Misplaced Pages

#896103

99-631: The Epitaph long has been noted for its coverage of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, and its continuing research interest in Wyatt Earp , Doc Holliday and their outlaw adversaries the Cochise County Cowboys . In 2005, it presented for the first time a sketch of the O.K. Corral gunfight hand-drawn by Wyatt Earp shortly before his death. John Clum was no stranger to southern Arizona when he decided to relocate from Tucson to Tombstone in 1880. In Tucson, Clum had published

198-408: A bowling alley, four churches, an ice house , a school, an opera house , two banks, three newspapers, and an ice cream parlor, along with 110 saloons , fourteen gambling halls , and numerous brothels , all situated among a number of dirty, hardscrabble mines. Horse rustlers and bandits from the countryside often came to town, and shootings were frequent. In the 1880s, the theft of cattle and

297-538: A handbill in which he named Frank McLaury as specifically assisting with hiding the mules. He re-printed this in The Tombstone Epitaph on July 30, 1880. Virgil later said that McLaury had asked him if he had posted the handbills. When Virgil said he had not, McLaury said if Virgil had printed the handbills it was Frank's intention to kill Virgil. He warned Virgil, "If you ever again follow us as close as you did, then you will have to fight anyway." This incident

396-491: A livery or saloon soon after entering town. 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

495-593: A "one-size-fits-all" strategy to deal with the "Indian problem". As a result, friends and foes were forced to live in close proximity to one another. During Clum's tenure at San Carlos, he treated the Apaches as friends, established the first Indian Tribal Police and a Tribal Court, forming a system of Indian self-rule. The Apaches nicknamed him "Nantan Betunnikiyeh", "Nantan", meaning boss or leader, "Betunnykahyeh" meaning high-forehead, or "Boss With The High Forehead", referring to his baldness. Clum encouraged them to take up

594-423: A boxer and was reputed to be an expert with a pistol . According to author Leo Silva, Earp showed no fear of any man. Wyatt had been an assistant marshal when he and policeman James Masterson , along with a few other citizens, fired their pistols at several cowboys who were fleeing town after shooting up a theater. A member of the group, George Hoyt (sometimes spelled Hoy), was shot in the arm and died of his wound

693-650: A daughter named Bessie. Mary is buried in Boot Hill at Tombstone. John Clum was married a second time on Feb. 6, 1883, in the District of Columbia, to Belle Atwood. Clum was married a third and final time on Oct. 24, 1914, in New York City, New York to Florence A. Baker. President Ulysses S. Grant established the San Carlos Reservation on December 14, 1872. After an investigation of political abuses within

792-548: A deputy took Brocius in a wagon the next day to Tucson to stand trial, possibly saving him from being lynched . Wyatt testified that he thought the shooting was accidental. It was also demonstrated that Brocius's pistol could be fired from half-cock . Fred White left a statement before he died two days later that the shooting was not intentional. Based on the evidence presented, Brocius was not charged with White's death. The Tombstone council convened and appointed Virgil Earp as "temporary assistant city marshal" to replace White for

891-539: A fearless lawman in the American Old West and the legend of the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" in the public consciousness. But Lake and many others in the popular media wildly exaggerated Wyatt's role as the central figure in the gunfight. It was only discovered much later that Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal , based on eight interviews with Earp, was largely fictional. The book and later Hollywood portrayals embellished Wyatt's reputation and magnified his mystique as

990-584: A five-month period he traversed 8,000 miles (13,000 km) in the Alaskan territory, equipping existing post offices and establishing seven new post offices. While in Nome, Alaska in the summer of 1900, Clum met his old friends, Wyatt Earp and George W. Parsons . Earp was operating the Dexter Saloon at the time. Clum was later named postmaster for Fairbanks, Alaska , and served in that position until 1909. Caro, Alaska

