Obituary
Donald Richard Hatfield, Sr., 80 of Delbarton, formerly of Hampden, departed this life Saturday, October 24, 2020 from his residence, surrounded by his family.
Born August 18, 1940 at Hampden, he was the son of the late Willie Hatfield: and Bernice(Grimmett ) Harrison.
In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his wife: Shirley (Dotson) Hatfield; his son: Jamie Hatfield.
Richard enjoyed hunting, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren. He was of the Church of God Faith.
Those left to love and cherish his memory and to mourn his loss are his son: Donald Ricky (Sherri) Hatfield, Jr.; grandchildren: Johnathan (Whitney) Hatfield and Christopher Hatfield, all of Delbarton, Aiden and Ariana Hatfield of Hampden, Kaizen Brown and Kyler Gibson both of Davin, Amanda (Joey) Crigger of Man; great grandchild: Andria Lester; sister: Shirley (Frank) Holmes of Georgia; brother: Harvey (Trina) Harrison of North Carolina. He also leaves behind a host of other dear relatives and friends.
Friends may gather with the family Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 12:00 till 1:00 pm at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, where funeral services will commence at 1:00 pm with Rev. Denny May officiated.
More about my Cousin and his dog Brownie: The love of a human for his Dog trapped in mine for 52 days.
“I’m sure Mr. Osborne would love to talk with you about that. He talks about it to everyone. It’s about a dog that got rescued from a coal mine and then got shot a few weeks later in someone’s garden.” Osborne is president and CEO of the Publishing Division of A.H. Belo Corporation. Sadly, although Osborne did return the call, this reporter - Osborne used that “this reporter” You-Are-There style in his reporting of the Brownie incident in 1961 - this reporter wasn’t in at the time he called. On the fortunate side, Osborne, who was then an Associated Press reporter assigned to Bluefield, left the annals of Brownie on the front pages of the Daily Telegraph. Brownie was a “three-year-old mongrel hound” according to Osborne’s Dec. 15,1961, below-the-fold story datelined Gilbert. Osborne picked up the trail of Brownie’s plight after he had already been trapped underground for 46 days. The dog and his master, Richard Hatfield of Hampden, about six miles from Gilbert, had been hunting when Brownie disappeared. The dog’s 21-year-old owner was a distant descendant of the Mingo County Hatfields of the Hatfield and McCoy Feud fame. The story got better. About three weeks after Brownie came up missing, a Hatfield family cousin, Tommy Kennedy, apparently no relation to then White House occupant, President John Kennedy, “heard a weak yelp and recognized the familiar sound of his friend’s dog.” Brownie came up missing on Oct. 28,1961. Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 23 of that year. Hatfield-jobless - was caring for his grandmother. He landed a part-time job driving a truck. He fed table scraps to Brownie and used his truck-driving money to finance a rescue effort that consisted of a couple high school kids digging at day and himself digging by flashlight at night. Brownie had apparently slipped through a crack in the earth while chasing a small animal and fell into a mine shaft that had worked out and been closed the year before. Osborne’s reports made no assumptions. He speculated, but did not embellish. The stories he told were real. “That’s the same place old Ab Kennedy got lost,” another cousin, Mrs. Walter Hatfield, was quoted by Osborne. Ab Kennedy, in his early 80s, died of a heart attack in February 1961. He had been lost in the same vicinity where Brownie was then trapped. Osborne stayed with the story. On Dec. 16, he reported: “The dog... could be heard whining and barking when this reporter crawled into a narrow slit that Brownie’s would-be rescuers had hacked into the face of the steep bank.” They were close enough to try pulling the dog out with a rope, but none of their efforts brought success. The rescuers believed that a bulldozer was their only hope. “Lon Rish wasn’t at all in favor of sending a bulldozer up there to get that dog out,” former Telegraph coal page editor H. Edward “Eddie” Steele recalled of the event. Steele was then PR man for Bluefield Supply and Rish Equipment was their banner component. “I finally convinced him of the publicity value of getting the dog out.” Donations for the Daily Telegraph's perennial Community Christmas Tree were lagging behind schedule