A Pig Sparked the Hatfield and McCoy Feud
Tensions came to a head thirteen years later when patriarch Ole Ran’l McCoy accused Devil Anse’s cousin Floyd of stealing a pig after claiming to see one with his mark near the Hatfield’s pig pen. Pigs back in the 1870s were expensive and an important source of sustenance, so farmers marked them to ensure their inventory was secure. The case went to court. Six Hatfields and six McCoys sat on the jury, and the Justice of the Peace was a Hatfield. The key testimony was given by Bill Stanton, who was related to the McCoys but had two Hatfield brother-in laws. He claimed that the mark on the pig was Hatfields. The Justice decided for the Hatfields. Shortly after the trial, Sam and Paris McCoy murdered Bill Stanton during a hunting trip. Sam was put on trial for the murder, but aquitted, finding that Sam acted in self defense.