1089-723: A good Agent. In September 1872, Cochise negotiated a Chiricahua Reservation for his people from the Dragoon Mountains on the west to the Peloncillo Mountains on the east. It included the Chiricahua Mountains and ran south to the Mexican border. On December 14, 1872, President Ulysses Grant issued an Executive Order establishing the Chiricahua Reservation in the southeastern Arizona Territory encompassing

SECTION 10

#1732905763897

1188-565: A large, loose association of cattle smugglers and horse thieves known as the Cowboys, outlaws who had been implicated in various crimes. Ike Clanton was prone to drinking heavily and threatened the Earp brothers numerous times. Tombstone resident George Parson 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]

1287-494: A living as a gambler since late 1879. There, he first met future Tombstone sheriff Johnny Behan , a sometime gambler and saloon owner. In late September 1880, Holliday followed the Earps to Tombstone. The ranch owned by Newman Haynes Clanton near Charleston, Arizona was believed to be the local center for the Cowboys' illegal activities. Tom and Frank McLaury worked with the rustlers buying and selling stolen cattle. Many of

1386-424: A lot of attention to them at first, but after a few months it became most unbearable. They were picking us off one by one. We could never put our hands definitely on those who were doing it. I decided to settle elsewhere. They opened fire on me from both sides of the road. Three miles farther along the road a bullet tore through my coat and lead brought down my horse. I kept going without him." In January Virgil Earp

1485-425: A means to line their own pocket, selling government-supplied food and clothing and keeping the profits for themselves. The office was very political, as the military commanders and civilian agents competed for control over the reservation and the money associated with the responsibility. The Apaches, who were supposed to be fed and housed by their caretakers, rarely saw the results of the federal money and suffered as

1584-511: A month later. Wyatt always claimed to have been the one to shoot Hoyt, although it could have been anyone among the lawmen. Wyatt had developed a reputation as a no-nonsense, hard-nosed lawman, but prior to the gunfight he had been involved in only one other shooting, in Dodge City, Kansas, during the summer of 1878. The 1931 book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal was a best-selling biography by Stuart N. Lake . It established Wyatt Earp's role as

1683-529: A month-long preliminary hearing, Justice of the Peace Wells Spicer ruled the men had acted within the law. Clum later observed, There had been a lot of talk about the justification of the fight. But the Earps were officers of the law and I could see no reason why an officer should wait until he was fired upon two or three times before opening up himself. Wyatt Earp told me afterward he could have killed Ike Clanton. Ike, Wyatt said, drew back and motioned he

1782-420: A narrow lot on the side of C. S. Fly 's photography studio on Fremont Street, six doors west of the O.K. Corral's rear entrance. Some members of the two opposing parties were initially only about 6 feet (1.8 m) apart. About thirty shots were fired in thirty seconds. Ike Clanton subsequently filed murder charges against the Earps and Holliday. After a thirty-day preliminary hearing and a brief stint in jail,

1881-600: A passage known as Guadalupe Canyon. In August 1881, 15 Mexicans carrying gold, coins and bullion to make their purchases were ambushed and killed in Skeleton Canyon . The next month Mexican Commandant Felipe Neri dispatched troops to the border, where they killed five Cowboys, including Newman Haynes "Old Man" Clanton , in Guadalupe Canyon . The Earps knew that the McLaurys and Clantons were reputed to be mixed up in

1980-585: A personal vendetta . He was pursued by county sheriff Johnny Behan , who had received a warrant from Tucson for Wyatt's killing of Frank Stilwell . Tombstone , located in Arizona Territory about 30 miles (50 km) from the Mexican border, was founded in March 1879 after silver was discovered in the area. Like many mining boomtowns on the American frontier , Tombstone grew rapidly. At its founding, it had

2079-480: A population of just 100, and only two years later, in late 1881, the population was more than 7,000 (excluding Chinese, Mexicans, women, and children), making it the largest boomtown in the American Southwest . Silver mining and its attendant wealth attracted many professionals and merchants, who brought their wives and families. With them came churches and ministers. By 1881 the town boasted fancy restaurants,