that December. Local headlines for that drive overshadowed Osborne’s lamentations about Brownie’s plight. But Osborne’s story hit the national wire. On the following day, Osborne’s story was running above-the-fold with art - Osborne’s art of Chilton Hatfield, another cousin, near the small hole where Brownie’s “whimpers” could be heard from. That same day, Dec. 17,1961, a non-byline story in the Telegraph revealed that a New York showgirl and former FBI undercover agent, Marlane MacLane, had offered to underwrite the expense of recovering Brownie if Rish couldn’t come through. “Marlane MacLane is daughter of Barton MacLane of ‘Outlaw’ fame as well as other roles,” the Telegraph reported. “She is what is known in ‘show biz’ as a ‘headliner’ and her burlesque name is ‘Satin.’ She also does television parts.” MacLane had confessed her real life eight-year espionage role with the FBI to the Telegraph reporter who took her call Saturday afternoon from Toledo, Ohio. The sub-head on the story was: “Helped Fight Commies.” In the meantime, she inquired where she could buy a six-month supply of dog food for Brownie after his ordeal came to a successful conclusion. The sub-head over that part of the story was: “She Means It.” “I can see people and blood all around,” the young showgirl said, “and dig right in and help them. But when I see or hear of a dog suffering, I go all to pieces.” The Telegraph was flooded with calls from hundreds of miles away - all wanting to provide help. Osborne hung with the story. He reported on how the bulldozer “hacked stubbornly” at the Mingo County hillside. He wrote that three searchers were lost briefly, but later recovered. Osborne’s photo of Brownie’s master, Richard Hatfield, leaning on 1 a shovel and almost appearing as though he was panting from exhaustion rode beneath the Telegraph masthead, interrupted only by headlines reporting about a disastrous Rio de Janeiro circus tent fire that may have claimed as many as 300 lives. In Tuesday’s paper, Dec. 19, 1961, home’s photo featured Richard D Hatfield, his shirt obviously soiled from digging, holding Brownie in his arms. Brownie had been underground for 52 days. One of the ironic tragedies of the rescue was that Bill Boyles, the Bluefield man who was operating the Rish Equipment dozer, lost his own dog the night before the rescue. On Sun-day night, Boyles’ dog was struck,and killed by a car, Osborne reported. Brownie and Richard Hatfield became instant celebrities. According to Col. Darrell G. Brum-field’s 1993 “Stories About Gilbert, West Virginia,” the dog and; owner were featured on “The Gary Moore Show,” “I’ve Got A Secret” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” The two also made an appearance on the WHIS-TV show “Woman’s World,” hosted by Jackie Oblinger. “After all the trouble of rescuing Brownie, I didn’t get to keep him long,” Hatfield wrote in Brumfield’s book. “A while after his rescue, someone hauled him off and I found him down at Cane-brake. Later on, he disappeared and that time I couldn’t find him. I was told that a man shot him. Since I didn’t see him, I can’t say definitely that he did.” Brownie, like all dogs, had his day. Unlike the more famous trapped-in-a-cave story about Floyd Collins, Brownie’s tale had a happy, albeit short-lived, ending. With all the stories in the world, Burl Osborne picked a good one to tell. As a result, it will live forever in the annals of coalfield history.
I want to thank Corey for sponsoring my cousins page.
Donald Richard Hatfield, Sr., 80 of Delbarton, formerly of Hampden, departed this life Saturday, October 24, 2020 from his residence, surrounded by his family.
Born August 18, 1940 at Hampden, he was the son of the late Willie Hatfield: and Bernice(Grimmett ) Harrison.
In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his wife: Shirley (Dotson) Hatfield; his son: Jamie Hatfield.
Richard enjoyed hunting, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren. He was of the Church of God Faith.
Those left to love and cherish his memory and to mourn his loss are his son: Donald Ricky (Sherri) Hatfield, Jr.; grandchildren: Johnathan (Whitney) Hatfield and Christopher Hatfield, all of Delbarton, Aiden and Ariana Hatfield of Hampden, Kaizen Brown and Kyler Gibson both of Davin, Amanda (Joey) Crigger of Man; great grandchild: Andria Lester; sister: Shirley (Frank) Holmes of Georgia; brother: Harvey (Trina) Harrison of North Carolina. He also leaves behind a host of other dear relatives and friends.
