Outlaws of
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This Week In History
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Wyatt
Earp Newspaper Articles: "From Deputy Sheriff Earp we learn
that the man who killed Marshal White is an old offender against the law.
Within the past few years he stopped a stage in
Wyatt
Earp in
Wyatt
Earp arrived in
Wyatt Earp worked for only a few months as a deputy sheriff.
However, during this time he showed that he was an effective and respected
lawman. The following is the oath that Wyatt Earp swore to when he accepted the
position of Deputy Sheriff:
"I, Wyatt S. Earp do solemnly swear that I will support
the constitution of the United States and the laws of the Territory; that I
will treat faith and alligence bear to the same, and defend them against all
enemies whoever, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the
duties of the office of Deputy Sheriff of Pima County Arizona to the best of my
abilities. So Help me God . . . ."
The Epitaph was quick to approve of Wyatt's
appointment:
"The appointment of Wyatt Earp as Deputy Sheriff, by
Sheriff Shibell, is an eminently proper one, and we, in common with the
citizens generally, congratulate the latter on his election. Wyatt has
filled various positions in which bravery and determination were requisites,
and in every instance proved himself the right man in the right place. He
is at present filling the position of shotgun messenger for Wells, Fargo &
Co., which he will resign to accept the later appointment."
Wyatt was an ambitious, hard-working officer. From
August to early November 1880 not a week went by without some mention in the
press about Deputy Sheriff Earp's doing. He became a well respected
officer and continually showed that he could do his duty well.
Altercation
with Justice Reilly (August 1880)
While in court for the case of the State vs George Perrine,
an argument erupted between Justice James Reilly and attorney Harry Jones.
Reilly ordered the officers in the room to remove Jones. Startled by the
events, the officers that were present hesitated for a moment. Justice Reilly
then tried to forcibly remove Jones from the court room. Jones retaliated by
punching Reilly in the face. At that point Wyatt Earp intervened and arrested
both parties.
Earp took Jones to
Wyatt Earp remained Deputy Sheriff for Pima County until
November 1880. During this time he was very active as an officer. However, the
contemporary records indicate that much of his actions were simply typical
duties. No real spectacular events occurred but he had consistently shown that
he could perform the job well.
Wyatt
Earp's OK Corral Testimony
Testimony for the Defense-Statement by Wyatt Earp.
The prosecution rested on the afternoon of the 15th and on
the morning of the 16th the defense put Wyatt Earp on the stand. Under the laws
of this Territory the accused can make any statement the pleases in
justification or mitigation of the crime charged. Under this right, witness
took the stand and commenced his statement by reading a carefully prepared
manuscript. Prosecution objected to the witness reading from a manuscript and
contended that the law contemplated an oral statement and
not that the accused should first carefully
prepare or have prepared for him the statement and read it before the court.
Court ruled that the statute was very broad, and under it he felt that the
accused could make any statement he pleased whether previously prepared or not.
Witness then principally read from a manuscript the following statement:
My name is Wyatt S. Earp; 32 years old the 19th of last
March; born at Monmouth, Warren County, Ill.; reside in Tombstone, Cochise
County, Arizona, and have resided here since December 1, 1879, and am present a
saloon-keeper; also, have been deputy Sheriff and detective.
The difficulty which resulted in the death of Wm. Clanton
and Frank and Tom McLowry, originated last spring.
[Here prosecution objected to defendant reading a prepared
statement. Overruled and excepted to.]
A little over a year ago I followed Frank and Tom McLowry
and two other parties who had stolen six government mules from Camp
Rucker-myself Virg, and Morgan Earp and Marshall Williams, Captain Hurst and
four soldiers-we traced those mules to McLowry's ranch.
[Here prosecution moved to strike out above as irrelevant
and having noting to do with the case; overruled and excepted to.]
While at
WE INSISTED
on following them up.
McLowrys, and often stopped at their ranch;
it was generally understood among officers and those who have information about
criminals, that Ike Clanton was a sort of chief amongst the cowboys; that the
Clantons and McLowrys were cattle thieves and generally in the secrets of the
stage robbers, and that the Clanton and McLowry ranches were meeting places and
places of shelter for the gang; I had an ambition to be Sheriff of this county
at the next election, and I thought it would be of great help to me with the people
and business men if I could capture the men who killed Philpot; there were
rewards of about $1,200 each for the capture of the robbers; altogether there
was about $3,600 for their capture.
