INSTANT JUSTICE

 John Steele Damron, son of Samuel, married Sarah, (called Sally), Pelley. Sarah had a brother named John Alfred Pelley, who was born about 1845. John Pelley was at the home of John Steele Damron, at the time that Sally went into labor with her first child, Wilson N. Damron—this in the year 1862. As Sally’s labor pains were rather severe, 
John Pelley was asked to ride to Neatsville KY, about 7 to 10 miles away and procure some whiskey. After John had procured the whiskey, he exited the saloon and mounted his horse. At this time several loungers were against the side wall of the saloon—one of these being a man named Huff, who proceeded to curse John Pelley and ended by drawing a pistol and shooting John three times—twice in the chest and once in the knee. John fell from his horse and was carried to a room on the first floor of a hotel which was adjacent to the saloon, where he was placed on a straw mattress. Huff had fled the scene and was hiding behind the trunk of a large tree about a block from the home of George Wineford Damron, a cousin to John Steele Damron. 
 Huff shot at George and George retaliated with a muzzle-loading rifle, shooting at the only part of Huff protruding from the trunk of the tree–his hip. Huff fell from behind the tree and was carried to a room in the same hotel occupied by John Pelley. 
 At this juncture, the word had spread as to the shooting of John Pelley and John’s brother, Jake, appeared on the scene. He walked into John’s room and as he looked at him he said, “John you are dying and I’m going to kill Huff.” John responded, “Don’t do it, Jake, I will get well.” Jake then walked to Huff’s room and said to him, “Huff, you have killed my brother,” Huff’s response, “You’re a god-damned liar,” and with that Jake shot Huff in the head. Jake Pelley was never questioned as to his shooting of Huff. 
 John Steele Damron later moved to Texas, as did John Alfred Pelley, who did recover, but always walked with a limp afterwards. 
Between 1910 and 1918, John Pelley would visit Charley Damron, the son of John Steele and Sally Damron. 
 Owen Banks Damron, son of Charley, was a young lad at the time. It was on these visits that John Pelley told Owen this story and showed him where the two bullets had gone through his chest and the one through his knee. I have met Owen and will vouch for his veracity. 
 In 1937, Owen Banks Damron, visited Cane Valley KY. It was at this time that he met Asa (Asure) Damron, son of Elzy and grandson of Samuel. Asa told Owen this story. Elzy, father of Asa, ran a distillery in that part of KY. Asa was still living at home and was there when a man who had come to the still for whiskey, was using profane language before Asa’s mother, Permelia. Asa requested that he desist in this. The man’s reply was to draw a knife and start for Asa, who at this turn of events, pulled his pistol and shot him. Asa was not questioned. 
When Winnie Sanders was a young girl, Asa visited with her father who introduced Winnie to Asa as his cousin. Following Asa’s departure, Winnie remarked to her father, “I was most impressed with your cousin, he is a very nice appearing gentle person.” His reply, “You are deceived, he once killed a man.” We do not know his given name, but we do know that he was the brother of Sam Bottoms. Leonard L. Damron