Cochise County Cowboys

Last updated

Cochise County Cowboys
IkeClanton1881.jpg
An outlaw cowboy, Ike Clanton
Named after Cowboy
Years active1870s–1880s
Territory Cochise County
Membershipapprx. 200-300
Activities Criminal organization
Rivals Earp Brothers

The Cochise County Cowboys is the modern name for a loosely associated group of outlaws living in Pima and Cochise County, Arizona in the late 19th century. The term "cowboy", as opposed to " cowhand ," had only begun to come into wider usage during the 1870s. In that place and time, "cowboy" was synonymous with "cattle rustler". Such thieves frequently rode across the border into Mexico and stole cattle from Mexican ranches that they then drove back across the border to sell in the United States. Some modern writers consider them to be an early form of organized crime in America.

Contents

In response, the Mexican government eventually lowered tariffs and added forts along the border making cross-border rustling and smuggling less attractive. The Cowboys then began to steal cattle and horses from neighboring American ranches, reselling them to unscrupulous butchers. They held up stagecoaches, stole the strongboxes, and strong-armed passengers for their valuables. In some instances they killed drivers and passengers.

Origins and background

Tombstone in 1881. The town had a population of about 4,000 with 600 dwellings and two church buildings. Tombstone (probably in 1881).jpg
Tombstone in 1881. The town had a population of about 4,000 with 600 dwellings and two church buildings.

Tombstone, Arizona, was one of the last frontier towns in the American Old West. Outlaws from all parts of the Western territories felt the pressures of encroaching civilization and the increased presence of lawmen and the courts, backed by growing populations of farmers and citizens desiring law and order. The town had boomed in less than 18 months from about 100 miners living in tents and shacks to more than 7,000 people by December 1, 1879, when Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp arrived in Tombstone. [1]

Virgil Earp had been appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal for eastern Pima County in Prescott and was directed to relocate to Tombstone to concentrate on suppressing the Cowboys' illegal activities. He arrived with his brothers Wyatt and Morgan. [2] Wyatt looked for business opportunities. When those didn't work out, Wyatt Earp started riding shotgun for Wells, Fargo & Co., guarding their silver bullion shipments. He was appointed as a Pima County deputy sheriff from June 1880 until November of that year, and Virgil Earp was hired as Tombstone's city marshal in June 1881. [2] : 54  [3]

Cowboys as outlaws

The word cowboy did not begin to come into wider usage until the 1870s. The men who drove cattle for a living were usually called cowhands, drovers, or stockmen. [4] While cowhands were still respected in West Texas, [5] in Cochise County the outlaws' crimes and their notoriety grew such that during the 1880s it was an insult to call a legitimate cattleman a "cowboy." Tombstone resident George Parsons wrote in his diary, "A cowboy is a rustler at times, and a rustler is a synonym for desperado—bandit, outlaw, and horse thief." The San Francisco Examiner wrote in an editorial, "Cowboys [are] the most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country ... infinitely worse than the ordinary robber." [6] Legal cowmen were usually landowners and generally called herders or ranchers. [7]

The term cow-boy, once applied to all those in the cattle business indiscriminately, while still including some honest persons, has been narrowed down to be chiefly a term of reproach for a class of stealers of cattle, over the Mexican frontier, and elsewhere, who are a terror in their day and generation. [8] There were said to be strongholds in the San Simon Valley where the bandits concealed stolen cattle until they were rebranded and sent to market, and where no officer of the law dared to venture. They looked upon rustling cattle from Mexico only as a more dashing form of smuggling, though it was marked by frequent bloody conflicts on both sides. [9]

On September 16, 1881, thirty days before the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Tombstone Epitaph wrote about the "Cow-boy Nuisance" in Arizona:

It has come to pass in this county that life and personal property are unsafe; even in the town of Tombstone it seems as if one of the leading industries is to be destroyed. There is not a teamster to-day who is not in fear and dread of the cow-boys, or so-styled "rustlers" depriving him of his hard earnings... How must such men feel to be robbed by a hand of thieves and cutthroats, who take pride in announcing to the public that they are "rustlers!" Where is the teamsters protection? Can you find any officers who will follow, arrest and recover your property? If you can, I would like to see him... These chaps seem to have no difficulty in evading the law, while others, not inclined to work, daily join the band and they are increasing fast in numbers. Our town is filled with spies watching every move of the officers and imparting their information to their comrades... Men who come to examine different mines outside of town, when they learn how the cow-boys stand fellows up, do not wish to run such risks; they quietly take the road they came and get into civilization as soon as possible. [10]

The notoriety and power of the Cowboys spread from coast to coast. Well-known members of the group included Ike, Billy, and Phineas Clanton, Frank and Tom McLaury, Curly Bill Brocius, Billy Claiborne, Johnny Ringo, Frank Stilwell, Pony Diehl, Pete Spence, and Harry Head. Virgil Earp thought that some of the Cowboys had met at Charleston, Arizona, and taken "an oath over blood drawn from the arm of Ringo, the leader, that they would kill us." [11] Three Cowboys were killed by lawmen in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. [4] : 194  Others were later accused of trying to kill Virgil Earp and of assassinating Morgan Earp. Wyatt Earp's posse killed four more Cowboys when they ran down those identified as taking part in the attacks on his brothers.