I THOUGHT THIS might tempt Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry to give away
Leonard, Head and Crane, so I went to Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry and Joe Hill
when they came to town; I had an interview with them in the back yard of the
Oriental Saloon; I told them what I wanted; I told them I wanted the glory of
capturing Leonard, Head and Crane, and if I could do so it would help me make
the race for Sheriff at next election; I told them if they would put me on the
track of Leonard, Head and Crane and
tell me were those men were hid, I would
give them all the reward and would never let anyone know where I got my
information; Ike Clanton said he would like to see them captured; he said
Leonard claimed a ranch that he claimed, and that it could get him out of the
way that he would have no opposition in regard to the ranch. Clanton said the
Leonard, Head and Crane would make a fight, that they would never be taken in
alive; that I must find out if the reward would be paid for the
capture of the robbers, dead or alive. I
then went to Marshall Williams, the agent of Wells, Fargo in this town, and at
my request he telegraphed to the Agent or Superintendent of Wells, Fargo at
COULD NOT FIND IT just then; he went over to the telegraph office and got a
copy and came and gave it to me. I went and showed it to Ike Clanton and Joe
Hill and returned it to Marshall Williams, and afterwards told Frank McLowry of
its contents. It was then agreed between us that they should have all the
$3,600 reward, outside of necessary expenses for horse hire in going after them
and that Joe Hill should go where Leonard, Head and Crane were hid over near
Eureka, in New Mexico, and lure them in near
Frank and Tom McLowry's ranch, near
Soldier's Holes, 30 miles from here, and I would be on hand with a posse and
capture them. I asked Joe Hill, Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry what tale they
would tell them to get them over here. They said they had agreed upon a plan to
tell them that there would be a paymaster going from Tombstone, to Bisbee
shortly to pay-off the miners, and that they wanted them to come in and take
them; Ike Clanton then sent Joe Hill to bring them in; before starting Joe
Hill took off his watch and chain and
between two and three hundred dollars in money, and gave it to Virgil Earp to
keep for him until he got back; he was gone about ten days, and returned with
word that he had got there one day too late, that Leonard and Head had been
killed the day before he got there by horse thieves; I learned afterwards that
the horse thieves had been killed by members of the Clanton and McLowry gang;
after that Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry claimed that I had given them
away to Marshall Williams and Doc Holliday,
and when they came into town they shunned me, Morgan and Virgil Earp and Doc
Holliday, and we began to hear of their threats against us; I am
A FRIEND OF DOC HOLLIDAY, Because when I was City Marshal of
Dodge City, Kansas, he came to my rescue and saved my life when I was
surrounded by desperadoes; about a month or more ago Morgan Earp and myself
assisted to arrest Stilwell and Spencer on the charge of robbing the Bisbee
stage; the Mclowrys and Clantons have always been friends of Stilwell and
Spencer, and they laid the whole blame of their arrest on us, though the fact
is we only went as a Sheriff's posse; after we got in town with Spencer and
Stilwell Ike Clanton and Frank McLowry came
in; Frank McLowry took Morgan Earp into the street in front of the Alhambra,
when John Ringgold, Ike Clanton, and the two Hicks boys were also standing by,
when Frank McLowry commence to abuse Morgan Earp for going after Spencer and
Stilwell; Frank McLowry said he would never speak to Spencer again for being
arrested by us; he said to Morgan: "If you ever come after me you will
never take me;" Morgan replied, if he ever had
occasion to go after him he would arrest
him; Frank McLowry then said to Morgan: "I have threatened you boys'
lives, an a few days ago had taken it back, but since this arrest it now
`goes;'" Morgan made no reply and walked off; before this and after this
Marshall Williams, Farmer Daly, Ed Byrnes, Old Man Winter, Charley Smith and
three or four others had told us at different times of threats to kill us made
by Ike Clanton, Frank McLowry, Tom McLowry, Joe Hill and John Ringgold; I knew
all those men were desperate and dangerous men; that they were connected with
outlaws, cattle thieves, robbers and murderers; I knew of the McLowrys stealing
six government mules and also cattle, and when the owners went after
them-finding his stock on the McLowry's ranch-that he was driven off, and they
would kill him, and he has keep his mouth shut until several days ago
FOR FEAR OF BEING KILLED
I heard of Ringold shooting a man down in cold blood near
Camp Thomas; I was satisfied that Frank and Tom McLowry had killed and robbed
Mexicans in Skeleton Canyon three or four months ago, and I naturally keep my
eyes open, for I did not intend that any of the gang should get the
"drop" on me if I could help it; I Clanton met me at Vogan's old
saloon five or six months ago and told me I had told Holliday about this
transaction concerning the "giving away" Head, Leonard and Crane; I
told him I never told Holliday anything; I
told him that when Holliday came up from Tucson I would prove it; Ike Clanton
said that Holliday had told him so; when Holliday came back I asked him and he
said no; I told him that Ike Clanton had said so; on the 25th of October-the
night-Holliday met Ike Clanton in the Alhambra lunch room and asked him about
it; Clanton denied it; they quarreled for three or four minutes; Holliday told
Clanton he was a damn liar if he said so; I was sitting eating lunch at the lunch
counter, Morgan Earp was standing at the Alhambra bar talking to the bartender,
I called him over to where I was sitting, knowing that he was an officer, and
told him that Holliday and Clanton were quarreling in the lunch room, and for
him to go in and stop it; he climber over the lunch counter from the Alhambra
bar, went into the room, took Holliday by the arm and led him into the street;
Ike Clanton in a few moments followed them out; I got through eating and walked
out; as I opened the door I could hear that they were still quarreling outside;
Virgil Earp came up, I think out of the Occidental, and told them (Holliday and
Clanton) that if they did not stop their quarreling he would have to arrest
them.
THEY ALL SEPARATED
At that time, Morgan Earp going down the street, home;
Virgil Earp going in the Occidental saloon, Holliday up the street to the
Oriental saloon, and Ike Clanton across the street to the Grand Hotel. I walked
into the Eagle Brewery where I had a faro game which I had not closed. I stayed
in there a few moments and then walked out on the street and there I met Ike
Clanton. He asked if I would take a walk with him, he wanted to have a talk
with me. I told him I would if he did not go too far, that I
was waiting for my game in the Brewery to
close, as I had to take care of the money. We walked about half way down the
side of the brewery building on
was dealing my game closed it, and brought
the money to me. I locked it up in the safe and started home.
