Newspaper Article: The Adair County News, 10-Nov-1897 Submitted By: Laura Frost Wright Submission Date: 16-Feb-2000 Terrible Tragedy. Joe WRIGHT and Jase BLACKERTY shoot one another to death at Junction City KY. 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 distrubed 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. *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Commercial entities must ask for and receive permission from submittor before downloading. ***********************************************************************