Virgil Earp told the Arizona Daily Star on May 30, 1882, that:

They know that Arizona is about the only place left for them to operate in as an organization. With a complete breaking up of their company threatened in event of losing their hold where they are now, they resist official interference with the greatest desperation. [12]

He estimated that the Cowboys numbered nearly 200, and that during his time in Cochise Territory about 50 had been killed. [12] A modern estimate puts the number of Cowboys at about 300. [13] Many modern writers consider them to be one of the first and earliest forms of organized crime syndicates in American history. [14] [15]

Cowboys vs. business owners

Many of the ranchers and cowboys who lived in the countryside were resentful of the growing power of industrialists from northern states, who increasingly influenced local politics and law in the county. The ranchers largely maintained control of the country around Tombstone, in large part because of the sympathetic support of Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan, who favored the Cowboys and rural ranchers. [16] He grew to intensely dislike the Earps. Behan tended to ignore the Earps' complaints about the McLaurys' and Clantons' horse thieving and cattle rustling. As officers of the law, the Earps were known to bend the law in their favor when it affected their gambling and saloon interests, which earned them further enmity from the Cowboy faction. [17]

Political and regional conflicts

Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan was aligned with the Cowboys JohnnyBehan.jpg
Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan was aligned with the Cowboys

Under the surface were other tensions aggravating the simmering distrust. Most of the Cowboys were Democrats and Confederate sympathizers from southern states, especially Texas. They considered the business owners and the lawmen, especially the Earps, to be Northern Republican carpetbaggers. Traditional, southern-style, "small-government" agrarianism of the rural bandit cowboys conflicted with Northern-style "big-government" oriented towards development. [18]

Economic conflicts

According to Virgil Earp, the Cowboys were "saddlers", men who lived in the saddle. Their primary occupation was raiding haciendas in Sonora, Mexico, for cattle. They sold the cattle in Tombstone to cooperative butchers. When they couldn't find cattle to steal, they robbed stages and engaged "in similar enterprises". He said that as soon as they had money to spend, they roared into Tombstone to spend it freely in the saloons, brothels, and "faro banks".

The Cowboys' generous spending habits earned them friends among the businessmen in town, who welcomed them. There the Cowboys freely expressed their opinions publicly, loudly, and with little opposition. When the Cowboys broke the law, the businessmen feared alienating their customers and hesitated to support lawmen when they confronted cattle thieves or stage robbers. [19] Virgil Earp said that a lawman "doing his duty must rely almost entirely upon his own conscience for encouragement. The sympathy of the respectable portion of the community may be with him but it is not openly expressed." [19]

Known criminal associates

Tombstone sheriff and constituents, an illustration from Mexico, California and Arizona; Being a New and Revised Edition of Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces A Tombstone Sheriff And Constituents - Pg-494.jpg
Tombstone sheriff and constituents, an illustration from Mexico, California and Arizona; Being a New and Revised Edition of Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces

The lines were not always distinct between the outlaw element and law enforcement. Doc Holliday had a reputation as a killer. He was friends with Bill Leonard, who was implicated in a stagecoach robbery.

On March 15, 1881, three Cowboys tried to rob a Kinnear & Company stagecoach carrying US$26,000 in silver bullion (about $820,883 in today's dollars) near Drew's Station, just outside Contention City. It was en route from Tombstone to Benson, Arizona, the nearest rail terminal. [20] : 180  The Cowboys were later identified as Bill Leonard, Harry "The Kid" Head, and Jim Crane, assisted by Luther King.

The brothers Frank and Tom McLaury had a ranch outside Tombstone, which they may have used to receive and sell stolen Mexican cattle. When six U.S. Army mules were stolen from Camp Rucker, Wyatt Earp assisted the U.S. Army in a search. They found the animals on the McLaurys' ranch on the Babacomari River. They also found the branding iron used to change the "US" brand to "D8". [4] : 288  Frank Patterson and other Cowboys promised to return the mules but showed up two days later without the animals and laughed at the lawmen.