I MET HOLLIDAY on the street between the Oriental and
us. I went down
Morgan Earp took the rifle and six-shooter
away and took them to the Grand Hotel after examination and took Ike Clanton
before Justice Wallace. Before the examination Morgan Earp had Ike Clanton in charge
as Virgil was out. A short time later I went to Wallace's court and sat down on
a bench. Ike Clanton looked over to me and said, "I will get even with all
of you for this." If I had a six-shooter now I would make a fight with all
of you." Morgan Earp then said to him,"if you want to make a fight
right bad I'll give you this, at the same
time offering Ike Clanton his own (Ike's) six-shooter. Ike Clanton started up
to take it, and Campbell, the Deputy sheriff, pushed him back in his seat,
saying he would not allow any fuss. I never had Ike Clanton's arms at any
time as he has stated. I would like to describe the positions we occupied in
the court room at that time
IKE CLANTON SAT on a bench like this, with his face fronting to the north
wall of the building like that; i, myself, sat down on a bench that sat up
against and along the side of the north wall, in front of Ike Clanton; Morgan
Earp stood up on the floor against and to the right of where I sat two or three
feet; Morgan had Ike Clanton's Winchester in his left hand, with one end on the
floor and Ike's six-shooter in his right hand; he had them all the time; Virgil
Earp was not in the court room any of this time; we were in Judge
Wallace's office; Virgil came there after I
had walked out; he was out, he told me, looking for Judge Wallace; I was tired
of being threatened by Ike Clanton and his gang; I believed from what they had
said to me and others and from their movements that they intended to
assassinate me the first chance they had, and I thought that if I had to fight
for my life with them I had better make them face me in an open fight, so I
said to Ike Clanton, who was sitting about eight feet away from me, you d-n
dirty cow thief, you have been threatening
our lives, and I know it, I think I would be justified in shooting you down in
any place I would meet you, but if you are anxious to make a fight I will go
anywhere on earth to make a fight with you, even over to the San Simon among
your own crowd; he replied, all right, I will see you after I get through here,
I only need four feet of ground to fight; I walked out, and just then outside
of the court-room and near the Justice's office, I met Tom McLowry; he came up
to me and said to me, "if you want to make a fight I will make a fight with
you anywhere;" I supposed at the time that he had heard what had just
transpired Ike Clanton and myself; I knew of his having threatened me, and I
felt just as I did about Ike Clanton that if the fight had to come I had better
have it come when I had an even show to defend myself, so I said to
him,:"all right, make a fight right here," and at the same time
slapped him on the face with my left hand and drew my pistol with
my right; he had a pistol in plan sight, on
his right hip, in his pants, but made no move to draw it; I said to him
JERK YOUR GUN and use it, he made no reply I hit him on the head with my
six-shooter and walked away down to Hafford's corner., went into Hafford's and
got a cigar and came out and stood by the door. Pretty soon after I saw Tom and
Frank McLowry and William Clanton. They passed me and went down the street to
the gunsmith shop; I followed down to see what they were going to do; when I
got there, Frank McLowry's horse was standing on the sidewalk with his head in
the door of the gunsmith shop; I took
the horse by the bit, as I was deputy city
marshal, and commenced to back him off the sidewalk; Tom and Frank McLowry and
Billy Clanton came to the door; Billy laid his hand on his six-shooter, Frank
McLowry took hold of the horse's bridal. I said "you will have to get this
horse of the sidewalk." Frank McLowry backed him off on the street. Ike
Clanton came up about that time and they all walked into the gunsmith shop. I
saw them in the shop changing cartridges into their belts. They came out
of the shop and walked along
to disarm those men; expected he would have
trouble doing so and I followed up to give assistance if necessary, especially
since they had been threatening us as I have already stated. About ten minutes
afterwards and while Virgil, Morgan, Doc Holliday and myself were standing on
the corner of Allen and 4th streets, several persons said there is
GOING TO BE TROUBLE
with those fellows, and one man named Coleman said to
Virgil they mean trouble. They have just gone from
horses and then capture them. We four then
started through Fourth and
said, "I have disarmed them."
When he said this, I took my pistol which I had in my hand under my coat, and
put it into my overcoat pocket, Behan then passed up the street, and we walked
on down. We came upon them close; Frank McLowry, Tom McLowry and Billy Clanton
standing all in a row against the east side of a building on the opposite side
of the vacant space west of Fly's photograph gallery. Ike Clanton and Billy
Clanton and a man I did not know was standing in the vacant space, about half
way between the photograph gallery and the next building west. I saw that Billy
Clanton, Frank and Tom
McLowry had their hands by their sides;
Frank McLowry's and Billy Clanton's six-shooters were in plain sight. Virgil
said, "Throw up your hands; I have come to disarm you." Billy Clanton
and Tom McLowry commenced to draw their pistols; at he same time Tom McLowry
threw his hand to his right hip, throwing his coat open like that (showing),
and jumped behind a horse. I had my pistol in my overcoat pocket, where I put
it when Behan told us he had disarmed the other parties. When I saw
Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry draw their
pistols, I drew my pistol. Billy Clanton leveled his pistol on me, but I did
not aim at him. I knew Frank McLowry had the reputation of being a good shot
and a dangerous man and I aimed at Frank McLowry. The first two shots which
were fired were fired by Billy Clanton and myself, he shooting at me and I at
Frank McLowry. I do not know which shot was fired first. We fired almost
together. The fight then became general. After about four shots were fired,
Ike Clanton ran up and grabbed my left arm.
