John Martin shot and killed Floyd Tolliver during a barroom gun battle in early December 1884. (It is not clear who drew first.) He was arrested and taken to Winchester in Clark County to await trial, since the County Attorney Mr. Young and the County Judge Stewart both believed that Rowan County was not safe for him. The Tolliver faction forged a delivery order and sent four of their men by train to pick up Martin and purportedly escort him back to Morehead. In fact, they were delivering him to an ambush by the rest of their clan. When the train arrived in Farmer’s, the Tolliver group boarded and shot Martin to death.

This murder, while not the first incident in what became known as the Martin-Tolliver Feud or the Rowan County War, nor the bloodiest, was the most premeditated.

1870 census of Rowan Co., Pine Grove precinct, lists as family #78:
Martin, John, 23, farm laborer; Lucy, 18. Both born in Kentucky. (No children, but not marked as married within the year.)

John is also listed in Morehead precinct with his parents, at the bottom of the list instead of in birth order. See their notes.

1880 census of Rowan Co., Morehead precinct, lists as family #65:
Martin, John, 34, farmer; Lucy, 28, wife; Lourena J., 9, dau; Benjamin, 4, son; Neva D., 1, dau. All born in Ky.