Pony Diehl was mentioned in the records of the events leading up to and after the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He was suspected of involvement in numerous robberies and cattle rustling and of involvement in the theft of US Army mules, along with Sherman McMaster. McMaster had been a Texas Ranger in 1878–79, during which time his unit captured and held Curly Bill Brocius as prisoner for five months. He was also accused of stealing U.S. Army mules and of robbing a stage with outlaw Pony Diehl. [21]

The Clanton family, led by Newman Haynes Clanton, had a ranch in a valley outside Tombstone that was likely used for selling stolen Mexican beef. He was assisted by his sons Ike, Billy, and Phin Clanton. [6] Old Man Clanton was involved in the robbery, murder, and torture of a number of Mexican smugglers who were ambushed on their way to Tucson in the 1879 Skeleton Canyon Massacre. He was killed on August 13, 1881, by Mexican soldiers in a retaliatory raid along the Mexican border at Guadalupe Canyon. Ike Clanton repeatedly threatened the Earps and Doc Holliday in the days leading up to the shoot-out on October 26 at the OK Corral. Unarmed, he ran from the gunfight.

Cowboys and the law

Frank Stilwell had previously been accused and acquitted of two murders. He was named a deputy county sheriff by Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan in April 1881. He was dismissed four months later for "accounting irregularities" relating to the collection of taxes. [22] Law enforcement officers who came into conflict with the Cowboys included Fred White, who was killed by Curly Bill Brocius in what was ruled an accidental shooting. Virgil Earp was at times both U.S. Deputy Marshal for the Southeast Arizona Territory and Tombstone City Marshal. Wyatt Earp had been the Pima County deputy sheriff from June to November 1880.

On June 28, 1881, Virgil was appointed by Tombstone Mayor John Clum as the permanent Tombstone City Marshal and was paid $150.00 per month. [23] He was to enforce all town ordinances, including the city's ban against carrying a deadly weapon. John J. Gosper, Secretary of State for the Arizona Territory and acting governor after John C. Frémont's virtual abandonment of his post, interviewed both Sheriff Behan and Deputy U.S. Marshal (and Town Marshal) Virgil Earp. [24] Behan and Earp blamed each other for failing to bring the Cowboys under control. In a report to Washington, D.C., in September 1881, Gosper expressed his dismay with both lawmen:

The cowboy element at times very fully predominates, and the officers of the law are either unable or unwilling to control this class of outlaws, sometimes being governed by fear, at other times by a hope of reward. At Tombstone, the county seat of Cochise County, I conferred with the Sheriff upon the subject of breaking up these bands of outlaws, and I am sorry to say he gave me but little hope of being able in his department to cope with the power of the cowboys. He represented to me that the Deputy U.S. Marshal, resident of Tombstone, and the city Marshal for the same, seemed unwilling to heartily cooperate with him in capturing and bringing to justice these outlaws.

In conversation with the Deputy US Marshal, Mr. Earp, I found precisely the same spirit of complaint existing against Mr. Behan (the Sheriff) and his deputies. Many of the very best law-abiding and peace-loving citizens have no confidence in the willingness of the civil officers to pursue and bring to justice that element of outlawry so largely disturbing the sense of security, and so often committing highway robbery and smaller thefts. The opinion in Tombstone and elsewhere in that part of the Territory is quite prevalent that the civil officers are quite largely in league with the leaders of this disturbing and dangerous element.

Something must be done, and that right early, or very grave results will follow. It is an open disgrace to American liberty and the peace and security of her citizens, that such a state of affairs should exist. [24]

Weapon ordinance

To counter the ongoing problems with weapons in Tombstone, the biggest city in the county and the county seat, its city council passed an ordinance on April 19, 1881, that prohibited carrying a deadly weapon in town. It required everyone to deposit weapons at a livery or saloon soon after entering town. As City Marshal, Virgil Earp was charged with enforcing this ordinance. [25]

Effective April 19, 1881, Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 states:

To Provide against Carrying of Deadly Weapons

Section 1. It is hereby declared unlawful to carry in the hand or upon the person or otherwise any deadly weapon within the limits of said city of Tombstone, without first obtaining a permit in writing.

Section 2: This prohibition does not extend to persons immediately leaving or entering the city, who, with good faith, and within reasonable time are proceeding to deposit, or take from the place of deposit such deadly weapon.

Section 3: All fire-arms of every description, and bowie knives and dirks, are included within the prohibition of this ordinance.

