INGRAM STEPP SLAYS 2 AFTER SON WOUNDED – Johns Creek Farmer Avenges Shooting of Floyd Stepp; Brothers Killed – STEPP SURRENDERS.

The result of one of the briefest and most sanguinary family feuds ever waged in this county, with revolver fire in two separate battles on Johns Creek Sunday night claming the lives of the trio.

The dead are:

WILLIE CLAY, 21, shot through the body and head.

JOHNNY CLAY, 22, shot through the neck and chest.

FLOYD STEPP, 22, wounded in the abdomen and chest.

One of the participants in the shooting affairs lives, and he is Ingram Stepp, father of Floyd Stepp, who this week was being sought by Floyd county officers after it had been reported that he had shot and killed both of the Clay brothers, Willie Clay as Clay lay wounded after being shot by Floyd Stepp.

The first gun fight occurred shortly after dark Sunday evening when Floyd Stepp and Willie Clay met at the home of Jack Laferty on Siler's Creek, a tributary of Johns Creek, about 12 miles from Prestonsburg. According to a report received here, Stepp was at the Laferty home, calling upon Barbara Laferty, when Willie Clay came down the creek, firing his revolver and later entering the home. There, Floyd Stepp stated before his death, Clay began cursing Miss Laferty and shooting into the floor. When, according to Stepp, he remonstrated with Clay, the latter turned his fire upon Stepp, a revolver duet resulting. Both men fell, their bodies riddled by bullets.

Three hours later, Ingram Stepp arrived at the Laferty home to find his son lying wounded in a bed on one side of a small room, with his recent adversary, Willie Clay, occupying a bed on the other side of the room. Both men were believed dying.

According to a report, the father entered the home an avenging nemesis, and at the sight of Johnny Clay sitting in the room opened fire, killing Clay. Turning, this report says, the elder Stepp observed that Willie Clay was not dead and sent a bullet through the wounded man's head.

According to the statement made by Floyd Stepp in the Methodist Hospital, Pikeville, shortly before his death, his father came to the Laferty home bent on arresting the man who shot his son. John Clay was sitting on the bed beside his brother Willie, Floyd said. He drew his pistol and it was then that father shot him. His statement does not note the matter in which Willie Clay died.

A large crowd had gathered at the Laferty home, following the first shooting affray, and it is said by authorities that at least two witnesses adhere to the first version of the second shooting as given here.

Floyd Stepp was rushed to the Methodist Hospital during the night of the shooting in the ambulance of E. P. Arnold, of this place, and died at 4 o'clock on the following afternoon.

Following the dramatic events, resulting from his visit to the Laferty home, Ingram Stepp promptly went to the home of Deputy Sheriff Turner Burchett and surrendered, saying that he was anxious to be brought to Prestonsburg so that he could arrange bail and return to be at the bedside of his wounded son. Before starting toward Prestonsburg, however, he asked to be permitted to return home and get his horse. This was granted, Deputy Sheriff Burchett accompanying him. When the horse was saddled a neighbor arrived and asked to be permitted to speak to Stepp. As the officer's mount whirled over a bank and its owner turned to get the animal, Stepp escaped in the darkness.

Sheriff B. L. Sturgill and deputies M. T. Stumbo and Henry Flanery went into the Johns Creek section Monday morning in search of the fugitive, but failed to find trace of him. When they arrived at the Laferty home, the bodies of the Clay brothers were but being moved in a wagon to their homes on Buffalo, near which burial was made Tuesday. Body of Floyd Stepp was returned to the home on Johns Creek Tuesday, from Pikeville. Johnny Clay is survived by his widow and two small children.

Ingram Stepp is well-known in Floyd and Pike counties and is a large landowner.

Ingram Stepp surrendered voluntarily to Sheriff B. L. Sturgill and deputies Wednesday, and was brought to Prestonsburg Wednesday afternoon. He was permitted to attend the funeral and burial of his son, Floyd Stepp, one of the victims of Sunday night's shooting affrays, before being brought here.

He was released Wednesday under bond of $25,000 for his appearance here Monday to answer indictment before the grand jury.

• Floyd Co. Times, November 7, 1930, #132

STEPP INDICTED ON TWO COUNTS – Total of $50,000 Necessary to Execute Bond; Trial November 24.

