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TOMBSTONE
THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE
Introduction
In June 2009, my wife, daughter and I visited Tombstone, which is situated in the
Arizona Desert. We arrived at Tucson airport late afternoon, and Tony, the taxi driver,
met us at the airport terminal. As we exited the terminal, the temperature was still a
sizzling 43°C at 16h00. We arrived in Tombstone an hour and a half later, travelling at
60mph on the highway. We booked in at the Larian Motel, situated next to Highway 80
in Tombstone. All the historical sites and museums are within walking distance from the
motel.
Very rich silver ore deposits were discovered in 1878 by a prospector by the name of Ed
Schieffelin, in the hills of Tombstone. His friends told him that all he will discover would
be his own tombstone, as this was Apache country, and that is how the name
Tombstone came about. He retired in San Francisco as a millionaire. One of the
popular historical sites is the O.K Corral, where the famous gun fight took place on
October 26, 1881.
The citizens of Tombstone were accustomed to hearing gunfire in the streets. Casual
murder was routine in the half-civilised, half lawless mining camp of the 1880’s. But the
roaring fusillade that echoed briefly through the cool October air one afternoon in 1881
sounded more like a battle than the incidental meeting of a couple of irascible gun
fighters.
Three men, Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury were lying on the ground
fatally wounded, their bodies torn by revolver and shotgun slugs. Their drying blood
added a tragic tint to their brightly coloured vests. Thirty seconds. That’s all it took to
violently end the lives of three men, trigger a bloodbath that would bring the threat of
martial law to Tombstone Territory, and start a bitter controversy that continues to this
day. What exactly happened, will always be the subject of some conjecture. Why it
happened no one questions. The Earp brothers, Doc Holliday and the Clanton gang
had faced their inevitable, unavoidable, long-feared showdown. The O.K Corral gun
battle, which gave Tombstone a secure, if unenviable, place in the history of the wild
Old West, was fated almost from the day when Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp rode into
Tombstone, soon followed by his brothers, Virgil and Morgan, and their close friends,
Luke Short, Bat Masterson and John “Doc” Holliday.
1.
2.
32.
3.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Big nose Kate (Doc Holliday’s girlfriend) saloon and Restaurant
Bird Cage Theatre
Goodenough Mine
Boothill Graveyard
O.K Corall – Cnr. Of 3rd and Allen Streets, adjacent to the City Park
Wyatt Earp House and Gallery
Tombstone Courthouse (gallows at the back)
Tombstone Epitaph
Every individual that has ever heard the words O.K Corral or Earp has formed a
genuine, set in concrete, version of what caused that fight on that cold, windy
disagreeable afternoon of October, 26, 1881. The fight actually started on the east half
of lot no. 5, adjacent to the City Park, on the corner of 3rd and Allen Street. Regardless
of the films, books, television, instant historians, and tale tellers the most famous
gunfight of all times was just an accident or if you wish, a confrontation that got out of
control. Neither side wanted or even expected such a bloody spectacle as the one that
evolved.
Events Leading Up to the Gun Fight
The first was the theft of six Army mules from Camp Rucker. These animals were
trailed to the McLaury ranch on the Babacomari River by Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, Marshall
Williams, Lieutenant J.H. Hearst and four soldiers. The Army mules had been
rebranded.
The following reward notice was published in the local newspaper, the Tombstone
Epitaph:
R E W A R D!!
A reward of $25 will be paid for the arrest, trial and conviction of each of the thieves, who stole six
(6) Government mules from Camp John A. Rucker, A.T., on the night of July, 21st, 1880. It is
believed these mules were stolen by parties known by the following names:
PONY DIEHL,
A.T.. HANSBROUGH,
A.T
DEMASTERS..
MAC DEMASTERS
It is known that the thieves were aided in the secretion of the stolen animals by parties known by
the names of:
FRANK PATERSON,
FRANK MCLOWRY,
JIM JOHNSON,
And other parties unknown. It is known that the stolen animals were secreted at or in the vicinity
of the McLaury brother’s ranch on the Babacomari River on July 25th, 1880; and is also believed
that they were their branded on the left shoulder over the Government brand, U.S., by the letter
and figure D8.
Evidence to assist in the conviction of the thieves will be furnished by the undersigned.
J.H. HURST
Second was the love triangle that came about between Josephine Marcus, John Behan
and Wyatt Earp which was married at that time. Although she was living with Behan,
Josie left him for Wyatt.
Third was the killing of Town Marshall Fred White, by Curly Bill Brocius on October 27,
1880. Curly Bill and his cowboy cohorts were handled rather harshly by the Earp’s and
Holliday that night and they never forgot it.
