Being a "History Nut," today is the 139th Anniversary of the "Shootout at the O.K. Corral" in Tombstone. It happened at about 3 in the afternoon, lasted all of 30 seconds, with 30 shots fired - and did NOT happen at the O. K. Corral. It happened in a "vacant lot" that was more of an alley beside the C.S. Fly Photography Gallery and Boardinghouse, off Fremont Street, a bit further down the street from the O.K. Corral, where a couple of the men involved had left their horses. Unless you were in law enforcement - police, Sheriff, Marshall, or deputy - it was illegal to carry a gun inside the town limits.
Ike Clanton had been on a 2-day drunk without sleep and had been threatening to kill both Virgil and Wyatt Earp - even to their faces for more than 24 hours. He had been disarmed, arrested, and fined. Then he met with his younger brother Billy, Frank and Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne, in a store that sold ammunition and guns. Various people saw and reported this to Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Wyatt stuck his head into the store, and told the men to get out of town; they told him they were leaving. Wyatt went and smoked a cigar, standing outside of Hafford's Saloon.
Ike continued telling everyone that he was going to kill the Earp brothers - and his group of friends did not leave town. They ended up at the O.K. Corral, and were heard by multiple people threatening to kill the Earps. Someone told Wyatt's friend, Doc Holliday, who went and found Morgan Earp. James Earp had been told, but he stayed behind the bar at the saloon where he worked. Johnny Behan, the County Sheriff, was told about the threats, and he decided to confront the group at the O.K. Corral - they were friends of his. They told Behan, also, that they were leaving town, armed with rifles and pistols, and Behan left them.
By this time, Morgan, Virgil and Wyatt Earp, along with Doc Holiday decided it was time for the group with Ike Clanton to leave. Johnny Behan came up and said that the group at the Corral were about to go. The Earps, all dressed in black suits had their pistols, and Virgil had borrowed a shotgun from the Wells Fargo agent. Doc Holliday was carrying a silver-headed cane, and had a duster on over his suit. Knowing Doc was a poor shot, Virgil took his cane, and handed him the shotgun.
Johnny Behan had gone back to the group at the Corral, as the Earps and Holliday began their approach. Behan told the group that the Earps were coming, told them he would disarm the Earps, and headed back to the other group. He tried to get the Earps to stop, but they kept walking down the street, four abreast. The Earps had told several concerned citizens that they were going to disarm the men at the Corral and either put them in jail or send them home. Behan, after trying to stop the Earps, said, "I have disarmed all of them."
The group of men - Clantons, McLaurys and Claiborne - were standing with 3 horses in the 15-foot-wide vacant lot off Fremont Street. And so was Wes Fuller, a cowboy who came to warn the group. Fuller skeedaddled. The Earps and Holliday saw the men were fully armed; "Son of a bitch!" said Wyatt.
Virgil had holstered his pistol and was holding Holliday's cane. "Throw up your hands, boys. I intend to disarm you," he stated. Frank McLaury said, "We will," as if he and the others would comply. But instead, they pulled their guns. Doc Holliday cocked the shotgun. Wyatt shot Frank, Billy Clanton missed his shot at Wyatt. There was a quick pause in the shooting. Billy Claiborne ran away on foot. Ike Clanton suddenly ran at, and wrapped his arms around Wyatt. Wyatt told him, "The fight's commenced. - Go to fighting or get away." Ike released Wyatt and ran like a rabbit. In the next 20 seconds, 28 more shots were fired. Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton kept shooting. Virgil Earp was shot in the leg, and Morgan Earp was shot through the shoulders, across his body. Tom McLaury was trying to get his rifle from his saddle scabbard, and when the horse ran, Doc Holliday shot him with the shotgun. Frank McLaury, hit by the first shot, had grabbed a horse and was trying to escape. He shot Doc Holliday, grazing his hip, and Doc killed Frank, using the pistol given him by Bat Masterson. Billy Clanton was bleeding profusely and trying to reload his pistol, but his right wrist was shattered. Tom McLaury died within 20 minutes of the shootout; Billy Clanton received morphine shots and died within an hour. Wyatt was untouched by bullets.
That happened on 26 October 1881; on 30 October the Earps and Doc Holliday were already on trial for the killings. The trial lasted 31 days. Sheriff Johnny Behan and Ike Clanton lied on the witness stand, and were caught in their lies, multiple times. The Earps and Doc Holliday were exonerated.
Fly's Photography Gallery in Tombstone, Arizona
(just above the arrow in the map below)
Map of the "O.K. Corral" shootout - a 15-foot-wide alley
(Doc Holliday was standing beside his name on the map)
Virgil Earp was 38 at the time of the gunfight
Wyatt Earp was 33 in October 1881
Morgan Earp was 30 at the O.K. Corral
"Doc" John Henry Holliday, was also 30 on that famous day
in Tombstone. He died 6 years and 7 days later from
tuberculosis in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Sheriff Johnny Behan and his common-law wife Josephine "Sadie" Marcus.
Johnny was 39 at the time of the shootout. Sadie had already left him,
and she she became the fourth Mrs. Wyatt Earp.
Billy Claiborne wanted to be a famous and feared gunman. He ran
from the fight at the O.K. Corral. He was killed, when drunk, in a
gunfight with Buckskin Frank Leslie on 14 November 1882, at age 22.
Tom McLaury was 28 when he died in Tombstone.
Frank McLaury met his end at age 32.
Billy Clanton was either 18 or 19 years old when he died
in the shootout. This was the last photo taken of him alive,
about 1879 or 1880 at Fly's Studio in Tombstone.
Isaac "Ike" Clanton was the trigger for the most famous
30 seconds in Tombstone history - and he ran away from
the gunfight he started. Ike was killed by a J.V. Brighton,
a detective leading a posse, in search of Ike and his brother
Phin, for cattle rustling, in June 1887. Phin surrendered.
Ike was shot and killed, and buried in an unmarked grave
on the family ranch.
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