The next night Major Lewis McKee and 150 soldiers arrived in Morehead, the Martin sisters were released with no charges against them. The Tollivers and the Days were arrested and had an examining trial before 2 magistrates. The magistrates disagreed and the defenants were released.
In a few months after that Jeff and Alvin Bowling, 2 of the prominent participants in these tragedies were tried in other cours. Jeff Bowling killed his father-in-law in Ohio and he was hung in the following August. His brother Alvin killed Town Marshall Gill in Mt Sterling and he was sent to the penitentiary for 21 years.
After the soldiers were returned from Morehead, Cook Humphrey, Howard Logan, Matt Casey and 2 or 3 others of their friends were beseiged in the Galt House in Morehead, several dozen shots were fired, but no one was killed. The doors of the Galt House was riddled with bullets and the windows were shot out. After this, Craig Tolliver and Cook Humphrey signed an agreement to leave Rowan County and never return. In about 4 months after that, Tolliver returned but everything remained very quiet for several months and when the time came to elect a police judge of Morehead, Craig said that he was now a peaceable man and a good quiet citizen and that the people ought to encourage him in his good behavior by electing him police judge of Morehead and he thereupon became a candidate for that position and he went out canvassing for votes with a Winchester rifle and in a short time, all the other candidates withdrew. At the election, Craig received about 50 votes and he was duly declared elected. On the day of the election Craig Tolliver was standing near the voting place when Boone Logan came up to vote, the officer of the election asked if he wanted to vote for police judge, Logan asked him who were the candidates and the officer said "Craig Tolliver is the only one" and thereupon Logan said ,'I will vote for --------'. and he named the most worthless man in town.
The election to the position of police judge gave him power to issue warrants and this led up to the worst crime which was committed by either side, and was the killing of the 2 Logan boys which occured about 2 weeks before Craig and his followers were finally settled with. Police Judge Tolliver issued a warrant charging the 2 Logans with kukluxing and placed it in the hands of Marshal Manning, who, accompanied by a posse of 12 men including Craig Tolliver, went to Doctor Logan's home about 2 miles from Morehead where his sons were staying and demanded their surrender. Manning and his men attempted to enter the house, when Jack Logan the youngest of the boys fired and severely wounded him. The council of the elder Logan then prevailed and they gave themselves up to the posse under the promise that they would not be harmed and they would be given a fair trial and that their houses would not be burned. Thirty steps from the house, one of the posse told the boys that they must die there, and they were murdered. About 20 buckshot pieces of slug were found in each of the bodies. After they were killed, their faces were mutilated by kicking them in the face. Their bodies were afterward buried in Doctor Logan's private graveyard. The Logan boys were considered extra fine young men, the youngest one of them was studying for the ministry. The real motive for the killing of these 2 excellent young men was that Craig Tolliver wanted Doctor Logan convicted of the charge against him that he consipred to kill Judge Cole and others and he had been sent to Lexington for safe keeping. His sons would have been witnesses in his behalf and their testimony would have doubtless cleared him of the charges and Tolliver concluded that the best thing he could do was to put them out of the way.
Up to this point 17 men had lost thier lives in the feud, among them were Solomon Bradley, John Martin,. Whit Pelfrey, B Caudelle, Deputy Bumgardner, Mason Keeton, John Marlow, John Davis, Wiley Tolliver, Witcher, Willie Logan, Ben Rayburn, John Day, Floyd Tolliver, John B Logan and W H Logan. The killing of the 2 Logan boys was followed by a notification from Craig Tolliver to Boone Logan, another brother to leave the county. Boone Logan was a lawyer and a quiet citizen. He left there and went to Franfort to consult with Governor Knott on the situation. Governor Knott told him in the presence of Lt Governor Hindman that he was sorry that he had no official power to extend any relief to the citizens of Morehead, that everything the state could do had been tried and found unavailing as a remedy. It was reported at that time the Governor Knott had told Logan that a private citizen could arrest a man if a warrant had been issued for him charging him with a felony. Whether Logan was advised what to do or whether he acted on his own iniative made little difference in the final result.