The initial version of Ordinance No. 9, in effect in April, 1880 unintentionally allowed individuals to carry deadly weapons in plain sight, only banning concealed weapons. It had little effect and the later version was passed with the intent to prevent carrying any deadly weapons without a permit. The revised version was in effect when Virgil Earp attempted to disarm the cowboys before the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

After the gunfight on October 26, 1881, in which three Cowboys died, the Earps and Holliday had to defend themselves against murder charges filed by Ike Clanton. The defendants cited the weapons ordinance during the preliminary hearing held by Justice Wells Spicer. [26] In his ruling exonerating the lawmen of murder, Judge Spicer described Frank McLaury's insistence that he would not give up his weapons unless the marshal and his deputies also gave up their arms as a "proposition both monstrous and startling!" [27]

Earp and the Cowboys conflict

Virgil Earp had been appointed the Deputy U.S. Marshal for eastern Pima County on November 27, 1880, before he arrived in Tombstone. Wyatt Earp was appointed assistant sheriff for Pima County from July 27 to November 9, 1880. After Town Marshal Fred White was killed on October 30, 1880, Virgil was appointed to replace him, gaining the position permanently on June 2, 1881. He hired his brother Morgan as a deputy town marshal and occasionally called on Wyatt for assistance. [2] : 113–114 

The Earps had repeated conflicts with some of the Cowboys, particularly Ike Clanton, Frank McLaury, and Tom McLaury. This tension eventually resulted in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, on October 26, 1881. Frank, Tom, and Billy Clanton were killed during that shootout.

Most historians have considered the McLaurys and the Clantons to be outlaw cowboys. [6] Billy Claiborne fled the Tombstone gunfight and later claimed he was unarmed. Frank McLaury was known as a good shot. Ike Clanton was not well liked because of his drunkenness. His brother Billy was considered level-headed and hard-working. [28] : 185  Some townspeople were particularly fond of young Tom McLaury. [28] : 185  Billy Clanton and the McLaurys were landowners and commanded some respect in town. [28] : 185  The men were so popular that the Nuggett said after the gunfight that the Cowboys' funeral "was the largest ever witnessed in Tombstone." [28] : 185 

Virgil Earp maimed

At about 11:30 pm on December 28, 1881, Virgil Earp was ambushed on the streets of Tombstone by hidden assailants shooting from the second story of an unfinished building as he walked from the Oriental Saloon to his room. The Sacramento Daily Record-Union reported that "he was fired upon with double-barreled shotguns, loaded with buckshot, by three men concealed in an unfinished building diagonally across on Allen street." [29]

Virgil was hit in the back and left arm by three loads of buckshot from about 60 feet (18 m). [30] The Crystal Palace Saloon and the Eagle Brewery beyond Virgil were struck by nineteen buckshot; three passed through the window and one about a foot over the heads of some men standing by a faro-table. [2] : 317  [31] George Parsons wrote that he heard "four shots in quick succession." Critically wounded, Virgil staggered into the hotel. [32] "One shot struck him above the groin, coming out near the spine." The humerus bone in his upper arm was longitudinally fractured. [29] The Los Angeles Daily Herald reported that the "cow-boys are bent on vengeance for the slaughter of their compañeros a few weeks ago." "The doctor says there are four chances in five that he will die." [33] Virgil upper left arm was shattered, and a doctor removed 5.5 inches (140 mm) of humerus bone and his elbow, leaving his arm useless. The Sacramento Daily Record-Union wrote that "Long ago the cowboy gang threatened the lives of Mayor Clum, Judge Spicer, Marshall Williams, agent of Wells, Fargo & Co., Earp and Holliday, and this is an attempt to carry the threats into execution." [29]

Morgan Earp assassinated

At 10:50 pm on Saturday, March 18, 1882, after returning from a musical at Schieffelin Hall, Morgan Earp was playing a late round of billiards at the Campbell & Hatch Billiard Parlor against owner Bob Hatch. Dan Tipton, Sherman McMaster, and Wyatt watched, having received threats that same day. [34] : 38 

An assailant shot Morgan through the upper half of a four-pane windowed door that opened onto a dark alley. Morgan, about 10 feet (3.0 m) from the door, was struck in the right side and the bullet shattered his spine, passed through his left side, and entered the thigh of mining foreman George A. B. Berry. [35] Another bullet lodged in the wall near the ceiling over Wyatt's head. [36] [37] : 138  Several men rushed into the alley but found the shooter had fled. [35]

After Morgan was shot, his brothers tried to help him stand, but Morgan said "Don't, I can't stand it. This is the last game of pool I'll ever play." [38] : 97  Morgan died less than an hour after he was shot. [36] [39]

Earp vendetta

Wyatt Earp first sought the Cowboys who ambushed Virgil Earp in Charleston, Cochise County, seen here in 1885. Charleston year 1885.jpg
Wyatt Earp first sought the Cowboys who ambushed Virgil Earp in Charleston, Cochise County, seen here in 1885.