Friends may gather with the family Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 12:00 till 1:00 pm at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, where funeral services will commence at 1:00 pm with Rev. Denny May officiated.
More about my Cousin and his dog Brownie: The love of a human for his Dog trapped in mine for 52 days.
“I’m sure Mr. Osborne would love to talk with you about that. He talks about it to everyone. It’s about a dog that got rescued from a coal mine and then got shot a few weeks later in someone’s garden.” Osborne is president and CEO of the Publishing Division of A.H. Belo Corporation. Sadly, although Osborne did return the call, this reporter - Osborne used that “this reporter” You-Are-There style in his reporting of the Brownie incident in 1961 - this reporter wasn’t in at the time he called. On the fortunate side, Osborne, who was then an Associated Press reporter assigned to Bluefield, left the annals of Brownie on the front pages of the Daily Telegraph. Brownie was a “three-year-old mongrel hound” according to Osborne’s Dec. 15,1961, below-the-fold story datelined Gilbert. Osborne picked up the trail of Brownie’s plight after he had already been trapped underground for 46 days. The dog and his master, Richard Hatfield of Hampden, about six miles from Gilbert, had been hunting when Brownie disappeared. The dog’s 21-year-old owner was a distant descendant of the Mingo County Hatfields of the Hatfield and McCoy Feud fame. The story got better. About three weeks after Brownie came up missing, a Hatfield family cousin, Tommy Kennedy, apparently no relation to then White House occupant, President John Kennedy, “heard a weak yelp and recognized the familiar sound of his friend’s dog.” Brownie came up missing on Oct. 28,1961. Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 23 of that year. Hatfield-jobless - was caring for his grandmother. He landed a part-time job driving a truck. He fed table scraps to Brownie and used his truck-driving money to finance a rescue effort that consisted of a couple high school kids digging at day and himself digging by flashlight at night. Brownie had apparently slipped through a crack in the earth while chasing a small animal and fell into a mine shaft that had worked out and been closed the year before. Osborne’s reports made no assumptions. He speculated, but did not embellish. The stories he told were real. “That’s the same place old Ab Kennedy got lost,” another cousin, Mrs. Walter Hatfield, was quoted by Osborne. Ab Kennedy, in his early 80s, died of a heart attack in February 1961. He had been lost in the same vicinity where Brownie was then trapped. Osborne stayed with the story. On Dec. 16, he reported: “The dog... could be heard whining and barking when this reporter crawled into a narrow slit that Brownie’s would-be rescuers had hacked into the face of the steep bank.” They were close enough to try pulling the dog out with a rope, but none of their efforts brought success. The rescuers believed that a bulldozer was their only hope. “Lon Rish wasn’t at all in favor of sending a bulldozer up there to get that dog out,” former Telegraph coal page editor H. Edward “Eddie” Steele recalled of the event. Steele was then PR man for Bluefield Supply and Rish Equipment was their banner component. “I finally convinced him of the publicity value of getting the dog out.” Donations for the Daily Telegraph's perennial Community Christmas Tree were lagging behind schedule that December. Local headlines for that drive overshadowed Osborne’s lamentations about Brownie’s plight. But Osborne’s story hit the national wire. On the following day, Osborne’s story was running above-the-fold with art - Osborne’s art of Chilton Hatfield, another cousin, near the small hole where Brownie’s “whimpers” could be heard from. That same day, Dec. 17,1961, a non-byline story in the Telegraph revealed that a New York showgirl and former FBI undercover agent, Marlane MacLane, had offered to underwrite the expense of recovering Brownie if Rish couldn’t come through. “Marlane MacLane is daughter of Barton MacLane of ‘Outlaw’ fame as well as other roles,” the Telegraph reported. “She is what is known in ‘show biz’ as a ‘headliner’ and her burlesque name is ‘Satin.’ She also does television parts.” MacLane had confessed her real life eight-year espionage role with the FBI to the Telegraph reporter who took her call Saturday afternoon from Toledo, Ohio. The sub-head on the story was: “Helped Fight Commies.” In the meantime, she inquired where she could buy a six-month supply of dog food for Brownie after his ordeal came to a successful conclusion. The sub-head over that part of the story was: “She Means It.” “I can see people and blood all around,” the young showgirl said, “and dig right in and help them. But when I see or hear of a dog suffering, I go all to pieces.” The Telegraph was flooded with calls from hundreds of miles away - all wanting to provide help. Osborne hung with the story. He reported on how the bulldozer “hacked stubbornly” at the Mingo County hillside. He wrote that three searchers were lost briefly, but later recovered. Osborne’s photo of Brownie’s master, Richard Hatfield, leaning on 1 a shovel and almost appearing as though he was panting from exhaustion rode beneath the Telegraph masthead, interrupted only by headlines reporting about a disastrous Rio de Janeiro circus tent fire that may have claimed as many as 300 lives. In Tuesday’s paper, Dec. 19, 1961, home’s photo featured Richard D Hatfield, his shirt obviously soiled from digging, holding Brownie in his arms. Brownie had been underground for 52 days. One of the ironic tragedies of the rescue was that Bill Boyles, the Bluefield man who was operating the Rish Equipment dozer, lost his own dog the night before the rescue. On Sun-day night, Boyles’ dog was struck,and killed by a car, Osborne reported. Brownie and Richard Hatfield became instant celebrities. According to Col. Darrell G. Brum-field’s 1993 “Stories About Gilbert, West Virginia,” the dog and; owner were featured on “The Gary Moore Show,” “I’ve Got A Secret” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” The two also made an appearance on the WHIS-TV show “Woman’s World,” hosted by Jackie Oblinger. “After all the trouble of rescuing Brownie, I didn’t get to keep him long,” Hatfield wrote in Brumfield’s book. “A while after his rescue, someone hauled him off and I found him down at Cane-brake. Later on, he disappeared and that time I couldn’t find him. I was told that a man shot him. Since I didn’t see him, I can’t say definitely that he did.” Brownie, like all dogs, had his day. Unlike the more famous trapped-in-a-cave story about Floyd Collins, Brownie’s tale had a happy, albeit short-lived, ending. With all the stories in the world, Burl Osborne picked a good one to tell. As a result, it will live forever in the annals of coalfield history.
I want to thank Corey for sponsoring my cousins page.
Obituary
Donald Richard Hatfield, Sr., 80 of Delbarton, formerly of Hampden, departed this life Saturday, October 24, 2020 from his residence, surrounded by his family.
Born August 18, 1940 at Hampden, he was the son of the late Willie Hatfield: and Bernice(Grimmett ) Harrison.
In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his wife: Shirley (Dotson) Hatfield; his son: Jamie Hatfield.
Richard enjoyed hunting, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren. He was of the Church of God Faith.
Those left to love and cherish his memory and to mourn his loss are his son: Donald Ricky (Sherri) Hatfield, Jr.; grandchildren: Johnathan (Whitney) Hatfield and Christopher Hatfield, all of Delbarton, Aiden and Ariana Hatfield of Hampden, Kaizen Brown and Kyler Gibson both of Davin, Amanda (Joey) Crigger of Man; great grandchild: Andria Lester; sister: Shirley (Frank) Holmes of Georgia; brother: Harvey (Trina) Harrison of North Carolina. He also leaves behind a host of other dear relatives and friends.
Friends may gather with the family Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 12:00 till 1:00 pm at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, where funeral services will commence at 1:00 pm with Rev. Denny May officiated.
More about my Cousin and his dog Brownie: The love of a human for his Dog trapped in mine for 52 days.
