Deputy Sheriff William S. Wright
Survivors
His wife and eleven children
Incident
Deputy William Wright was shot and killed from ambush by two members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Deputy Wright was targeted because of his involvement with quelling a Klan war that had erupted in the county. He had also assisted with protecting a woman and her son who had been beaten and robbed by members of the KKK.
Both suspects were convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Deputy Wright had served with the agency for only three months. He was survived by his wife and 11 children.
Deputy Wright's son, William Wright, was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 11, 1901, while also serving with the Letcher County Sheriff's Department.
Agency
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Tributes
There is 1 tribute for Deputy Sheriff William S. Wright.
Thank you Deputy Wm S. Wright and your son, Wm "Willie" Wright, for sacrificing your lives resisting the KKK. I am so very thankful to this website for having the courage, decency and honor to state the truth about the brutal murders of these two brave deputies. I am proud of my grandfather and uncle. May they rest in peace and may they be blessed in memory. Also, a special mention of my grandmother, Lettie Wright, whose courage, fortitude and will carried her through some very difficult times. She resisted the KKK for as long as she could and I will be forever proud of her for doing so. May she rest in peace and may she be blessed in memory.