Ingram Stepp, Johns Creek farmer, was indicted on two charges of willful murder here Monday by the grand jury for the alleged murder of Willie Clay and Johnnie Clay, brothers, on Siler's Creek, Sunday night, October 26.

The accused man is in jail here. His bond has been fixed at $25,000 for each case, but to date he has not executed bond. His trial has been set for November 24.

The aggregate bond of $50,000 is said to be the largest sum ever fixed in Floyd county for bail.

• Floyd Co. Times, December 5, 1930, #183

INGRAM STEPP CONVICTED IN DUAL KILLING – Jury's Verdict Provides Sentence of 21 Years in Pen – TO APPEAL CASE

Approximately 20 hours after the fate of Ingram Stepp, 48 years old, prominent Johns Creek farmer, had been placed in its hands, a jury in the Floyd circuit court here at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning adjudged Stepp guilty of manslaughter and fixed his sentence at 21 years in the penitentiary for the slaying of Johnny and Willie Clay, brothers, on Siler's Creek, this county, October 26.

Defense counsel stated Wednesday, immediately following the jury's report, that the case would be appealed.

The convicted man is the only survivor of one of Floyd county's briefest and most dramatic family wars. After his son, Floyd Stepp, 22, and Willie Clay, 21, had shot and fatally wounded each other at the home of Jack Laferty on Siler's Creek, Ingram Stepp a few hours later shot and instantly killed the Clays.

The commonwealth in the trial, which began on Friday of last week, offered testimony of six or seven witnesses to the effect that, when Ingram Stepp entered the Laferty home in a room of which both his son and his adversary lay wounded, he shot and killed Johnny Clay when Clay arose from the side of his brother's bed and stepped back and then, turning, fired a bullet through the brain of Willie Clay as the latter lay wounded.

Defense counsel offered the testimony of the defendant, which was corroborated by that of three witnesses summoned but not used by the commonwealth. Their version of the shooting of the brothers follows in brief:

Learning of his son being wounded, Ingram Stepp went to the Laferty home, where he asked a crowd of bystanders where was the boy who shot his son. Somebody said, "He's shot." "Let me see," replied Stepp. Entering the room where the wounded youths lay, Stepp found Johnny Clay sitting on the side of his brother's' bed. Upon the entrance of Stepp, Johnny Clay jumped up, drew a revolver and shoved Ingram Stepp. The defendant then fired, killing Johnny Clay. Turning, he saw Willie Clay pushing the cover and, as Stepp believed, attempting to bring a pistol into play. Then he fired the shot which killed Willie Clay.

• Floyd Co. Times, January 30, 1931, #305

STEPP DRAWS 2^ND 21-YEAR SENTENCE – Sentence Same for Slaying of Each of Clay Brothers on Johns Creek – TO APPEAL VERDICT

The tragedy in which three men met death last October on Johns Creek this county has found a second sequel in the Floyd circuit court here last week. Ingram Stepp, a prominent Johns Creek farmer, father of one of the victims in the tragedy, receiving his second sentence of 21 years in the penitentiary for the slaying of the Clay brothers. [rest of article missing due to flood damage in archive in 1957]

• Floyd Co. Times, July 8, 1932, #1453

ACTING GOVERNOR CHANDLER GRANTS CLEMENCY 7 TO 3 FROM FLOYD – Daniels Pardoned, Stepp and Hall Given Commutations by Chandler.

Acting as Governor while Governor I Ruby Laffoon was in Chicago last week attending the Democratic National Convention, Lieutenant Governor A. B. Chandler indulged in an orgy of pardons from which three Floyd countians serving penitentiary terms for murder benefited.

Ingram Stepp, who was convicted in circuit court here for the killing of Willie and Johnnie Clay on Johns Creek and given 21-year pen sentences in each case, was granted commutations which reduced his term for each slaying to one year. At the same time, the sentence of Gram Hall, convicted for the slaying of Ike Slone at Garrett, was reduced from 2 to five years. It was said that the petitions for clemency in each of these cases were signed by the trial judge and the jurors which made the verdicts.

Winding up a busy week, Acting Governor Chandler Saturday pardoned Frank Daniels, who was serving a life sentence for the slaying of Mrs. Eva Clark on Johns Fork two years ago. Daniels was convicted at the April 1930 term of the Floyd circuit court. He also pardoned former State Senator A. H. Hargis, who was convicted at the April, 1932 term of the Fayette Circuit Courts of falseswearing and sentenced to one year in prison.