After the consultation with the governor, Logan got into communication with Hiram Pigman, a merchant at Morehead who had been in trouble with Craig Tolliver. These 2 men secured the active cooperation of Sheriff Hogg and a systematic canvass of the best citizens of the county was made and they were requested to assist in bringing the Tollivers to justice. 113 men in Rowan County and surrounding counties were enlisted and to secure arms for them, Boone Logan went to Cincinnati and purchased 60 Winchester rifles, the rest of the men were provided with shotguns, muskets, etc. Meetings were held and plans were formed. Warrants of arrest were issued charging muder, arson and other crimes and misdemeanors against Craig Tolliver, Jay Tolliver, Bud Tolliver, Andy Tolliver, Cal Tolliver, Burke Manning, Jim Manning, John Rodgers, Hiram Cooper, Boone Day, Bill Day, Tom Day and Sam Gooden. These warrants were placed in the hands of Sheriff Hogg and Wednesday morning at ten o'clock, June 22 1887, was the time designated for the arrest. At three o'clock that morning 113 men under the command of Sheriff Hogg arrived in detachments at Morehead, and were stationed at 7 different positions outside of the town limits and completely surrounded the town.
Craig Tolliver was apprehensive of an attack but he felt secure. He had heard of the citizens meeting and he started the report that a band of regulators was being organized to drive him out of the county. This was likely done to strenghten his own reistance to the authorities. He evidently felt confiedent of his ability to repel any attack and he claimed that he and his men could whip a thousand regulators. He had been drinking for some time and was at that time under the influence of liquor, he was not aware of the feeling which existed against since the killing of the Logans.
At eight o'clock the Tolliver forces were gathered at the American House, they were on the lookout for trouble. They were well armed as usual, Craig had 2 piols and a belt full of cartridges. It was a quarter past eight when one of the posse named Byron was seen at the depot. Byron was armed with a Winchester and the Tollivers at once opened fire on him. Byron ran and the Tolliver pursued him, keeping up the firing. This precipitated the conflict. Men sprang from behind stumps, bushes and piles of lumber. A volley was poured into the Tolliver party which caused them to made a hasty retreat. They ran past the American House and toward the Central Hotel, the other squads of the posse came up and the action became general. The Tollivers continued their retreat and all of them but 1 reached the Central hotel. The one who fell was Bud Tolliver with a wound which shattered his knee. He managed to crawl throught the fence and conceal himself in some tall grass. The members of the possee wore no hats in order that they might avoid shooting each other by recognizing each other. The Tollivers soon discovered that their enemies were bareheaded and threw away their hats. By doing this several of them escaped.
The battle lasted for 2 1/2 hours and there was about 2000 shots fired. Tolliver and his men were driven from the hotel and Jay Tolliver was killed on a the hill a short distance from it. Craig Tolliver ran down the street bareheaded in the direction of the Cottage Hotel, just as he reached the railroad about 60' from the Galt House a bullet struck him in the leg and he fell. He started to rise and was struck by another bullet. There were at least 15 men shooting at him. As he lay there apparently dead, the firing continued. He was shot through the head twice. Though the Tollivers were good shots, they were not able to use their pistols effectively. The only man wounded in the posse was Bud Madden. he was shot in the side by Cal Tolliver. One of the gamest fighters on the Tolliver side was Cal, a boy of 14 years of age. He was a nephew of Craig's and was small for his age. He did not seek the protection of fences and trees as many others, but stood out boldly and fired his pistol like a veteran. One bullet passed through the seat of his trousers. When Craig Tolliver fell this boy ran to him and got the watch and pocketbook off the dead man.
Some members of the posse found Bud Tolliver in the grass where he had crawled to conceal himself. He was wounded and in a helpless condition. They placed thier guns close to his head and fired several shots into his brain.
Hiram Cooper was found in a wardrobe in Allie Young's room at the Central hotel. He was dragged from his hiding place and killed in the room. Allie W Young who was at that time, the Prosecuting Attorney, was at Mt Sterling which most likely saved his life.
Cal Tolliver crawled under a house near the Centrl Hotel and remained in hiding until late in the afternoon when he escaped to the woods. Andy Tolliver who was shot during the engagement also made his escape. The 2 Mannings escaped by throwing away their hats, they continued their flight until they got out of the state. John Rodgers also made his escape.