The main suspects in the ambush of Virgil Earp were Ike and Phin Clanton, and Pony Diehl. Wyatt was appointed as Deputy U.S. Marshal to replace Virgil; in turn, he deputized Sherman McMaster, "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson, Origen Charles, Smith and Daniel "Tip" Tipton. On January 23, 1882, Wyatt Earp obtained arrest warrants for Ike and Phin Clanton and Pony Diehl and led his posse after them. The lawmen searched in Charleston but were unsuccessful. [32] Ike's hat had been found at the scene of Virgil's shooting, but on February 2, 1882, seven Cowboys provided him with an alibi, saying that he was in Charleston at the time. Charges were dismissed for lack of evidence. [32]

Pete Spence, Frederick Bode, Frank Stilwell, "Indian Charlie" Cruz, and one other individual were identified as suspects in Morgan's murder. The judge could not indict them because the primary witness was Spence's wife, giving him protection under the law on spousal privilege. The Cowboys went free. [32] [35]

Wyatt decided he had to take matters into his own hands. Newly named as Deputy US Marshal to replace Virgil, he assembled a posse including Warren Earp, Doc Holliday, and several cowboys. "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson and Sherman McMaster guarded Virgil on his way to the train station in Tucson. The posse found Frank Stilwell lying in wait and killed him. A second person, possibly Ike Clanton, was also seen but escaped. When Pima County issued warrants for the arrest of the Earps in the murder of Frank Stilwell in the Tucson railyards, Sheriff Behan deputized Johnny Ringo, Pete Spence, Johnny Barnes and about 17 other Cowboys to pursue and arrest the Earps. They were unsuccessful. [32]

Bat Masterson and Luke Short were faro dealers for Wyatt for a while at the Oriental Saloon, but both left in April 1881. Lou Rickabaugh, the owner of the Oriental Saloon, was also from Dodge City. Other known Cowboys included Billy Claiborne, Curly Bill Brocius, Johnny Ringo, Frank Patterson, Milt Hicks, Bill Hicks, Bill Johnson, Ed Lyle, and Johnny Lyle. In February 1882, Diehl was running from the law, as a warrant was issued for his arrest relating to a January 1882 stagecoach robbery. He eventually was arrested for numerous crimes, including cattle rustling and robbery, and was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison at Santa Fe, New Mexico. He escaped in February 1885 but was recaptured after four days. He was returned to prison and not released until March 1887, at which point his name disappeared from public records; by some accounts he died in a gunfight. [40] [41] : 181 

Aftermath

With the deaths of several Cowboy leaders and the departure of the Earp family, the dominance of the outlaw cowboys waned. Arizona Territory Governor Frederick Tritle visited Tombstone on April 3, 1882, and put a posse of 30 men under the command of Deputy U.S. Marshal J.H. Jackson. Because Arizona was still a territory, Congress approved all of its expenditures. Tritle telegraphed President Chester A. Arthur and asked for an appropriation of $150,000 from Congress to pay for the costs of rooting out the unlawful elements. He also asked for the power to suspend local officials for six months. [42] The U.S. Congress was unwilling to allocate the funds needed to form such a group. Unable to create a group of rangers, Tritle instead called for the formation of volunteer militia to pursue hostile groups of Apache. [43] : 195 

To combat the depredations of the outlaw cowboys, General William T. Sherman, following a tour of Arizona's eastern and southern counties, recommended suspension of the Posse Comitatus Act to allow the U.S. Army to aid in restoring order. On the basis of the recommendations of Sherman and Tritle, and following consultation with members of the U.S. Senate, President Arthur issued a decree on May 3, 1882, threatening to use military force if the criminal element did not disperse. [43] : 198  The use of the U.S. Army to enforce the law was not necessary, as the outlaw cowboy problem diminished over the next few months. [43] : 200 

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</span> 1881 shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, United States

The gunfight at the O.K. Corral pitted lawmen against members of a loosely organized group of cattle rustlers and horse thieves called the Cowboys on October 26, 1881. While lasting less than a minute, the gunfight has been the subject of books and films into the 21st century. Taking place in the Tombstone, Arizona Territory, the battle has become one archetype of the American Old West. The gunfight was the result of a long-simmering feud between five outlaws and four representatives of the law, including three brothers. The trigger for the event was the local marshal's decision to enforce a city ordinance that prohibited the carrying of weapons into town. To enforce that ordinance, the lawmen would have to disarm the Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgil Earp</span> American Old West figure (1843–1905)