• Footnotes and a Happy Ending (Updated 7/10/2003)

Not long after I posted this page, the Internet did what it is best at and connected long-lost branches of our family tree.  Since then, we have confirmed that the shootings took place at the home of William "Granpaw Jack" Laferty.  Barbara Laferty, also known as "Barbie", was his daughter.  According to George Johnson, one of Granpaw Jack's great grandsons, Jack was somewhat popular for his moonshine, and a group of men had been at his house drinking on the afternoon in question.  Things turned sour when Barbie arrived, and the fight between Willie and Floyd broke out because both men had feelings for her.  

While the Stepps had been prominent landowners before the shootings, their solvency took a serious hit in the name of Ingram's defense (though some juicy family rumors have declared that it wasn't his defense, it was the "funding" necessary to get his pardon). Of the two most significant Stepp family homestead locations - John's Creek and Calf Creek - a recent trip to Prestonsburg, KY shows that both now bear few traces of their lives.

Several decades on, Calf Creek looks more like a storm drain in the middle of a thriving rural neighborhood.  The homestead has long since burned down, after having been occupied by a handful of the Stepp offspring.  All that remains is a chimney, foundation, and a wooden chicken house, all so overgrown with lush foliage that, even just three feet away from the edge of the road, you would barely notice it's there.  

The land near Dewey Lake is now inaccessible except by boat.  The government took eminent domain and moved the family off their land, deeming it unsafe to live there once the lake construction was underway.  If you cross German Bridge and zero your trip odometer as soon as you pass the campground, at .9 miles - if you're driving slowly - you can look down a bend of John's Creek and spy "Turnhole Rock".  This marks the outer boundaries of that later homestead and once was the point at which the family crossed the creek in a small boat, landing near the family cemetery before crossing onto Ingram's corn-filled land.

Two of John Clay's sons, Jeffrey and Don, are still alive and well, and Jeffrey's daughter Sherry assisted in validating the stories on this site as well as with providing us with updated history on the Clay family.  John's third son, James, died in Kissimmee, FL in 1988.  His grand nephew, Jay Marcoe, shared that information.  

John Ingram Stepp and his wife Dora Belle Clark Stepp had seven children:  three daughters and four sons.  Their second-youngest son, Sherlie Ingram Stepp, fell in love with Ruth Ann Pinion.  But Ruth was a Clay by blood; her grandmother was Araminta Ethel Clay - Johnny and Willie Clay's aunt.  As such, the two youngsters were forbidden to court.  Love persisted with a little help from a few sympathetic relatives, particularly Dora Stepp, and they were able to marry despite Ingram's objections.  They lived in a small house on Stepp land, across the creek from the Stepp homestead.  The arrangement made it impossible for Ingram to resist Ruth's charms any more than Sherlie had been able to, and Ruth came into favor with the elder Stepp, particularly when she gave birth to her first daughter - my mother.  Not long after that, in the late 1940's, the need for Sherlie to find work took them to Dayton, Ohio, where they later had two sons.

Gun-related tragedy revisted the clan in 1974 (Ashland Daily Independent archives, July 14, 1974).  The youngest son, Victor Thurman Stepp, grew up to serve our country in World War II but was shot in his home by Kentucky State Troopers, reportedly for attempting to keep the officers from arresting his son on burglary charges. His widow, Nola Maye (Crider), sued the police force for damages, arguing that the shooting was without probable cause.  She won.  George Johnson recalls Victor kindly, and often played with Victor's son Donald.  He remembers the shooting, noting the shock felt in the area, and a local dislike of one of the shooting officers.

If you'd like a GEDCOM with support material for this interesting twist in the shootings, I'll be glad to open my files.  Just e-mail me.

It is my strong belief that all parties mentioned by name in this story have either volunteered their information or passed away as of this writing.  If I have erred in any way, do not hesitate to let me know so I can remove names or photos until such time as it would be appropriate.

I have additional photos of some of the Clays, but I am lacking a photo of Willie.  Would love to trade scans.

Many thanks to the Watts and their site Historical Indexing.  While this story had been passed down through my family, the details were sketchy.  Their work has helped preserve the Floyd County Times articles referenced above.

Additional thanks to newly discovered family members George Johnson, Sherry Clay Marcoe, and Jay Marcoe for helping flesh out details and providing new photos for our small gallery.