I could see no weapon in his hand, and thought at the time he had none, and so
I said to him, "The fight has now commenced;
GO TO FIGHTING or get away." At the same time I pushed him off with
my left hand. He started and ran down the side of the building and disappeared
between the lodging house and photograph gallery; my first shot struck Frank
McLowry in the belly; he staggered off on the sidewalk, but first fired one
shot at me; when we told them to throw up their hands Claibourne held up his
left hand and them broke and ran, and I never seen him afterwards until late in
the afternoon; I never drew my pistol or made a motion to shoot until After
Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols; if Tom McLowry was
unarmed I did not know it; believed he was armed and fired two shots at
our party before Holliday, who had a shotgun, fired at and killed him; if he
was unarmed their was nothing in the circumstances, or in what had been
communicated to me, or in his acts or threats, that would have led me to even
suspect his being unarmed; I never fired at Ike Clanton, even after the
shooting commenced, because I thought he was unarmed; I believed then, and
believe now, from the acts I have stated and the threats communicated to me by
different persons, as having been made by Tom McLowry, Frank McLowry and Ike
Clanton, that these men last named had formed a conspiracy to murder my
brothers, Morgan and Virgil, Doc Holliday and myself; I believe I would have
been legally and morally justifiable in shooting any of them on sight, but I
did not do so, nor attempt to do so; I sought no advantage when I went, as
Deputy Marshal, to help to disarm them and arrest them; I went as part of my
duty under the directions of my
brothers, the marshals; I did not intend to
fight unless it became necessary in self-defense or in the rightful performance
of official duty; when Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry drew their pistols; I
knew it was
A FIGHT FOR LIFE and I drew
and fired first in defense of my own life and the lives of my brothers and Doc
Holliday; I have been in Tombstone since Dec. 1, 1879; came here directly from
Dodge City, Kansas, where against the protest of business men and officials I
resigned the office of City Marshal which I had held there from 1876; came to
Dodge City from Witchitaw, Kansas; was on the police force in Witchitaw, Kansas
from 1874 until I came to Dodge City. The testimony of Ike Clanton that I ever
said to
him that I had anything to do with any
stage robbery or giving any information of money going on the stage, or any
improper communication whatever with any criminal enterprise is a tissue of
lies from beginning to end. Sheriff Behan made me an offer in his office on
Allen street in the back room of the cigar store where he had his office, that
if I would withdraw and not try to get appointed Sheriff of Cochise county that
he would hire a clerk and divide the profits. I did so and he never said
another
word to me afterwards in regard to it, but
claimed in his statement and gave his reasons for not complying with his
contract which is false in every particular. Myself and Doc Holliday happened
to go to Charleston the night that Behan went down to subpoena Clanton; we went
there to get a horse that I had had stolen from me a few days after I came to
Tombstone; had heard several times that the Clantons had him; when I got there
that night was told by a friend of mine that the man that carried
the dispatch from Charleston to Clanton's
ranch had rode my horse. At this time did not know where Clanton's ranch was,
A SHORT TIME AFTERWARDS
I was in the Huachucas locating some water rights, and I
started home for Tombstone, had got within ten or fifteen miles from Charleston
and met a man named McMasters; he told me that if I would hurry up that I would
find my horse in Charleston; I drove into Charleston and seen my horse going
through the streets towards the corral; I put up for the night at another
corral; I went to Burnett's office to get out papers for the recovery of the
horse; he was not at home, having gone to Sonora to some
coal field's that had been discovered. I
telegraphed to Tombstone to James Earp to have papers made out and sent to me;
he went to Justice Wallace and Street and made the papers out and sent them to
Charleston by my youngest brother, Warren Earp; while I was waiting for the
papers Billy Clanton found out I was in town and went and tried to take the
horse out of the corral; I told him that he could not take him out; that it was
my horse. After the papers came he gave the horse up with out any
service of papers, and asked me if I had
any more horses to lose. I told him I would keep them in the stable after this,
and give him no chance to steal them.
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John Ringo |
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This Week In History
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Articles
about John Ringo: "Cooley and Ringgold- On Sunday the
Statesman announced that Scott Cooley and John Ringgold, two of the Mason
County desperadoes, had been arrested and placed in the Burnet jail . . .
Arriving in this city . . . people gathered to see the two men who had been 'on
a rampage' in the counties of Mason and Burnet. . . . [Ringgold] is said to
have taken an active part in the
A
Notorious and Desperate Man
John Ringo's reputation began
to grow as the news of his escape from the Lamapsas jail was reported
throughout
". . . The notorious Ringo,
who seems to have been the leader, is certainly a very desperate and daring
man. . . ."
On
"Hal started to Bluff Creek
and came back on account of Ringold being out there. . . . Heard that Ringold
had threatened Hal so Hal got his arms ready if he should come to the house-- I
feel fearfully worried and could not sleep much tonight."2
The situation in the area continued to get worse.
Sheriff J. J. Strickland of Burnet asked the Governor for help from the Texas
Rangers, who were dispatched to the area.3 On October 31, 1876, the
Rangers and a party led by the Llano sheriff, captured John Ringo and George
Gladdin.4 Both men were brought to Austin to be placed in the Travis
County jail. Their arrival caused much attention and the Austin
Statesman commented:
"On Sunday, three
desperadoes, men who have been a terror in the counties of Mason, Llano,
Burnet, Lampasas, etc, were brought to Austin and lodged in the new jail . . .
John Ringo is the party taken from the Lampasas jail last May by about forty
men. He has been convicted of threatening the life of Sheriff J. J. Strickland,
of Burnet, and was regarded as one of the most desperate men in the frontier
counties. . . . "5
Ringo remained at the
". . . On the names and by
the authority of the State of Texas the Grand Jurors of Mason County in said
State at the November Term A.D. 1876 . . . on their oaths in said court present
that John Ringo, George Gladden and others with force and arms in the County of
Mason and state of Texas did heretofore to wit on the 25th day of September
A.D. 1875 then and there willfully feloniously and with malice aforethought in
and upon the body of James Chaney . . .make an assault and that they the said Ringo,
Gladden and others with certain guns and pistols then and there in there
charged with gunpowder and leaden balls and then and there in their hands . . .
shoot off and discharge . . . into the body of said Chaney . . . strike
penetrate and wound . . . in the right side giving him the said Chaney one
mortal wound . . . the said Ringo, Gladden and others . . . the said James
Chaney did kill and murder against the peace and dignity of the state."6
While in the
"Destinguished Arrivals.- .
. . George Gladden, recently committed to the State prison for life, will be
confined to a felon's cell here-to-day. John Ringo, charged with all manner of
crimes, will cross the bridge this morning with Gladden. The pretty pair will
rest for a time in the jail of this city. Sheriff Bozarth, of Llano, had these
terrible fellows in charge. The people will be curious to see these two men,
famous for the devilish deeds they have done."