Virgil Walter Earp was an American lawman. He was both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone, Arizona, City Marshal when he led his younger brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and Doc Holliday, in a confrontation with outlaw Cowboys at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. They killed brothers Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton. All three Earp brothers had been the target of repeated death threats made by the Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. All four lawmen were charged with murder by Ike Clanton, who had run from the gunfight. During a month-long preliminary hearing, Judge Wells Spicer exonerated the men, concluding they had been performing their duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Earp</span> American lawman and Earp family brother (1851–1882)

Morgan Seth Earp was an American sheriff and lawman. He served as Tombstone, Arizona's Special Policeman when he helped his brothers Virgil and Wyatt, as well as Doc Holliday, confront the outlaw Cochise County Cowboys in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. All three Earp brothers had been the target of repeated death threats made by the Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. The lawmen killed Cowboys Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton. All four lawmen were charged with murder by Billy's older brother, Ike Clanton, who had run from the gunfight. During a month-long preliminary hearing, Judge Wells Spicer exonerated the men, concluding they had been performing their duty.

<i>Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</i> (film) 1957 film by John Sturges

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, and loosely based on the actual event in 1881. The film was directed by John Sturges from a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris. It was a remake of the 1939 film Frontier Marshall starring Randolph Scott and of John Ford's 1946 film My Darling Clementine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Claiborne</span> American outlaw (1860–1882)

Billy Claiborne was an American outlaw cowboy, drover, miner, and gunfighter in the American Old West. He killed James Hickey in a confrontation in a saloon, but it was ruled self-defense. He was present at the beginning of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but was unarmed and ran from the shootout. Only a year later, while drunk, he confronted gunfighter "Buckskin" Frank Leslie and was killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike Clanton</span> Rancher and member of the Cochise County Cowboys, Arizona Territory (1847–1887)

Joseph Isaac Clanton was a member of a loose association of outlaws known as The Cowboys who clashed with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp as well as Doc Holliday. On October 26, 1881, Clanton was present at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona Territory but was unarmed and ran from the gunfight, in which his 19-year-old brother Billy was killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Behan</span> American old west sheriff (1844–1912)

John Harris Behan was an American law enforcement officer and politician who served as Sheriff of Cochise County in the Arizona Territory, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and was known for his opposition to the Earps. Behan was sheriff of Yavapai County from 1871 to 1873. He was married and had two children, but his wife divorced him, accusing him of consorting with prostitutes. He was elected to the Seventh Arizona Legislative Assembly, representing Yavapai County. In 1881, Wyatt Earp served for about five months as undersheriff of the eastern half of Pima County. When Wyatt resigned, Behan was appointed to fill his place, which included the mining boomtown Tombstone. When Cochise County was formed in February 1881, Behan was appointed as its first sheriff. Tombstone became the new county seat and the location of Behan's office. Sadie Marcus was his mistress, possibly as early as 1875 in Tip Top, Arizona, and certainly from 1880 until she found him in bed with another woman and kicked him out in mid-1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newman Haynes Clanton</span> American outlaw (c. 1816–1881)

Newman Haynes Clanton, also known as "Old Man" Clanton, was a cattle rancher and father of four sons, one of whom was killed during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Two of his sons were involved in multiple conflicts in Cochise County, Arizona Territory including stagecoach robbery and cattle rustling. His son Ike Clanton was identified by one witness as a participant in the murder of Morgan Earp. Billy Clanton and Ike were both present at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in which Billy was killed. "Old Man" Clanton was reportedly involved with stealing cattle from Mexican ranchers and re-selling them in the United States. Records indicate he participated in the Skeleton Canyon Massacre of Mexican smugglers. In retaliation, Mexican Rurales are reported to have ambushed and killed him and a crew of Cowboys in the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earp Vendetta Ride</span> Search by Wyatt Earp for outlaw cowboys

The Earp Vendetta Ride was a deadly search by a federal posse led by Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp for a loose confederation of outlaw "Cowboys" they believed had ambushed his brothers Virgil and Morgan Earp, maiming the former and killing the latter. The two Earp brothers had been attacked in retaliation for the deaths of three Cowboys in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. From March 20 to April 15, 1882, the federal posse searched southeast Cochise County, Arizona Territory for the men they believed were responsible for the attacks on Virgil and Morgan. Several suspects had been identified and were charged, but were soon released by the court, owing in some cases to legal technicalities and in others to the strength of alibis provided by the Cowboy gang. Wyatt subsequently pursued the suspects with a federal warrant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Stilwell</span> American outlaw (1856–1882)

Frank C. Stilwell was an outlaw Cowboy who killed at least two men in Cochise County during 1877–82. Both killings were considered to have been self-defense. For four months he was a deputy sheriff in Tombstone, Arizona Territory for Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan. Stilwell owned interests in several mines and various businesses, including a saloon, a wholesale liquor business, a stage line, and at his death livery stables in Charleston and Bisbee. He was also a partner in a Bisbee-area saloon with ex-Texas Ranger Pete Spence.