“I’m sure Mr. Osborne would love to talk with you about that. He talks about it to everyone. It’s about a dog that got rescued from a coal mine and then got shot a few weeks later in someone’s garden.” Osborne is president and CEO of the Publishing Division of A.H. Belo Corporation. Sadly, although Osborne did return the call, this reporter - Osborne used that “this reporter” You-Are-There style in his reporting of the Brownie incident in 1961 - this reporter wasn’t in at the time he called. On the fortunate side, Osborne, who was then an Associated Press reporter assigned to Bluefield, left the annals of Brownie on the front pages of the Daily Telegraph. Brownie was a “three-year-old mongrel hound” according to Osborne’s Dec. 15,1961, below-the-fold story datelined Gilbert. Osborne picked up the trail of Brownie’s plight after he had already been trapped underground for 46 days. The dog and his master, Richard Hatfield of Hampden, about six miles from Gilbert, had been hunting when Brownie disappeared. The dog’s 21-year-old owner was a distant descendant of the Mingo County Hatfields of the Hatfield and McCoy Feud fame. The story got better. About three weeks after Brownie came up missing, a Hatfield family cousin, Tommy Kennedy, apparently no relation to then White House occupant, President John Kennedy, “heard a weak yelp and recognized the familiar sound of his friend’s dog.” Brownie came up missing on Oct. 28,1961. Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 23 of that year. Hatfield-jobless - was caring for his grandmother. He landed a part-time job driving a truck. He fed table scraps to Brownie and used his truck-driving money to finance a rescue effort that consisted of a couple high school kids digging at day and himself digging by flashlight at night. Brownie had apparently slipped through a crack in the earth while chasing a small animal and fell into a mine shaft that had worked out and been closed the year before. Osborne’s reports made no assumptions. He speculated, but did not embellish. The stories he told were real. “That’s the same place old Ab Kennedy got lost,” another cousin, Mrs. Walter Hatfield, was quoted by Osborne. Ab Kennedy, in his early 80s, died of a heart attack in February 1961. He had been lost in the same vicinity where Brownie was then trapped. Osborne stayed with the story. On Dec. 16, he reported: “The dog... could be heard whining and barking when this reporter crawled into a narrow slit that Brownie’s would-be rescuers had hacked into the face of the steep bank.” They were close enough to try pulling the dog out with a rope, but none of their efforts brought success. The rescuers believed that a bulldozer was their only hope. “Lon Rish wasn’t at all in favor of sending a bulldozer up there to get that dog out,” former Telegraph coal page editor H. Edward “Eddie” Steele recalled of the event. Steele was then PR man for Bluefield Supply and Rish Equipment was their banner component. “I finally convinced him of the publicity value of getting the dog out.” Donations for the Daily Telegraph's perennial Community Christmas Tree were lagging behind schedule that December. Local headlines for that drive overshadowed Osborne’s lamentations about Brownie’s plight. But Osborne’s story hit the national wire. On the following day, Osborne’s story was running above-the-fold with art - Osborne’s art of Chilton Hatfield, another cousin, near the small hole where Brownie’s “whimpers” could be heard from. That same day, Dec. 17,1961, a non-byline story in the Telegraph revealed that a New York showgirl and former FBI undercover agent, Marlane MacLane, had offered to underwrite the expense of recovering Brownie if Rish couldn’t come through. “Marlane MacLane is daughter of Barton MacLane of ‘Outlaw’ fame as well as other roles,” the Telegraph reported. “She is what is known in ‘show biz’ as a ‘headliner’ and her burlesque name is ‘Satin.’ She also does television parts.” MacLane had confessed her real life eight-year espionage role with the FBI to the Telegraph reporter who took her call Saturday afternoon from Toledo, Ohio. The sub-head on the story was: “Helped Fight Commies.” In the meantime, she inquired where she could buy a six-month supply of dog food for Brownie after his ordeal came to a successful conclusion. The sub-head over that part of the story was: “She Means It.” “I can see people and blood all around,” the young showgirl said, “and dig right in and help them. But when I see or hear of a dog suffering, I go all to pieces.” The Telegraph was flooded with calls from hundreds of miles away - all wanting to provide help. Osborne hung with the story. He reported on how the bulldozer “hacked stubbornly” at the Mingo County hillside. He wrote that three searchers were lost briefly, but later recovered. Osborne’s photo of Brownie’s master, Richard Hatfield, leaning on 1 a shovel and almost appearing as though he was panting from exhaustion rode beneath the Telegraph masthead, interrupted only by headlines reporting about a disastrous Rio de Janeiro circus tent fire that may have claimed as many as 300 lives. In Tuesday’s paper, Dec. 19, 1961, home’s photo featured Richard D Hatfield, his shirt obviously soiled from digging, holding Brownie in his arms. Brownie had been underground for 52 days. One of the ironic tragedies of the rescue was that Bill Boyles, the Bluefield man who was operating the Rish Equipment dozer, lost his own dog the night before the rescue. On Sun-day night, Boyles’ dog was struck,and killed by a car, Osborne reported. Brownie and Richard Hatfield became instant celebrities. According to Col. Darrell G. Brum-field’s 1993 “Stories About Gilbert, West Virginia,” the dog and; owner were featured on “The Gary Moore Show,” “I’ve Got A Secret” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” The two also made an appearance on the WHIS-TV show “Woman’s World,” hosted by Jackie Oblinger. “After all the trouble of rescuing Brownie, I didn’t get to keep him long,” Hatfield wrote in Brumfield’s book. “A while after his rescue, someone hauled him off and I found him down at Cane-brake. Later on, he disappeared and that time I couldn’t find him. I was told that a man shot him. Since I didn’t see him, I can’t say definitely that he did.” Brownie, like all dogs, had his day. Unlike the more famous trapped-in-a-cave story about Floyd Collins, Brownie’s tale had a happy, albeit short-lived, ending. With all the stories in the world, Burl Osborne picked a good one to tell. As a result, it will live forever in the annals of coalfield history.