In December 1877, Ringo's attorney filed a writ of Habeas
Corpus and demanded that a bond be set for his client. The notorious
man was brought back to Mason and on
While on bond, on
After the
murder charge against him was dismissed, he settled at
John Ringo was in
"Last Tuesday night a shooting took place at Safford in
which Louis Hancock was shot by John Ringo. It appears Ringo wanted Hancock to
take a drink of whiskey, and he refused saying he would prefer beer. Ringo
struck him over the head with his pistol and then fired, the ball taking effect
in the lower end of the left ear, and passed through the fleshy part of his
neck, half inch more in the neck, would have killed him. Ringo is under
arrest."
Ringo shot Hancock and was arrested. He gave a bond and
was released. The result of this criminal charge is not known for sure. He was
scheduled to appear before the Pima County Grand Jury in March 1880, but did
not. Instead, Ringo wrote out a letter addressed to Sheriff Charles Shibbel on
"Dear Sir, being under Bond for my appearance before
the Grand jury of Pima Co., I write to let you know why I can not appear--I got
shot through the foot and it is impossible for me to travel for awhile. If you
get any papers for me, and will let me know, I will attend to them at once. As
I wish to live here I do not wish to put you to any unnecessary trouble, nor do
I wish to bring extra trouble on myself. Please let the Dist.-atty know why i
do not appear, for I am anxious that there is no forfeiture taken on the
Bond."
District Attorney Hugh Farley was not understanding
concerning Ringo's reason for not attending the Grand Jury proceedings. He
asked the court to revoke his bond and to issue a warrant for his arrrest.
Ringo's
Mining Property (April 1880)
In April 1880,
Three days later John Ringo executed a power of attorney to
James B. Price of
John Ringo
and Ike Clanton file a ranch location notice (November 1880)
On
The Jollification of Maxy and Safford (July
1880)
During July 1880, John Ringo, Ike Clanton, Joe Hill and
George Turner drove some cattle worth around $2000 to the San Carlos Indian
Reservation. After selling the beef the men descended on the town of
The
During October 1880, Ringo was listed as an election
judge in San Simon. The Tombstone Nugget on
Ringo leaves
Sometime around April 1881, John Ringo left
John Ringo left
March Madness
In March 1882, the situation in
". . . By the way, [speaking to Earp] John Ringo wanted
me to say to you, that if any fighting came up between you all, he wanted you
to understand that he would have nothing to do with it; that he was going to
look after himself, and anybody else could do the same. . . ."
Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and other escorted Virgil Earp to
The next morning Sheriff John Behan had assembled a posse to
go after the Earp party. Ringo was one of the men in this posse, having been
given Breakenridge's horse and rifle to use. George Parsons recorded the
excitement in his journal:
"Excitement again this morning-Sheriff went out with a
posse supposedly to arrest the Earp party, but they will never do it. The
cow-boy element is backing him strongly-John Ringo being one of the party-there
is a prospect of bad times."
Wyatt Earp and his party rode over to Pete Spence's wood
camp. There they killed a mexican named Florentino Cruz. Some have speculated
the Cruz was Indian Charlie. While others have insisted that they were
different men. Following the killing of Cruz, reports reached
The Earpt party fled
Around this time Doc Holliday, who was in
The Death of John Ringo
John
Ringo (left) was in 
The
coroner's report commented that his death was "supposed" to have been
by suicide.2 Others that had not seen the body thought he must
have been murdered. There were some strange details concerning his
death. He was found with his boots off, and strips of an undershirt were
wrapped around his feet. The men that viewed the body concluded that he
must have traveled a short distance in this footwear. They also noted that
one of his cartridge belts was on upside down. There appeared to be a cut on
his scalp with a small part of his hair gone. His horse was not at the
scene, but it was found a couple weeks later, still saddled. The men who
found his body wrote out the following details concerning his death:
"There was
found by the undersigned John Yoast the body of a man in a clump of Oak trees
20 yards north from the road leading to Morse's mill and about a quarter of a
mile west of the house of B. F. Smith. The undersigned viewed the body and
found it in a sitting posture, facing west, the head inclined to the right.
There was a bullet hole in the right temple, the bullet coming out the top of
the left side. There is apparently a part of the scalp gone including a small
portion of the forehead and part of the hair, this looks as if cut by a knife.
These are the only marks of violence visible to the body. Several of the
undersigned identify the body as that of John Ringo, well known in
The Main Points Of Controversy
The main points of controversy
concerning Ringo's death have focused on the description of the items
listed and not listed by the coroner's jury.
(1) The
Cartridge Theory
The coroner's jury noted that Ringo's pistol
contained 5 cartridges. Many people have speculated that this
suggests that his pistol had not been fired. This theory is based on the
fact that the men who wrote out the statement did not specifically state that
one round had been fired. It was customary for only 5 cartridges to
be loaded in a pistol during this period. This was done for safety
because a pistol whose firing pin rested on a live round, could accidentally
discharge if suddenly jarred. However, people were known to carry 6
cartridges in their pistols at times. Wyatt Earp in
(2) The Powder
Burn Theory
Many people have speculated that because there was no
mention of powder burns on Ringo's face and head that he could not have
committed suicide. Henry Smith, the young son of one of the men who had seen
the body, years later it is alleged claimed that he had not seen any powder
burns on the body. However, Robert Boller - one of the men who found Ringo's
body later wrote that "the body had turned
black" by the time it was found.4
Boller's account was written decades later so caution must be used when using
his comments, like any old-timer's account, but at least he was provably at the
scene at the time. Thus, if Boller's comments are accurate it would
probably have been impossible to see the powder burns on Ringo's face or to
easily distinguish them because of the poor condition of the body. Ringo's body
has been laying in the hot July sun for almost a day. Robert Boller years later
wrote a letter to Frank King describing the scene of Ringo's death:
"I showed him [Yoast] where
the bullet had entered the tree on the left side. Blood and brains oozing from
the wound and matted his hair. There was an empty shell in the six-shooter and
the hammer was on that. I called it suicide fifty-two years ago, I am still
calling it suicide. I guess I'm the last of the coroner's jury."5
Boller's comments appear to refute both the cartridge and
powder burn theories. Not only did Boller claim that there was an empty
cartridge in the pistol, but he also claimed to have seen where the
bullet had hit the tree after exiting Ringo's head.