The Guadalupe Canyon Massacre was an incident that occurred on August 13, 1881, in the Guadalupe Canyon area of the southern Peloncillo Mountains – Guadalupe Mountains. Five American men were killed in an ambush, including "Old Man" Clanton, the alleged leader. They most likely belonged to The Cowboys, an outlaw group based in Pima and Cochise counties in Arizona. Two men survived the attack. The canyon straddles the modern Arizona and New Mexico state line and connects the Animas Valley of New Mexico with the San Bernardino Valley of Arizona. During the American Old West, the canyon was a key route for smugglers into and out of Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank McLaury</span> American gunman (1849–1881)

Frank McLaury born Robert Findley McLaury was an American outlaw. He and his brother Tom allegedly owned a ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona, although this ownership is disputed, that cowboy Frank Patterson owned the ranch. Arizona Territory during the 1880s, and had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp. The McLaury brothers repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys' illegal activities. On October 26, 1881, Tom, Frank, and Billy Clanton were killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom McLaury</span> American outlaw (1853–1881)

Tom McLaury was an American outlaw. He and his brother Frank owned a ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona, Arizona Territory during the 1880s. He was a member of a gang of outlaws and cattle rustlers called the Cowboys that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp. The McLaury brothers repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys' illegal activities. On October 26, 1881, Tom and Frank were both killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. The Tombstone shootout was his only gunfight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Clanton</span> Outlaw of the old American West (1862–1881)

William Harrison Clanton was an outlaw Cowboy in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. He, along with his father Newman Clanton and brother Ike Clanton, worked a ranch near the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona Territory and stole livestock from Mexico and later U.S. ranchers.

Charles "Pony Diehl" Ray was an Old West outlaw in the New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory. He was accused by Wyatt Earp of having taken part in an attempt to kill his brother, Virgil Earp. Diehl was not tried due to a lack of evidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cochise County in the Old West</span> Aspect of Arizona history

Cochise County in southeastern Arizona was the scene of a number of violent conflicts in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West, including between white settlers and Apache Indians, between opposing political and economic factions, and between outlaw gangs and local law enforcement. Cochise County was carved off in 1881 from the easternmost portion of Pima County during a formative period in the American Southwest. The era was characterized by rapidly growing boomtowns, the emergence of large-scale farming and ranching interests, lucrative mining operations, and the development of new technologies in railroading and telecommunications. Complicating the situation was staunch resistance to white settlement from local Native American groups, most notably during the Apache Wars, as well as Cochise County's location on the border with Mexico, which not only threatened international conflict but also presented opportunities for criminal smugglers and cattle rustlers.

Phineas Fay Clanton was the son of Newman Haynes Clanton and the brother of Billy and Ike Clanton. He was witness to and possibly played a part in a number of illegal activities during his life. He moved frequently in his early life from Missouri to California and to Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O.K. Corral hearing and aftermath</span> Results following the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona

The O.K. Corral hearing and aftermath was the direct result of the 30-second Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, on October 26, 1881. During that confrontation, Deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone Town Marshal Virgil Earp, Assistant Town Marshal Morgan Earp, and temporary deputy marshals Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday shot and killed Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury. Billy's brother Ike, who had repeatedly threatened to kill the Earps for some time, had been present at the gunfight but was unarmed and fled. As permitted by territory law, he filed murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday on October 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Percent Ring</span> Political graft group in Tombstone, Arizona

