Newspapers; Adair County KY Adair County News 10-Nov-1897 Submitted By: Laura Frost Wright lsllwright@fuse.net Submission Date: 14-Feb-2000 Terrible Tragedy: Joe WRIGHT and Jase BLACKERTY shoot one another to death at Junction City We take from the Danville Advocate the following account of a terrible tragedy that occurred at Junction City on Tuesday the 2nd inst. One of the parties who was slain, Mr. WRIGHT was well-known to a number of our citizens, having frequently visited Columbia while Elder W. K. AZBILL was President of C.C. College. He was an uncle of Miss Mable WRIGHT who was a student of that institution: Joe WRIGHT and Jase BLACKERTY had a desperate street fight at Junction City yesterday in which both men were killed. WRIGHT lived one minute after being shot, and BLACKERTY survived three minutes. It was a most extraordinary encounter, BLACKERTY displaying great nerve during the duel. The killing was the result of old trouble between the men. BLACKERTY, when drinking was very dangerous and frequently became disorderly. He had terrorized Junction City a number of times. Several years ago Frank ELLIS, then town marshal, went to arrest BLACKERTY and deputized WRIGHT to assist him. BLACKERTY resisted and ELLIS and WRIGHT opened fire on him. BLACKERTY fell and the two men went up and fired several shots into his body. BLACKERTY miraculously escaped death and lived to prosecute WRIGHT and ELLIS for shooting him. The case in court did not terminate satisfactory and he never ceased to harass WRIGHT. Time and again was an encounter narrowly averted, and the death of one or both of them was expected at most any time. Tuesday BLACKERTY was drinking. Some persons allege that WRIGHT was also slightly under the influence of liquor. About half past one o'clock WRIGHT was talking to a crowd of men between TUTTLE's place of business and DUNN & SURBER's store. During the conversation, WRIGHT, it is alleged, made a remark about BLACKERTY which BLACKERTY, then passing by, overheard. BLACKERTY stopped and said: "What's that you said about me?" There are conflicting stories regarding what immediately followed. Probably the most authentic is that WRIGHT and BLACKERTY drew their weapons about the same time and BLACKERTY fired first, missing WRIGHT. WRIGHT's first and only shot struck BLACKERTY in the lungs and felled him to the ground with a death wound. WRIGHT might still have lived had he not, like many another man, wanted to bend over the form of his victim. BLACKERTY was upon the ground, almost motionless, with his pistol in his hand. WRIGHT walked up to him and as he approached, BLACKERTY, with wonderful vitality, raised up and fired. WRIGHT received the ball in the lower part of his abdomen and fell backward. Several friends caught him and started toward the hotel with him. After they had gone a few yards, some one remarked to him: "Jase is dead". "Yes," feebly answered WRIGHT,"and he has killed me". With this he sank to the ground and expired. The killing naturally created a great deal of excitment at Junction City. It was the only occurence which disturbed election day there. WRIGHT leaves a widow and one child. He married the widow SHERRITT. BLACKERTY was unmarried. Both men were well known. WRIGHT conducted the Junction City marble works. WRIGHT's funeral was held last Wednesday at the Christian Church in Junction City KY. Bloody Were The Tradegies Of Election Day. Twenty Men Killed And Mortally Wounded. Twenty men were killed or mortally wounded, with a good portion of the State yet to be heard from, in the election fights of Tuesday. It was one of the bloodiest days in the history of the State. Frankfort led off with five killed and mortally wounded in two terrific street battles, one of which was a continuation of the other. Monday night, the Republicans and single-standard Democrats discovered that the silver Democrats were hiring negroes to remain away from the polls on Tuesday by sending them to a bull-pen near town. The Republicans and single-standard Democrats there upon sent out a force of armed men to stop the work, this party led by Frank EGBERT, a desperado and a bad man generally. In the edge of town they met two wagons which were returning from conveying a lot of negroes to the bull-pen. The two wagons were driving rapidly when a man armed with a Winchester rifle ordered them to halt. As both wagons moved on, they were fired into by the party led by EGBERT. Howard GORE was killed outright, driver John SMITH was shot in both legs, one of which has since been amputated. He will die. Charles GRAHAM, colored, the other driver, was shot in the right lung. Warrants were sworn out for EGBERT and those supposed to have been with him, and about 4 in the afternoon, Deputy Sheriff DEAKINS and six other deputies met EGBERT and his cousin , Walter GOINS, on Main Street. When DEAKINS informed EGBERT that he had a warrant for him, he was answered by a shot in the abdomen, but returned the fire before he fell. EGBERT fell dead, GOINS was shot in the foot and leg, and was taken to jail. DEAKINS lived four hours. At Crooked Creek, Rockcastle County, Chesly PAYNE, John LAWRENCE,and Henry LONFIELD were killed while resisting a Sheriff's posse. In Lexington, Robert DUGAN was shot four times by Wm McNAMARA. In Paducah, Jesse PATTON and K. BEAGLES fought and both died. In Junction City, J.C. WRIGHT and Jase BLACKERTY shot each other to death. In Sulphur Springs, Ohio County, Lewis FRANKLIN was killed by Frank SMITH. In Jamestown, Russell County, Merrill TARTER cut William REDMON's throat killing him instantly. In WhiteLick, Garrard County, Thos GREENUP shot and mortally wounded Thomas ROYSTON. In Louisville, three men were killed. - Glasgow Times ********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ***********************************************************************