SECTION 20

#1732905763897

2178-465: A reputation as a gunman and had reportedly been in nine shootouts during his life, although it has only been verified that he killed three men. One well-documented episode occurred on July 19, 1879, when Holliday and his business partner, former deputy marshal John Joshua Webb , were seated in their saloon in Las Vegas, New Mexico . Former U.S. Army scout Mike Gordon got into a loud argument with one of

2277-600: A result. Soldiers and their commanding officers sometimes brutally tortured or killed the Indians for sport. On February 26, 1874, under these difficult conditions, Clum accepted a commission as Indian Agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory . He arrived at the San Carlos Reservation on Tuesday, August 4, 1874. The very next day Apache scouts presented him with

2376-463: A salary of $ 100 per month (equivalent to $ 3,200 in 2023) until an election could be held on November 12. For the next few weeks, Virgil represented federal and local law enforcement and Wyatt represented Pima County. In the November 2, 1880, election for Pima County sheriff, Democrat Shibell ran against Republican Bob Paul , who was expected to win. Votes arrived as late as November 7, and Shibell

2475-527: A western lawman. Morgan Earp had been a police officer in Montana , but had no known experience with gunfighting prior to their arrival in Tombstone. While Wyatt was Pima County Deputy Sheriff on July 27, 1880, Morgan Earp took over his job as shotgun messenger for Wells Fargo. Morgan also occasionally assisted Virgil and at the time of the gunfight was a special deputy policeman and drawing pay. Doc Holliday had

2574-593: The Tucson Citizen , another landmark Arizona newspaper. Prior to taking over the Citizen , Clum had been the U. S. government appointee in charge of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation . While there, Clum had the distinction of being the only U.S. authority to capture Geronimo , the renegade Apache, although he was later released. He did not finally surrender to the U.S. Army until 1886, bringing

2673-490: The Apache Wars period to an end. Chided by associates who said he would write an epitaph and not a newspaper, Clum was inspired to call his new publication The Tombstone Epitaph . Setting a tone followed by several subsequent owners and editors, Clum sang Tombstone's praises when he launched what he initially saw as a mining journal. As mayor of Tombstone and publisher of its Republican paper (the rival Italic Nugget provided

2772-476: The Chiricahua Mountains , Mexico–United States border , and New Mexico Territory border. Some members of the tribe continued raiding into the Mexican states Sonora and Chihuahua . Governor Pesqueira of Sonora complained bitterly about the raids, and General Crook tried to figure out how to force the relocation of the raiders to the San Carlos Reservation. Thomas J. Jeffords , who was Indian Agent to

2871-707: The Democratic counterpoint ), Clum was among the group of townspeople who supported the Earp brothers as they attempted to enforce law and order in Tombstone in the early 1880s. Tensions between the factions—the Earps and the "cowboys"—escalated to a violent showdown near the O.K. Corral in 1881. In an explosion of gunfire, the Earps and their eclectic friend, Doc Holliday, killed three young cowboys—Frank and Tom McClaury and Billy Clanton. Personal, professional and political disagreements found their outlet on that cold October afternoon, producing an event that continues to inspire historical research and debate. Although an inquest into

2970-520: The Epitaph and the Nugget initially supported the lawmen's version of events. Woods, the publisher of the pro-Cowboy Nugget , was out of town during the hearings, and an experienced reporter, Richard Rule, wrote the story. The Nugget staff had a close relationship with Behan, but Rule's story, as printed in the Nugget the day after the shootout, backed up the Earps' account. This varied widely from Behan's and

3069-516: The Office of Indian Affairs , the government gave Protestant religious groups the responsibility for managing the Indian reservations. The Dutch Reformed Church was given charge of the San Carlos Reservation. They sought out a candidate at Rutgers to run the reservation and were connected with Clum. Clum knew that a number of Indian Agents had already come and gone. Some Indian agents sought the position only as