The fourth item that caused a great deal of ill feelings was politics. Cochise County was
to be formed from a portion of Pima County in February, 1881. At that time the general
election was a year away, causing all new county positions to be appointed by the
Territorial Government. Wyatt Earp, a Republican and John Behan a Democrat, both
wanted to become the first Cochise County sheriff. Behan was given the job, but did
not live up to his political promises to Wyatt, although they had made an agreement.
The fifth incident was the attempted stagecoach holdup and the murders of Budd
Philpot, the driver, and Peter Roerig, a passenger, near Contention City, on the night of
March 15, 1881. The Earp brothers captured one of the highwaymen, named Luther
King, and forced him to reveal the names of the others involved. The prisoner was
placed in the custody of Sheriff Behan, who promptly and conveniently allowed him to
escape.
The sixth was an unusual deal made between Wyatt and Ike Clanton, Joe Hill and
Frank McLaury. Wells Fargo had offered a $3,600 reward for Crane, Head and
Leonard, the other three involved in the attempted stage holdup. Wyatt wanted to make
this arrest because it would likely put him into the sheriff’s office, next election. So he
proposed a deal to Ike and his lieutenants. The deal for them was to put the three
outlaws into a location where Wyatt could capture or kill them. Wyatt would get the
credit and Ike, Frank and Joe would get the reward.
Ike knew that Wyatt was quite likely to kill the stage bandits and not take them into
custody. So Ike wanted assurance that the reward would be paid dead or alive.
Because of the telegram from Wells Fargo, stating that the $3600 reward would be paid
for the outlaws “dead or alive”, word about the deal became known on the streets of
Tombstone. Ike was terrified when he heard this. He knew well what his outlaw friends
will do to him for double crossing them. The only way out of this predicament was to
run the Earp’s out of town or somehow get them killed.
The seventh incident was the ambush and killing of “Old Man” Clanton, Charlie Snow,
Dixie Gray, Billy Lang and Jim Crane.
The robbery of the Bisbee stage, on September 8, 1881 by Behan’s stalwart deputy
sheriff and livery stable partner, Frank Stillwell and Pete Spencer became the eighth
incident. The two culprits were arrested by Wyatt, Morgan, Marshall Williams and Billy
Breakenridge soon after the holdup.
Incident number nine was when the Clanton’s and Mc Laurie’s began to threaten the
lives of the Earp’s and Holliday on the streets of Tombstone.
Number ten occurred around noon on October 26, 1881. Ike Clanton was prowling
Tombstone’s streets with revolver and rifle, threatening to kill Doc or the Earp’s on sight.
Virgil hit him over the head with his revolver and dragged him to the judge’s office on
Fourth Street where he was fined and released.
Incident number eleven was when Tom Mc Laury had the bad judgment to challenge
Wyatt outside the justice court. Wyatt invited him to make any move he wanted, and
slapped him, then “buffaloed” him with his long barrel revolver, then left him lying in the
street.
And then the best most logical reason of all: This famous gunfight took place in a vacant
lot, fifteen feet wide between two buildings. Why would eight supposedly sane men and
a horse crowd themselves into such a small space – then start shooting at each other,
particularly when one was a short tempered drunk, carrying a double barrel shotgun?
The Participants
Sheriff John Harris Behan
The Gun Fight
Many say that the Cowboys were on their way out of town when the Earp’s and Holliday
arrived. The wagon and team driven into town by Ike and Tom was stabled at the West
End Corral, which was one and a half blocks away. They were not leaving.
Ordinance No. 9, Section 1 stated: “It is hereby declared unlawful for any person to carry deadly
weapons, concealed or otherwise, (except the same be carried openly in sight and in hand) within
the city limits of Tombstone”.
Section 2: “This prohibition does not extend to persons immediately leaving or entering the city,
who in good faith, and within reasonable time, are proceeding to deposit or take from the place of
deposit, such deadly weapons”.
Section 3: “All firearms of every description, bowie knives, and dirks are included within the
prohibition of this ordinance”.
The Mc Laurie’s had been in town long enough to be beyond the good faith and
reasonable time. The Earp’s and Holliday left Hafford’s saloon on the corner of Fourth
and Allen Streets with the intention to humiliate the Cowboys by disarming them. The
worst they expected was to have to pistol whip them and run them out of town.
Fate intervened on Fourth Street, fate in the form of Doc Holliday who insisted that he
be allowed to go along. The first thing that Sheriff Behan said was “Don’t go there!
They will murder you!” The second statement he uttered was, “I have disarmed them”.
If that was true the fight will never have happened.
As the Earp’s entered the lot Wyatt yelled, “You S.O.B have asked for a fight, and now
you can have it!” Virgil then said, “We have come to disarm you!” At that point, Frank
McLaury yelled, “We will!” It was then that Doc Holliday cocked both barrels of his
shotgun – two distant clicks were heard over the lot. When Virgil heard the clicks from
Doc’s shotgun, he said, “I didn’t mean that!” At that point Frank palmed his gun and
Wyatt shot him in the belly. Billy did get off a quick shot, firing at almost the same time
as Wyatt. Had he been accurate, he might have put Wyatt out of the fight.
