In the rural landscape of Morgan County, Kentucky, a dispute escalated to a fatal conclusion for Constable Doctor 'Dock' Ferguson in the summer of 1902. The 38-year-old male lawman was shot and killed on June 19th of that year on Paint Creek.
The incident began when a young man named George Lyons approached Constable Ferguson with a demand. Lyons claimed that some other men had taken his whiskey and he wanted Ferguson's revolver to pursue them.
The constable refused to hand over his weapon, a decision that would prove fatal. In response to the refusal, Lyons shot Ferguson twice, ending his life instantly. The conflict, rooted in a seemingly minor dispute over alcohol, tragically resulted in the death of a local peace officer. The historical records of the event detail the abrupt and violent end to Constable Ferguson's life but do not offer information on what became of George Lyons after the shooting.