The Tombstone Epitaph - Misplaced Pages Continue

3168-592: The Union Army during the American Civil War and in 1877 became a police officer in Prescott, Arizona Territory . He followed that with a job as a night watchman before he became a constable. Wyatt had held jobs as either a guard or police officer in the cattle-drive towns of Wichita and Dodge City , Kansas . James, Virgil, and Wyatt Earp, together with their wives, arrived in Tombstone on December 1, 1879, during

3267-462: The University of Arizona Journalism Department to continue publication of the local edition, which circulates in Tombstone. The local edition was produced by journalism students on a biweekly basis during the academic year until 2018. 31°42′46″N 110°03′58″W  /  31.7129°N 110.0660°W  / 31.7129; -110.0660 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The gunfight at

3366-467: The smuggling of alcohol and tobacco across the border were common. The Mexican government assessed heavy export taxes on these items, and smugglers earned a handsome profit by stealing them in Mexico and selling them in Tombstone. James , Virgil , and Wyatt Earp arrived in Tombstone on December 1, 1879, when the town was mostly composed of tents as living quarters, a few saloons and other buildings, and

3465-486: The television Western series Tombstone Territory , which aired from 1957 through 1960. (The actual editor at that time, Clayton A. Smith, was credited for his "full cooperation" at the end of many episodes). In addition, the rivalry between The Epitaph and The Nugget was featured in a 1959 episode of the TV Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp , which also devoted an episode to "Fighting Editor" John Clum

3564-549: The Army, Clum was frustrated. He left his post as Indian Agent at noon on July 1, 1877, nearly three years after he had arrived. His successor freed Geronimo and his men, leading to fifteen years of bloodshed and Indian wars until Geronimo was re-captured by General Miles on September 4, 1886, finally ending the Indian Wars. Throughout his life, Clum believed that his work among the Apache was

3663-521: The Cowboys' later court testimony. Subsequent stories about the gunfight published in the Nugget after that day supported Behan's and the Cowboys' view of events. Other stories in the Epitaph countered the Nugget ' s later view entirely and supported the lawmen. Dr. George Goodfellow, who examined the Cowboys after their deaths, told the court that the angle of the wound in Billy Clanton's wrist indicated that his hands could not have been in

3762-626: The Earp family and both the Clanton and McLaury clans increased through 1881. On July 25, 1880, Captain Joseph H. Hurst, of Company A, 12th U.S. Infantry , and Commanding Officer of Fort Bennett , asked Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp to help him track Cowboys who had stolen six U.S. Army mules from Camp Rucker . This was a federal matter because the animals were U.S. property. Hurst brought four soldiers, and Virgil invited Wyatt and Morgan Earp, as well as Wells Fargo agent Marshall Williams. The posse found

3861-494: The Earps' complaints about the McLaurys' and Clantons' horse thieving and cattle rustling. The Earps were known to bend the law in their favor when it affected their gambling and saloon interests, which earned them further enmity with the Cowboy faction. To reduce crime in Tombstone, on April 19, 1881, the city council passed ordinance 9 , requiring anyone carrying a bowie knife , dirk , pistol or rifle to deposit their weapons at

3960-493: The Earps' version of events, the fight was in self-defense because the Cowboys, armed in violation of local ordinance , defied a lawful order to hand over their weapons and drew their pistols instead. The Cowboys maintained that they raised their hands, offered no resistance, and were shot in cold blood by the Earps. Sorting out who was telling the truth was difficult then and remains so to this day. Though usually opposing each other in their depiction of events, reporting by both

4059-579: The Hudson River Institute (later known as Claverack College ), a military academy in Claverack, New York . He also attended religious services at the Dutch Reformed Church. In September, 1870, he enrolled at Rutgers College . He obtained a classical education, studying among other subjects Latin, Greek, Mathematics (including algebra), Natural History (including physiology) and Rhetoric. He