Suicide or
Murder?
At the time of his death, opinions were divided amongst
people that had not seen the body on whether the notorious cowboy committed
suicide or ,in reality, was murdered. Over the years several theories
have evolved that claim that John Ringo was killed by one person or
another. Most accounts are simply rumors based on hearsay, with someone
reporting that they were told by someone "who knew."
Frank
Leslie
At some point, people did believe that Frank Leslie may
have killed John Ringo. Initially this may have been based on the rumor that he
had been seen in the area looking for Ringo. For almost four decades
Ringo's death was considered either a suicide or from being murdered by
Frank Leslie while he was asleep at the tree. It appears that
Leslie, indeed, was the first man to claim that he killed Ringo. While
Leslie was in the
Wyatt Earp
Today,
the most popular claim asserted by writers is that Wyatt Earp (left) killed
John Ringo. However, unpublished accounts of Wyatt's claim did not
surface until after the 1920s. According to Frank Lockwood's book
"Pioneer Days in
Doc
Holliday's Involvement
Another flaw in Boyer's account is that Doc Holliday was
provably in a 
Doc
Holliday (below) had been arrested in May 1882 on the charge of Larceny.
He was brought to
The Arrest
Warrant
Holliday was indicted on
The
Arraignment
Claims have been made that Holliday did not appear and
that the term "in his own proper person, as
well as by his attorney," simply means
that his attorney appeared for him. However, this is also not a
reasonable claim. First, a defendant generally is not arraigned until he is
arrested and brought before the court. Following Holliday's indictment on
Simply
Suicide?
Could John Ringo simply have committed
suicide? The scene of his death seemed to support this theory. Also,
newspaper articles after his death indicated that he had been drinking heavily
for two weeks and was depressed. At the time, many people had doubts that
he was a man that would kill himself, while "an equally large number say that he frequently
threatened to commit suicide, and that the event was expected at any
time."10 We will never truly know
how Ringo died. However, all the evidence points to suicide.
The Milt Joyce Incident
Doc Holliday arrived in
"Sunday
night a disturbance in the Oriental Saloon between John Tyler and Doc Holliday,
two well known sports, and a scene of bloodshed was immenient. Mutual friends,
however, separated and disarmed them both, and
According to the Epitaph, after the fight was broken up,
"Holliday was picked up and placed in a chair, it being generally thought,
from his bloody appearance, that he was severly, if not fatally, hurt. . .
." Later the day of October 11, Milt Joyce had appeared in court and
accused Holliday of assualt with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Justice
Reilly issued a warrant for Holliday's arrest. when he appeared in court the
following day, no witnesses showed up when his case was supposed to be heard.
Judge Reilly allowed Holliday to plead guilty to a reduced charge of assault
and battery. He paid a fine of twenty dollars and costs.
Implicated in Murder
On
A large posse went out after the bandits when news reached
Over the years claims have been made that Doc Holliday was involved in the
Kinnear Stage hold-up attempt, and the murders that had taken place. Holliday
was believed to have been a friend of Bill Leonard, having known the man from
There has been a considerable amount of debate concerning whether Doc
Holliday was or was not involved in the incident. One issue that has been
discussed has been the accusation that was made by Kate Elder that Doc Holliday
was involved in the murders. On
Holliday was released on a $5000 dollar bond that was granted by Spicer. His
sureities were "Wyatt
Earp, J. Meagher,
and J. L. Melgren." An examination
was scheduled for the following morning at
Later in the night, after she had made out her statement, Kate Elder was
arrested by Virgil Earp for being drunk and disorderly.
The next day she was released after paying a fine of $12.50. She was later
arrested for a second time for "making threats against life." Some have claimed that she may have threatened
Holliday. She was brought before Judge Felter and confined in jail. Col. A. P.
George, her attorney filed a writ of Habeas Corpus in the U.S. Commisioner's
court, presided by T. J. Drum. After considering all the evidence Drum Kate
Elder discharged and the writ dismissed.
After having been arrested twice in as many days, Kate Elder left
Virgil Earp
Virgil Earp was born in
After the war Earp joined his younger
brother, Wyatt Earp, as a freighter-teamster between
Virgil Earp married Alice Sullivan in 1870
and for a time ran a sawmill in
In October 1880, Virgil Earp became city
marshal of
Wyatt Earp also came into conflict with John Behan, the sheriff of
On 25th October, Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury
arrived in Tombstone. Later that day Doc Holliday got into a fight with Ike
Clanton in the Alhambra Saloon. Holliday wanted a gunfight with Clanton, but he
declined the offer and walked off.
The following day Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury
were arrested by Virgil Earp and charged with carrying firearms within the city
limits. After they were disarmed and released, the two men joined Billy Clanton
and Frank McLaury, who had just arrived in town. The men gathered at a place
called the OK Corral in
Virgil Earp now decided to disarm Billy
Clanton and Frank McLaury and recruited Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, James Earp and Doc Holliday to help him in this dangerous
task. Sheriff John Behan was in town and when he heard
what was happening he raced to Fremont Street and urged Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury to hand over their guns to him. They replied: "Not unless you
first disarm the Earps".
Behan now headed towards the advancing group
of men. He pleaded for Virgil Earp not to get involved in a shoot-out but he
was brushed aside as the four men carried on walking towards the OK Corral.