Tom McLaury fired two shots at Morgan Earp over the top of his saddle. One of them
pierced Morgan’s right shoulder and travelled horizontally through his body and exited
at the same spot on the left shoulder. Wyatt saw Tom line up his revolver to shoot
Morgan and fired two quick shots at Tom, but he was too late to help Morgan.
However, one of his bullets creased Tom’s horse and cause him to jerk away from Tom
and ran away, leaving Tom exposed.
Doc Holliday blasted Tom McLaury with both barrels from his shotgun from a distance
of eighteen feet. This was a killing that Doc apparently enjoyed because he had been
watching when Tom shot Morgan. Tom was running when Doc cut loose on him and
kept running until he collapsed at the corner of Third and Fremont Streets.
Meanwhile, Frank McLaury, still holding a horse for protection, shot at Virgil from under
the horse’s neck. The bullet tore through the muscle of Virgil’s right calf. Virgil’s last
three shots were at Billy Clanton, the first one a hit just to the right of his navel. The last
two were misses.
Frank McLaury aligned his revolver on Doc Holiday. He had Doc dead to the sights and
both men knew it. “I have got you now,” he crowed. “You are a good one if you have,”
Doc replied. Just as Frank pulled the trigger on Doc, Wyatt, Morgan, and Doc fired at
him. One of the shots hit Frank below the right ear. It is not known for sure who shot
Frank, but Wyatt seemed to be in the right position to have him hit in the manner he
was. Frank last shot creased Doc’s left hip, creating a flesh wound. “I am shot right
through!” Doc yelled, but it was only a minor wound.
It seems that Tom McLaury did have a revolver and used it. Sheriff Behan went straight
to the body of Tom McLaury to search for the revolver and to make it disappear, so that
it would appear in the court case that followed, that Holliday shot down an unarmed
man. However Thomas Keefe, a bystander, testifies that Tom had a cartridge belt on
him, and a breakneck .44 caliber Smith and Wesson was lying two feet from him. Keefe
said during the court case that he gave the revolver to Dr. Matthews. The problem was
that the revolver presented in court was a Colt. It is still unknown today what happened
to the revolver found close by Tom McLaury.
The revolvers used in the fight were 1873 Frontier Colts SAA .44 caliber, with a 40 grain
black powder load in the shell case, and a 240 grain bullet on top. The Smith and
Wesson revolver was Doc Holliday’s favorite and the shotgun used by him was a Wells
Fargo model.
Losers in the O.K Corral Gunfight
On October 28, 1881, the Epitaph printed a description of the triple funeral:
“The funeral of the McLaury brothers and Clanton yesterday was numerically one of the largest
ever witnessed in Tombstone. It took place at 3:30 from the undertaking rooms of Messrs. Ritter
and Ream. The procession headed by the Tombstone brass band, move down Allen Street and
thence to the cemetery. The sidewalks were densely packed for three or four blocks. The body of
Clanton was in the first hearse and those of the two McLaury brothers, in the second, side by side
and were interred in the same grave. It was a most impressive sight and such a one as it is to be
hoped may never occur again in this community”.
In contrast of what happened, Judge Wells Spicer, in summation of the inquest, said in
court at the closure of the proceedings:
“In view of all the facts and circumstances of the case; considering the threats made, the character
and position of the parties, and the tragic results accomplished, in manner and form as they were,
with all surrounding influences being upon the result of the affair, I cannot resist the conclusion
that the defendants were fully justified in committing these homicides; that it was a necessary act
done in the discharge of official duty.”
Justice Spicer then ordered Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday released from all charges.
The graves in Boothill Cemetery can be visited by tourists.
There was a saying in Tombstone: “God made men but Sam Colt made them equal”, and a
caption in the funeral parlour which read “we will be the last to let you down.”
We spent three nights walking the streets of Tombstone from 10h00 to 12h00 searching
for ghosts. All that we discovered was the Discovery Channel truck. They were filming
the Old Birdcage Theater and O.K. Corall hoping to find paranormal activities. We
accidently ended up in of the cameras field as we came around the corner. As we
walked off, one of the technicians came running after us with indemnity forms to sign,
and asked very politely if we can fill them out, so we cannot claim any royalties when
the program is broadcasted. That is America!
------------------------------------------------------Summarised and compiled by:
W.P Verburg
012-6601564
Cell 082-3463229
E-mail: [email protected]
Acknowledgements:
(a)
(b)
Analyses of the Gunfight at O.K Corral – Ben T. Travick
This is Tombstone – Taken from the files of The National Tombstone Epitaph,
The Historical Monthly Journal of the Old West