The Tombstone Epitaph - Misplaced Pages Continue

4158-513: 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 town of Tombstone in Arizona Territory, the battle has become one archetype of the American Old West . The gunfight

4257-500: The U. S. Army and warfare in the West, western women, frontier photography, and western personalities, among other topics. Named a national journalistic landmark by Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists, the monthly journal reaches an international audience. The national historical monthly is published by Tombstone Epitaph, Inc., an Arizona corporation. In addition to publishing

4356-543: The air, or holding his coats open by the lapels , as witnesses loyal to the Cowboys testified. Part-time newspaper reporter Howell "Pat" Hayhurst transcribed the testimony from the hearings in the early 1930s as part of a Federal Writers' Project , which was part of the Works Progress Administration . According to one report, Hayhurst was a friend of the Behan family. After he completed his transcription, he kept

4455-466: The air. When he attempted to disarm Curly Bill Brocius, the gun discharged, striking White in the abdomen. Wyatt saw the shooting and pistol-whipped Brocius, knocking him unconscious, and arrested him. Wyatt later told his biographer John Flood that he thought Brocius was still armed at the time, and did not see Brocius' pistol on the ground. Brocius waived the preliminary hearing so he and his case could be immediately transferred to Tucson . Wyatt and

4554-514: The bands at Ojo Caliente to San Carlos as well. Victorio and the Chihenne Chiricahuas acquiesced at first. Geronimo , on the other hand, was defiant. Clum hid 100 of his Apache police in the commissary building at Ojo Caliente and on April 21, 1877, they surprised Geronimo, seizing his rifle and throwing him in shackles. Clum's success gave the US Army a black eye; it was the only time Geronimo

4653-802: The cavalry and flee south. Of the more than 1,000 Chiricahuas enumerated in Jeffords' infrequent censuses, only 42 men and 280 women and children accompanied Clum north. The firing of Jeffords and the abolition of the Chiricahua Reservation in southeastern Arizona drove the Chiricahuas deeper into Mexico or over to the Ojo Caliente Reservation in the New Mexico Territory . In April 1877 the Interior Department ordered Clum to remove

4752-463: The conflict has been portrayed with varying degrees of accuracy in numerous Western films and books, and has become an archetype for much of the popular imagery associated with the Old West. Despite its name, the gunfight did not take place within or next to the O.K. Corral , which fronted Allen Street and had a rear entrance lined with horse stalls on Fremont Street. The shootout actually took place in

4851-595: The defendants were shown to have acted lawfully. The gunfight was not the end of the conflict. On December 28, 1881, Virgil was ambushed and maimed in a murder attempt by the Cowboys. On March 18, 1882, a Cowboy fired from a dark alley through the glass door of Campbell & Hatch's saloon and billiard parlor, killing Morgan. The suspects in both incidents furnished alibis supplied by other Cowboys and were not indicted . Wyatt, newly appointed as Deputy U.S. Marshal in Cochise County , then took matters into his own hands in

4950-730: The early period of rapid growth associated with mining, when there were only a few hundred residents. Virgil was appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal shortly before he arrived in town. In the summer of 1880, Morgan and Warren Earp also moved to Tombstone. Wyatt arrived hoping he could leave "lawing" behind. He bought a stagecoach , only to find the business was already very competitive. The Earps invested together in several mining claims and water rights. The Earps were Republicans and Northerners who had never worked as cowmen or ranchers. The Earps quickly came into conflict with Frank and Tom McLaury , Billy and Ike Clanton , Johnny Ringo , and William "Curly Bill" Brocius, among others. They were part of

5049-418: The elements that underlay Tombstone's first Helldorado celebration in 1929—an event orchestrated by one of Tombstone's greatest boosters, editor William Kelly. But soon Kelly was gone and The Epitaph passed into new hands as it continued to cover local news and take on job printing from area clients. The Epitaph and its editor (referred to as "Harris Claibourne") were prominently featured in many episodes of

