Jim Vance is “a raccoon with rabies, a psychopath, a misogynist, and throw in a pinch of Bruce Dern. That’s the recipe.”—Tom Berenger
Otis Rice, a full professor and the West Virginia Historian Laureate, wrote of Jim Vance: “The tall, heavy-set, dark-bearded Vance, himself a later casualty in the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys, had a reputation, even among his rough associates, for ruthlessness and vindictiveness.” The “historian Laureate” gives NO supporting documentation for his wildly inaccurate description of Jim Vance, and he had good reasons not to. How could Rice present Vance as a ruthless and vindictive criminal when the court records show him holding the offices of constable and justice of the peace in West Virginia and deputy sheriff in Kentucky, with not a single criminal charge–not even a misdemeanor–against him in his entire long life?
This essay, in its entirety, can be read in my book, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Feud Tales.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/1977716814/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511238586&sr=1-1&keywords=Lies%2C+Damned+Lies%2C+and+Feud+Tales