Williams-Stover-Wriston Feud, 1922


WILLIAMS-STOVER-WRISTON Feud, a Beckley based clan war which for a time 
outshadowed the Hatfield-McCoy feud, burned for a time in the early 20's 
and then petered out.  The Charleston Gazette covered an incident in its 
issue of Jan 8, 1922 as follows: 

Smouldering with a deep, dark and strong power, then breaking with volcanic 
force, the Williams-Stover-Wriston feud has intermittently been waged and 
let sleep in the mountains of Raleigh County for 14 years. 

And Saturday evening, after warning rumbles that had menaced the peace of 
the countryside for days, the crater lifted its top with bloodshed and fire 
and strife. 

In this latest chapter of a bloody warfare that had rivalled strife of the 
Hatfields and McCoys, a boy 14 years old, was slain, two homes were burned, 
another was riddled with bullets, rifles cracked throughout the brush, and 
the menfolk of an entire countryside, aligned in factions by blood ties, 
rushed to the hills.  Just before dusk Saturday evening, the storm broke in 
all its fury along the waters of White Oak Creek, and tore its way over the 
countryside until long after dark. 

The battle followed another of far less serious aspect, which occured a few 
days before, and in which two were wounded.  That first fight was the first 
warning of impending storm, unmistakable to those who had seen the progress 
of this clan war, and many were the predictions that came true when the 
mountaineers foregathered for battle Saturday evening. 

Murray Williams, fourteen year old son of Sanford Williams, was killed.  The
fight which occured in the early evening proved to be a free-for-all, in 
which more than one hundred shots were fired between the participants, who 
are said to have numbered more than a score. 

In addition to the killing of Murray Williams, two houses were burned, one 
belonging to Linah Williams and the other to Preston Stover.  The home of 
John Moles, near the Williams property at White Oak Creek was riddled with 
bullets, and today resembled a battle torn wreck. 

Little details of the affair could be learned by the sheriff's office, which
at once detailed several deputies to go to White Oak to investigate the 
circumstances of the shooting and arrest the participants.  A detachment of 
the state police was also sent into the district with instructions to make 
all the arrests possible. 

The shooting on Saturday evening is the result of a feud which has existed 
between the three families for the past fourteen years, during which time 
several members of the three families have been shot and in several 
instances killed. 

Scarcely a term of court has been held for several years but that several 
members of the families have been tried for some kind of shooting affair, 
but invariably they have been freed for it has been found almost impossible 
to secure a conviction on account of the great number of relatives on each 
side called into court to testify in the behalf of the accused. 

The last outbreak occured two weeks ago when Orville Williams, son of George
Williams, living at White Oak, was shot and severely wounded, and Preston 
Stover, a member of the Stover faction, was shot in the head but not 
severely injured.

Submitted by Gracie Stover <ggracie@feist.com>

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