Deputy Sheriff James Stubblefield

James Stubblefield

Deputy James Stubblefield succumbed to gunshot wound sustained two days earlier while attempting to arrest a man on an outstanding warrant.

When Deputy Stubblefield encountered the man, the man attempted to leave the scene. When the deputy told him a second time that he was under arrest the man pulled out his pistol and fired, mortally wounding Deputy Stubblefield.

The suspect shot and killed Deputy Bill Lewis two months later as the deputy attempted to arrest him.

Both murders were a result of the Philpott-Griffin Feud. The deputies' murderer, Mart Smith, was reportedly shot and killed by a famous feudist, General May, in Knox County in 1909. As a result of the Philpott-Griffin Feud several men including law enforcement were killed in 1899.

It is important to note that many feuds occurred in Kentucky, and information about officers, who lost their life as a result of them, is often confusing, contradictory, and refuted by others.