The Ten-Percent Ring was a title given by the newspaper editors of The Tombstone Epitaph in 1881 to Johnny Behan and his friends for stealing about ten percent of the local Tombstone, Arizona, taxes in the 1880s. Milt Joyce (1847–1889), owner of the Oriental Saloon and chairman of Cochise County, Arizona, supervisors, was also seen as a leader of the Ten Percent Ring. The Tombstone Epitaph was started by John Clum in 1880.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form". United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Marks, Paula Mitchell (1996). And Die in the West: The Story of O.K. Corral Gunfight (Oklahoma Paperbacks ed.). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   978-0-8061-2888-7.
  3. ↑ "Arizona Affairs, an Interview With Virgil Earp". Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Lubet, Steven (2004). Murder in Tombstone: The Forgotten Trial of Wyatt Earp. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. p. 288. ISBN   978-0-300-11527-7 . Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ Benton-Cohen, Katherine (2009). Borderline Americans: Racial Division and Labor War in the Arizona Borderlands. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p.  52. ISBN   978-0674032774.
  6. 1 2 3 Linder, Douglas O. (2005). "The Earp-Holliday Trial: An Account". Archived from the original on January 13, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ "History of Old Tombstone". Discover Arizona. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  8. ↑ Bishop, William Henry (1888). Old Mexico and Her Lost Provinces: A Journey in Mexico, Southern California. Harper and Brothers. p.  490 . Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  9. ↑ Bishop, William Henry (1900) [1888]. Mexico, California and Arizona. New York and London: Harper and Brothers. pp.  468 . Retrieved May 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ "The Cow-boy Nuisance". The Tombstone Epitaph. September 18, 1881. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Did Tom McLaury Have a Gun". September 5, 2006. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Interview with Virgil Earp Arizona Daily Star". Arizona Affairs. May 30, 1882. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2009. Originally published in the Arizona Daily Star, May 30, 1882
  13. ↑ "The Clanton Gang a/k/a The Cowboys". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011. Quoting from Bill O'Neal (1979). Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
  14. ↑ Alexander, Bob (2014). Bad Company and Burnt Powder: Justice and Injustice in the Old Southwest. Frances B. Vick Series. University of North Texas Press. pp. 259–261. ISBN   978-1574415667.
  15. ↑ Robb, Brian J. (2015). A Brief History of Gangsters. Chapter 1: "Lawlessness in the Old West". Running Press. ISBN   978-0762454761.
  16. ↑ Swansburg, John (November–December 2004). "Wyatt Earp Takes the Stand". LegalAffairs.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Tensions Grow in Tombstone, Arizona, After a Stage Coach Robbery". History.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  18. ↑ "The O.K. Corral Documents". April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  19. 1 2 "Interview with Virgil Earp". Arizona Daily Star. May 30, 1882. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  20. ↑ O'Neal, Bill (1979). Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   978-0-8061-2335-6 . Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Wyatt Earp's Vendetta Posse". History Network. January 29, 2007. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  22. ↑ "The McLaury Brother's Tombstone Story pt.II". Archived from the original on November 27, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Wyatt's House". Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Simkin, John. "Tombstone". Spartacus Educational. Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Tombstone's Ordinance No.9 Was Neither Fair Nor Equally Enforced". August 8, 2014. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  26. ↑ Douglas Linder (2005). "Ordinances Enforced by the Earps in the OK Corral Shoot-out". Famous Trials: The O. K. Corral Trial. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  27. ↑ Douglas Linder (November 30, 1881). "Decision of Judge Wells Spicer after the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp-Holliday Case". Famous Trials: The O. K. Corral Trial. Archived from the original on December 11, 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Barra, Allen (2008). Inventing Wyatt Earp: His Life and Many Legends. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 440. ISBN   978-0-8032-2058-4.
  29. 1 2 3 "Attempted Assassination". Vol. 56, no. 9594. Sacramento Daily Record-Union. December 30, 1881. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  30. ↑ "An Interview With Virgil W. Earp". Arizona Affairs. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2011. Originally reported in the San Francisco Examiner on May 27, 1882
  31. ↑ "Gunfight at the OK Corral". Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wyatt Earp's Vendetta Posse". January 29, 2007. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Eyewitnesses in Tombstone – Condition of Marshal Earp". Vol. 16, no. 11. Los Angeles Herald. December 30, 1881. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  34. ↑ Dodge, Fred; Lake, Carolyn (1999). Under Cover for Wells Fargo The Unvarnished Recollections of Fred Dodge. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 336. ISBN   978-0-8061-3106-1. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 Johnson, Paul Lee (2012). The McLaurys in Tombstone, Arizona : an O. K. Corral obituary. Denton: University of North Texas Press. p. 281. ISBN   978-1574414509.
  36. 1 2 WGBH American Experience: Wyatt Earp, Complete Program Transcript (Television production). 22. Vol. 2. January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  37. ↑ Rosen, Fred (2005). The Historical Atlas of American Crime. New York: Facts on File. p.  298. ISBN   978-0-8160-4841-0.
  38. ↑ O'Neal, Bill (1991). Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   978-0-8061-2335-6.
  39. ↑ "Morgan Seth Earp B. 04/24/1851 D. 03/18,1882". Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  40. ↑ Weiser, Kathy (December 2012). "Pony Deal – Outlaw & Gunfighter of the Southwest". Legends of America. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  41. ↑ Weir, William (2009). History's Greatest Lies: The Startling Truths Behind World Events Our History Books Got Wrong . Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press. p.  288. ISBN   978-1-59233-336-3.
  42. ↑ "Railroad Matters—What the Governor Has Done". Tombstone Epitaph. April 4, 1882. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  43. 1 2 3 Wagoner, Jay J. (1970). Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political History. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN   0-8165-0176-9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.