I want to thank Corey for sponsoring my cousins page.
Donald Richard Hatfield, Sr., 80 of Delbarton, formerly of Hampden, departed this life Saturday, October 24, 2020 from his residence, surrounded by his family.
Born August 18, 1940 at Hampden, he was the son of the late Willie Hatfield: and Bernice(Grimmett ) Harrison.
In addition to his parents, he is also preceded in death by his wife: Shirley (Dotson) Hatfield; his son: Jamie Hatfield.
Richard enjoyed hunting, but his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren. He was of the Church of God Faith.
Those left to love and cherish his memory and to mourn his loss are his son: Donald Ricky (Sherri) Hatfield, Jr.; grandchildren: Johnathan (Whitney) Hatfield and Christopher Hatfield, all of Delbarton, Aiden and Ariana Hatfield of Hampden, Kaizen Brown and Kyler Gibson both of Davin, Amanda (Joey) Crigger of Man; great grandchild: Andria Lester; sister: Shirley (Frank) Holmes of Georgia; brother: Harvey (Trina) Harrison of North Carolina. He also leaves behind a host of other dear relatives and friends.
Friends may gather with the family Wednesday, October 28, 2020 from 12:00 till 1:00 pm at Mounts Funeral Home Chapel, where funeral services will commence at 1:00 pm with Rev. Denny May officiated.
More about my Cousin and his dog Brownie: The love of a human for his Dog trapped in mine for 52 days.
“I’m sure Mr. Osborne would love to talk with you about that. He talks about it to everyone. It’s about a dog that got rescued from a coal mine and then got shot a few weeks later in someone’s garden.” Osborne is president and CEO of the Publishing Division of A.H. Belo Corporation. Sadly, although Osborne did return the call, this reporter - Osborne used that “this reporter” You-Are-There style in his reporting of the Brownie incident in 1961 - this reporter wasn’t in at the time he called. On the fortunate side, Osborne, who was then an Associated Press reporter assigned to Bluefield, left the annals of Brownie on the front pages of the Daily Telegraph. Brownie was a “three-year-old mongrel hound” according to Osborne’s Dec. 15,1961, below-the-fold story datelined Gilbert. Osborne picked up the trail of Brownie’s plight after he had already been trapped underground for 46 days. The dog and his master, Richard Hatfield of Hampden, about six miles from Gilbert, had been hunting when Brownie disappeared. The dog’s 21-year-old owner was a distant descendant of the Mingo County Hatfields of the Hatfield and McCoy Feud fame. The story got better. About three weeks after Brownie came up missing, a Hatfield family cousin, Tommy Kennedy, apparently no relation to then White House occupant, President John Kennedy, “heard a weak yelp and recognized the familiar sound of his friend’s dog.” Brownie came up missing on Oct. 28,1961. Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 23 of that year. Hatfield-jobless - was caring for his grandmother. He landed a part-time job driving a truck. He fed table scraps to Brownie and used his truck-driving money to finance a rescue effort that consisted of a couple high school kids digging at day and himself digging by flashlight at night. Brownie had apparently slipped through a crack in the earth while chasing a small animal and fell into a mine shaft that had worked out and been closed the year before. Osborne’s reports made no assumptions. He speculated, but did not embellish. The stories he told were real. “That’s the same place old Ab Kennedy got lost,” another cousin, Mrs. Walter Hatfield, was quoted by Osborne. Ab Kennedy, in his early 80s, died of a heart attack in February 1961. He had been lost in the same vicinity where Brownie was then trapped. Osborne stayed with the story. On Dec. 16, he reported: “The dog... could be heard whining and barking when this reporter crawled into a narrow slit that Brownie’s would-be rescuers had hacked into the face of the steep bank.” They were close enough to try pulling the dog out with a rope, but none of their efforts brought