1852 to 1952), City of Logan Celebration Sept. 10-11, 1952
December 15, 2011 Addendum
May 4, 2010 Addendum submitted by Dodie (Smith) Browning
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October 28, 1889
The New York Times, Page 1
Taken From Jail and Lynched
Huntington, West Va., Oct. 27.—Information was brought by courier today from Hamlin, Lincoln County, that about midnight Friday a mob surrounded the Lincoln County Jail, forced an entrance after a short resistance by the authorities took two of the prisoners, Green McCoy and Milton Haley, and hung them to a tree a short distance from the jail building. Haley and McCoy were natives of Kentucky and were allied to the McCoy faction of the outlaws whose murderous feud with the Hatfields is familiar to the public. McCoy was engaged in a shooting scrape with Paris Brumfield of Lincoln County about a year ago, and about a month ago he, in company with Haley, ambushed and attempted to murder Al Brumfield and his wife. This shooting occurred on a Sunday night and both the victims were badly wounded, Mrs., Brumfield being shot in the breast and her husband in the leg. For a time it was thought the woman would die, but she finally recovered.
McCoy and Haley escaped to Kentucky, but not until there had been two more attempts at assassination in the county, in one of which a man named Adkins, a friend of the Brumfields, was wounded. The two would-be murderers were arrested at Benn Post Office, Martin County, Ky., and were confined in jail there. Friday they were locked up in the Lincoln County (West Va.) Jail, and, in the absence of definite information, it is supposed they were lynched by some of the Hatfield sympathizers.
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My brother directed me to your website. Our family is from that area and I wondered if you could give me information on family history. My father (now deceased) was Harry Workman, His father, was Harrison Workman, Harrison and his first wife had 3 children; Truman, Violet and Madge. Harrisons’ first wife died and he then married my grandmother Pearl Robison. Pearl Robison had also been married before she had one child by the first marriage; Esther Cook. Harrison and Pearl had three children together; Naomi, Helen, and Harry (my Dad). Dad had cousins with the last name Browning who visited us when I was young. We would greatly appreciate any info, Dads mom died when he was young and his father died when Dad was in the military, nobody kept any records of family history so all I have to go on is what I know for sure and a few family rumors. Thanks, Deb Wade
Hello Debra,
I know how frustrating it can be when trying to find information about your ancestors; especially, when you keep running into dead ends. I’ve been involved in searching my family tree for over twelve years. I have used Ancestry.com heavily over the years and have spent countless hours searching census, birth, and death records, etc. Although my search has been very frustrating at times, I have enjoyed it. I am sorry that I can not personally provide the information you seek. Hopefully, someone visiting this site can be of help to you. That’s one of the purposes of this site. Good luck in your search!
My name is Ann Marie Smith, my mother is Nellie Smith (Workman), and her 14 brothers and sisters (one is Iva-Sue Harrison) are the children of Mary Louise Workman (Hatfield) and Gilbert Arval Workman. I have a great Aunt named Carolyn Belcher (Hatfield) My great-great-great grandfather I believe was Thomas Hatfield. They lived in Logan, WV in the 70′s, some of them still do on Coal Branch Hollow. I love reading about the history of the Hatfield-Harrison-Workman family.
Dodie, You know me Sweetie, I’m for publishing…But I also understand your point of view. That’s what makes you Dodie. I told Dickie Fortner today that I thought you had more knowledge about Logan County History and Families than anyone else that I had contact with.
Thanks for the update, Kyle ( and the kudos). I knew Ed from the time we moved to City View when I was 5 years old. He lived with his brother Charles (wife Rachel Mae) until he married the strikingly beautiful Grace. Rachel Mae was a very close friend of my Mother’s. Ed “sort of” dated my sister Ruth when they were teenagers. Seems like I do remember hearing something about his valve replacement, but I didn’t know he had died. I’m glad you are enjoying the book. I can’t put all chapters online because some things might bring up some things best left unshared. I doubt that I will ever make chapter 7 public. The title of that chapter is “Mountain Murders And Mathem”. Everything in that chapter is from public records and much of it already online, but descendants of some of the people might be hurt or offended. You and I discussed alot of “stuff” several years ago though.
Hey Dodie, Our friend Ed Harrison passed away some years back. You know he had one of the first Heart Valve Replacements anywhere. At that time it was experimental. He survived a few years after the operation but passed away some years later. He was like a brother, I loved Ed and Grace. Gracie stayed in Logan for many years after that and later remarried. Somewhere along the line we lost contact. Although my kids were very small they loved the outdoors with Ed and Gracie. Fishing off the boat and eating while camping. They got to play in the creeks and chase crawdads and just have a great time. Also I wanted to say that each chapter I read I say I really liked this one the best, then I go back and read the other one and say, no, I like this one the best. To tell the truth, I’m envious of your talent. Thank you my friend for putting all that wonderful information together and sharing it with others.
Your Admiring Friend
Kyle
Hey Kyle,
I had no idea you and Pat were friends with Ed and Grace Harrison! If the same couple, they lived in the downstairs of our house (City View) when they were first married. Next time you see them or talk to them, give them my best!
While traveling to Dewey Lake {Jenny Wiley State Park} in Kentucky back in the mid 70′s, my wife and I stopped at a small flea market somewhere in Kentucky not to far from Nolan, WV. While browsing my wife Pat and I ran upon a 32 caliber Owl Head pistol. After negotiating for sometime we made a deal and I put the old pistol in our van. We were visiting Ed and Grace Harrison at the lake for the weekend with our kids for some fun on the lake. A couple of days after returning home I decided to pull the old owl head out and clean it up. I took the Ivory handles off and on the inside was the inscription Anderson Hatfield. Needless to say I was stunned. I called Henry Hatfield who was a friend of mine and frequented the barber shop where I worked. He said indeed there was talk of a 32 Owl head pistol in the family. I took the pistol to work the next day and Henry and Jack Hatfield came down to the barber shop to take a look at the old gun. After some discussion and trading around my wife Pat and I decided to give the old owl head to the Hatfield Brothers. The last I heard of it someone gave it to the Hatfield Museum at Omar or somewhere near there. I remained to be friends with Henry and Jack the rest of their lives.
Coleman failed to mention that Mary (Smith) Hatfield had a son named Thomas Smith before she married Eph Hatfield. It is not known if Mary had other Smith children. Some historians say that Mary was a Goff, first married to a Smith, but others claim that she was the daughter of Ericus Smith of Russell County, VA. It is a fact that Mary and Eph Hatfield shared in the estate of Ericus Smith of Russell County VA. The relationship to Ericus Smith was not stated, but in order to be an heir, she had to either be a daughter of Ericus Smith or the the widow of a deceased son of Ericus Smith. Thomas Smith (AKA Thomas Smith Of Horsepen) was born about 1780. Henry Clay Ragland mistakenly called Thomas Smith a Revoultionary War Hero, but he was too young to have been in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Smith (of Horsepen) was definitely a half brother of Ephriam Hatfield though.