Virgil Earp said: "I want your guns". Billy Clanton responded by firing
at Wyatt Earp. He missed and Morgan Earp successfully fired two bullets at Billy
Clanton and he fell back against a wall. Meanwhile Wyatt Earp fired at Frank
McLaury. The bullet hit him in the stomach and he fell to the ground.
Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury were both unarmed
and tried to run away. Clanton was successful but Doc Holliday shot McLaury in
the back. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury, although seriously wounded,
continued to fire their guns and in the next couple of seconds Virgil Earp,
Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday were all wounded. Wyatt Earp was unscathed and he
managed to finish off Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury.
Sheriff John Behan arrested Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp
and Doc Holliday for murder of Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury.
However, after a 30 day trial Judge Wells Spicer, who was related to the Earps,
decided that the defendants had been justified in their actions.
Over the next few months the Earp brothers
struggled to retain hold control over Tombstone. On 28th December, Virgil Earp
was seriously wounded in the left arm by an attempted assassination.
Morgan Earp was killed when he was playing billiards
with Wyatt Earp on
Virgil Earp and James Earp took Morgan's body to home of his parents in
Virgil Earp died of pneumonia at Goldfield,
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp was
born in Montmouth, Illinois, on 19th March, 1848. His father moved the family,
to
In 1870 Earp
was elected constable of
A few months
later Earp joined the police force in Dodge City . In 1878 he was appointed assistant city marshal
under Charles Bassett. While in the city he became
friends with the former dentist and now a professional gambler, Doc Holliday.
Earp's
record as a marshal was unimpressive and in September 1879 he left
Virgil Earp eventually became city marshal of
Wyatt Earp
also came into conflict with John Behan, the sheriff of
On 25th
October, Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury arrived in Tombstone. Later that day Doc Holliday got into a fight with Ike Clanton in
the
The
following day Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury were arrested by Virgil Earp and charged with carrying firearms within the city
limits. After they were disarmed and released, the two men joined Billy Clanton
and Frank McLaury, who had just arrived in town. The men gathered at a place
called the OK Corral in
Virgil Earp now decided to disarm Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury and recruited Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, James Earp and Doc Holliday to help him in this dangerous task.
Sheriff John Behan was in town and when he heard what was
happening he raced to Fremont Street and urged Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury
to hand over their guns to him. They replied: "Not unless you first disarm
the Earps".
Behan now
headed towards the advancing group of men. He pleaded for Virgil Earp not to get involved in a shoot-out but he was
brushed aside as the four men carried on walking towards the OK Corral. Virgil
Earp said: "I want your guns". Billy Clanton responded by firing at
Wyatt Earp. He missed and Morgan Earp successfully fired two bullets at Billy Clanton
and he fell back against a wall. Meanwhile Wyatt Earp fired at Frank McLaury.
The bullet hit him in the stomach and he fell to the ground.
Ike Clanton
and Tom McLaury were both unarmed and tried to run away. Clanton was successful
but Doc Holliday shot McLaury in the back. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury,
although seriously wounded, continued to fire their guns and in the next couple
of seconds Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday were all wounded. Wyatt
Earp was unscathed and he managed to finish off Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury.
Sheriff John Behan arrested Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp and
Doc Holliday for murder of Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury.
However, after a 30 day trial Judge Wells Spicer, who was related to the Earps,
decided that the defendants had been justified in their actions.
Over the
next few months the Earp brothers struggled to retain hold control over Tombstone. Virgil Earp was seriously wounded by an attempted
assassination and Morgan Earp was killed when he was playing
billiards with Wyatt Earp on 18th March, 1882. Eyewitnesses claimed that Frank
Stilwell was seen running from the scene of the crime. Three days later
Stilwell's was found dead. A Mexican who was also implicated in the crime was
also found murdered in a lumber camp. It is believed that Wyatt Earp was
responsible for killing both men.
Earp was now
forced to flee from Tombstone and eventually reached
In February,
1883, Luke Short moved to Dodge City and purchased the
Soon after
gaining power Deger published Ordinance No 70, an attempt to ban prostitution
in
Short had
some powerful friends and in June 1883 he returned to Dodge City with Earp, Bat Masterson, Charlie Bassett, Doc Holliday and other well-known gunfighters
such as, M. F. McLain, Neil Brown and W. F. Petillion. However, Deger and
Klaine refused to be intimidated and when they refused to back down, Short and
his friends had to accept defeat. In November 1883, Short and Harris sold the
In 1885 Earp
was once again imprisoned for theft. After his release he opened a saloon in
In 1896 Earp
agreed to referee the Bob Fitzsimmons-Tom Sharkey heavyweight fight in
In old age
Earp was befriended by
Doc Holliday
John
(Doc) Holliday was born in
After
studying at dental school Holliday worked as a dentist at
In 1878
he arrived in Dodge City where he became a close friend of Wyatt Earp. Holliday worked as a dentist before moving on
to Las Vagas. In 1879 he killed Mike Gordon but was not charged with murder.
Later that year he was accused of robbing the Santa Fe-Las Vegas stagecoach.
In 1880
Holliday moved to Tombstone where he once again met up with Wyatt Earp. Holliday was soon in trouble and Sheriff John Behan arrested him on suspicion of killing a stage
driver during an attempted hold-up outside of town. Holliday protested his
innocence and was eventually released. In September 1881, Virgil Earp retaliated by arresting one of Behan's
deputies, Frank Stilwell, for holding up a stagecoach.
On 25th
October, Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury arrived in Tombstone. Later that day Doc Holliday got
into a fight with Ike Clanton in the
The
following day Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury were arrested by Virgil Earp and charged with carrying firearms within the
city limits. After they were disarmed and released, the two men joined Billy
Clanton and Frank McLaury, who had just arrived in town. The men gathered at a
place called the OK Corral in
Virgil Earp now decided to disarm Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury and recruited Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, James Earp and Doc Holliday to help him in this dangerous
task. Behan was in town and when he heard what was happening he raced to
Fremont Street and urged Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury to hand over their
guns to him. They replied: "Not unless you first disarm the Earps".
