- The following article appeared in the Whitesburg (KY) Mountain Eagle of 3 Jan 1929:
PROMINENT CITIZEN AND CONTRACTOR KILLED
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John D. Blair, Long Well Known Citizen, County Official and Highway Contractor Shot and Killed
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RELATED TO NEARLY EVERY FAMILY IN LETCHER COUNTY
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Early Monday morning John D. Blair and two other men drove over from Shelby Gap to the home of Tilden Wright at Millstone to adjust a matter best known to himself. Mr. Wright and Ben J. Adams were in the dining room when Mr. Blair entered. The latter, it is said told Mr. Wright his purpose in coming and a heated conversation resulted. Mr. Wright says that Mr. Blair drew his pistol in a threating (sic) way and made certain demonstrations with it. Just then William Wright aged about twenty heard the words spoken or saw the demonstrations from his bead room where he was lying and seizing his thirty-eitht pistol, rushed into the room to aid his father. When he entered he began shooting and kept this up till his gun was emptied. When the smoke had lifted Mr. Blair was shot dead and lying upon the floor. Four shots had entered his body and head, one in the right breast just below the arm pit and ranged through the body cavity in front and lodged just under the skin to the right of the left nipple, one to the back slightly above the hips and two inches to the left of the spinal column, and another in the leg passing through the heavy fleshy part of it four inches below the knee. Another passed through the top of Blair's hat. Just which shot produced death so suddenly was not discernable, unless the shot entering the back penetraated an artery leading to the heart. It is said a forty-five pistol cocked ready for firing was found on the floor not far from the dead man's body. It is said that when young Wright entered the room Mr. Blair had his gun drawn on his father.
Young Wright surrendered himself to the officers and was soon brought before Judge Ben --- and at the time this is written the examining trial is put off till Jan 10th. A number of persons were present or near about when the difficulty occurred. The young Wright and John D. Blair from a number of angles were closely related.
The body of the dead man was brought to the Ideal Undertaking Department here where it was prepared for burial. This will take place near the old home of the deceased on Lower Rock House. John D. Blair was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Blair, now residing near Blair's Branch of Rockhouse and was forty-eight years of age. He was the oldest of a large family of children all... [cut off from image]...
... well known Bull Creek teacher and citizen. There was no better connected citizen in Letcher County than John D. Blair. He was a great-grandson of the late Manatt Jenkins and J. Wash Adams of Blackey was his great Uncle.
He leaves four young sons and one daughter. The younger child a son, is thirteen.
John D. Blair was a brave, bold and determined man. He was admired by thousands of our citizens and had but few enemies. As a hustling business man there were few better. A year or so ago he became a member of the First Baptist Church in Whitesburg and those who knew him best and watched his walks believe he was a changed man.
What is said of John D. Blair can be said of the young man who did the shooting. He is a son of Rev. Tilden Wright of the Regular Baptist Church. The Wright family has always been one of ourleading families, heavily connected and one that has strongly impressed itself upon the County's progressive welfare. Young Wright's mother is a daughter of the late Ben Craft... [remainder unreadable]
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1881 - 1928 (~ 47 years)