success. The rescuers believed that a bulldozer was their only hope. “Lon Rish wasn’t at all in favor of sending a bulldozer up there to get that dog out,” former Telegraph coal page editor H. Edward “Eddie” Steele recalled of the event. Steele was then PR man for Bluefield Supply and Rish Equipment was their banner component. “I finally convinced him of the publicity value of getting the dog out.” Donations for the Daily Telegraph's perennial Community Christmas Tree were lagging behind schedule that December. Local headlines for that drive overshadowed Osborne’s lamentations about Brownie’s plight. But Osborne’s story hit the national wire. On the following day, Osborne’s story was running above-the-fold with art - Osborne’s art of Chilton Hatfield, another cousin, near the small hole where Brownie’s “whimpers” could be heard from. That same day, Dec. 17,1961, a non-byline story in the Telegraph revealed that a New York showgirl and former FBI undercover agent, Marlane MacLane, had offered to underwrite the expense of recovering Brownie if Rish couldn’t come through. “Marlane MacLane is daughter of Barton MacLane of ‘Outlaw’ fame as well as other roles,” the Telegraph reported. “She is what is known in ‘show biz’ as a ‘headliner’ and her burlesque name is ‘Satin.’ She also does television parts.” MacLane had confessed her real life eight-year espionage role with the FBI to the Telegraph reporter who took her call Saturday afternoon from Toledo, Ohio. The sub-head on the story was: “Helped Fight Commies.” In the meantime, she inquired where she could buy a six-month supply of dog food for Brownie after his ordeal came to a successful conclusion. The sub-head over that part of the story was: “She Means It.” “I can see people and blood all around,” the young showgirl said, “and dig right in and help them. But when I see or hear of a dog suffering, I go all to pieces.” The Telegraph was flooded with calls from hundreds of miles away - all wanting to provide help. Osborne hung with the story. He reported on how the bulldozer “hacked stubbornly” at the Mingo County hillside. He wrote that three searchers were lost briefly, but later recovered. Osborne’s photo of Brownie’s master, Richard Hatfield, leaning on 1 a shovel and almost appearing as though he was panting from exhaustion rode beneath the Telegraph masthead, interrupted only by headlines reporting about a disastrous Rio de Janeiro circus tent fire that may have claimed as many as 300 lives. In Tuesday’s paper, Dec. 19, 1961, home’s photo featured Richard D Hatfield, his shirt obviously soiled from digging, holding Brownie in his arms. Brownie had been underground for 52 days. One of the ironic tragedies of the rescue was that Bill Boyles, the Bluefield man who was operating the Rish Equipment dozer, lost his own dog the night before the rescue. On Sun-day night, Boyles’ dog was struck,and killed by a car, Osborne reported. Brownie and Richard Hatfield became instant celebrities. According to Col. Darrell G. Brum-field’s 1993 “Stories About Gilbert, West Virginia,” the dog and; owner were featured on “The Gary Moore Show,” “I’ve Got A Secret” and “The Merv Griffin Show.” The two also made an appearance on the WHIS-TV show “Woman’s World,” hosted by Jackie Oblinger. “After all the trouble of rescuing Brownie, I didn’t get to keep him long,” Hatfield wrote in Brumfield’s book. “A while after his rescue, someone hauled him off and I found him down at Cane-brake. Later on, he disappeared and that time I couldn’t find him. I was told that a man shot him. Since I didn’t see him, I can’t say definitely that he did.” Brownie, like all dogs, had his day. Unlike the more famous trapped-in-a-cave story about Floyd Collins, Brownie’s tale had a happy, albeit short-lived, ending. With all the stories in the world, Burl Osborne picked a good one to tell. As a result, it will live forever in the annals of coalfield history.
I want to thank Corey for sponsoring my cousins page.
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