John Behan now headed towards the advancing group of men.
He pleaded for Virgil Earp not to get involved in a shoot-out
but he was brushed aside as the four men carried on walking towards the OK
Corral. Virgil Earp said: "I want your guns". Billy Clanton responded
by firing at Wyatt Earp. He missed and Morgan Earp successfully fired two bullets at Billy Clanton
and he fell back against a wall. Meanwhile Wyatt Earp fired at Frank McLaury.
The bullet hit him in the stomach and he fell to the ground.
Ike
Clanton and Tom McLaury were both unarmed and tried to run away. Clanton was
successful but Doc Holliday shot McLaury in the back. Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury, although seriously wounded, continued to fire their guns and in the
next couple of seconds Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday were all
wounded. Wyatt Earp was unscathed and he managed to finish off Billy Clanton
and Frank McLaury.
Behan
arrested Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday for murder of
Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. However, after a 30 day trial
Judge Wells Spicer, who was related to the Earps,
decided that the defendants had been justified in their actions.
Over the
next few months the Earp brothers struggled to retain hold control over Tombstone. On 28th December, Virgil Earp was seriously wounded in the left arm by an
attempted assassination.
Morgan Earp was killed when he was playing billiards with Wyatt Earp on 18th March, 1882. Eyewitnesses claimed that
Frank Stilwell was seen running from the scene of the crime. Three days later
Stilwell's was found dead. A Mexican who was also implicated in the crime was
also found murdered in a lumber camp. It is believed that Wyatt Earp and Doc
Holliday were responsible for the killing of both men.
In
February, 1883, Luke Short moved to Dodge City and purchased the
Soon
after gaining power Deger published Ordinance No 70, an attempt to ban
prostitution in
Short had
some powerful friends and in June 1883 he returned to Dodge City with Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Charlie Bassett and other well-known
gunfighters such as, M. F. McLain, Neil Brown and W. F. Petillion. However,
Deger and Klaine refused to be intimidated and when they refused to back down,
Short and his friends had to accept defeat. In November 1883, Short and Harris
sold the
Doc
Holliday died of tuberculosis on
Morgan Earp
Morgan Earp was born in Iowa on 24th
April, 1851. His father moved the family, to
In 1880 he moved to Tombstone with his three brothers, James Earp, Wyatt Earp and Virgil Earp. In October 1880, Virgil Earp became city marshal
of
Wyatt Earp also came into conflict with John Behan, the sheriff of
On 25th October, Ike Clanton and Tom
McLaury arrived in Tombstone. Later that day Doc Holliday got into a fight with Ike Clanton in
the
The following day Ike Clanton and Tom
McLaury were arrested by Virgil Earp and charged with carrying firearms within the city
limits. After they were disarmed and released, the two men joined Billy Clanton
and Frank McLaury, who had just arrived in town. The men gathered at a place
called the OK Corral in
Virgil Earp now decided to disarm Billy Clanton and Frank
McLaury and recruited Morgan Earp, Wyatt Earp, James Earp and Doc Holliday to help him in this dangerous task.
Sheriff John Behan was in town and when he heard what was
happening he raced to Fremont Street and urged Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury
to hand over their guns to him. They replied: "Not unless you first disarm
the Earps".
Behan now headed towards the
advancing group of men. He pleaded for Virgil Earp not to get involved in a
shoot-out but he was brushed aside as the four men carried on walking towards
the OK Corral. Virgil Earp said: "I want your guns". Billy Clanton
responded by firing at Wyatt Earp. He missed and Morgan Earp successfully fired
two bullets at Billy Clanton and he fell back against a wall. Meanwhile Wyatt
Earp fired at Frank McLaury. The bullet hit him in the stomach and he fell to
the ground.
Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury were both
unarmed and tried to run away. Clanton was successful but Doc Holliday shot
McLaury in the back. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury, although seriously
wounded, continued to fire their guns and in the next couple of seconds Virgil
Earp, Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday were all wounded. Wyatt Earp was unscathed
and he managed to finish off Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury.
Sheriff John Behan arrested Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp and
Doc Holliday for murder of Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury.
However, after a 30 day trial Judge Wells Spicer, who was related to the Earps,
decided that the defendants had been justified in their actions.
Over the next few months the Earp
brothers struggled to retain hold control over Tombstone. On 28th December, Virgil Earp was seriously wounded in the left arm by an
attempted assassination.
Morgan Earp was killed when he was
playing billiards with Wyatt Earp on 18th March, 1882. Eyewitnesses claimed that Frank
Stilwell was seen running from the scene of the crime. Three days later
Stilwell's was found dead. A Mexican who was also implicated in the crime was
also found murdered in a lumber camp. It is believed that Wyatt Earp was responsible
for both men's death. Virgil Earp and James Earp took Morgan's body to home of his parents in Colton,
California, for burial.
James Earp
James
Earp was born in Ohio County on 28th June, 1841. He enlisted in the 17th
Earp
joined the rest of the family in Colton, California, before moving on to
Helena,
In 1879
James Wyatt moved to Tombstone with his three brothers, Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earp and Morgan Earp. Unlike his brothers, James was not involved in
the events at the OK Corral.
Morgan Earp was killed when he was playing billiards with Wyatt Earp on 18th March, 1882. Eyewitnesses claimed that
Frank Stilwell was seen running from the scene of the crime. Three days later
Stilwell's was found dead. A Mexican who was also implicated in the crime was
also found murdered in a lumber camp. It is believed that Wyatt Earp was
responsible for both men's death.
James
Earp and Virgil Earp took Morgan's body to home of his
parents in Colton, California, for burial. He later lived in
James Earp died on