SECTION 50

#1732905763897

5148-567: The finest and noblest work he had ever done. He was replaced by a series of agents who were renowned for their corruption. Two months later, Victorio, Loco, and 308 other Chiricahuas bolted for New Mexico, killing twelve ranchers before surrendering at Fort Wingate in early October. Clum and his wife moved to Florence , Arizona Territory and bought a weekly newspaper, the Arizona Citizen then operating in Tucson, but he moved it to Florence. For

5247-656: The first mayor of Tombstone , Arizona Territory , after its incorporation in 1881. He also founded the still-operating The Tombstone Epitaph on May 1, 1880. He later served in various postal service positions across the United States. John Clum was born on a farm near Claverack, New York , US. His parents were William Henry and Elizabeth van Deusen Clum of Dutch and German descent ; he had five brothers and three sisters: Henry W. Clum, Jane E. Clum, Cornelia Clum, Sarah E. Clum, George A. Clum, Robert A. Clum, Cornelius N. Clum, and Alfred Clum. In September, 1867, he entered

5346-415: The first shot killing Philpot had been meant for him. John Clum John Philip Clum (September 1, 1851 – May 2, 1932) was an Indian agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory . He implemented a limited form of self-government on the reservation that was so successful that other reservations were closed and their residents moved to San Carlos. Clum later became

5445-552: The following year. By the early 1960s, popular interest in Old West history and western vacations put Tombstone, Arizona, on the map once again. Led by Harold O. Love, of Detroit, Mich., investors purchased The Epitaph , the O. K. Corral, the Crystal Palace, and Schieffelin Hall, and set about to showcase them to Tombstone visitors. As more and more Epitaph visitors expressed interest in learning more about Tombstone and Old West history,

5544-425: The governor, and Wyatt and Behan both wanted the job. The Cochise County sheriff's position was worth more than $ 40,000 a year (equivalent to $ 1.3 million in 2023) because the office holder was also county assessor and tax collector, and the board of supervisors allowed him to keep ten percent of the amounts paid. Behan used his existing position and his superior political connections to successfully lobby for

5643-423: The gunfight and details of the gunfight itself conflict with each other. Newspapers of the day were not above taking sides, and news reporting often editorialized on issues to reflect the publisher's interests. John Clum , publisher of The Tombstone Epitaph , had helped organize a "Committee of Safety" (a vigilance committee ) in Tombstone in late September 1881. He was elected as Tombstone's first mayor under

5742-499: The historical monthly, The Epitaph office in Tombstone's historical district welcomes visitors from 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. Inside of Tombstone's oldest continually operated business, visitors can watch a free video presentation on printing in the 1880s, view a Washington flat bed press on which early issues of The Epitaph were printed, explore a large museum devoted to the era of "hot metal" printing, see rare photographs and other early Tombstone newspapers, and learn much about

5841-402: The lawmen. The stagecoach was fired upon by unknown assailants. The stage didn't carry any mail, cash, or silver, so robbery was an unlikely motive for the attack. Driver Jimmie Harrington was able to outrun the attackers, but he soon had to stop to remove a lead horse that had been shot and was bleeding to death. Clum was certain the hold-up was cover for an attempt to kill him, so didn't reboard

5940-461: The leader, that they would kill us." Among the lawmen involved in the O.K. Corral shooting, only Virgil had any real experience in combat. Virgil had been constable in Prescott and was the deputy United States Marshal in Tombstone. He was appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal for eastern Pima County by U.S. Marshal Crawley Dake , on November 27, 1879, before the Earps arrived in Tombstone on December 1. He

6039-421: The life of John Philip Clum , the frontiersman who started The Epitaph after Tombstone burst on the western mining scene after silver was discovered by Ed Schieffelin in 1877. Subscriptions – $ 25 in the U.S. and $ 50 elsewhere—can be started by visiting The Epitaph's website or by writing to The Tombstone Epitaph , P.O. Box 1880, Tombstone, AZ 85638. In 1975, Tombstone Epitaph, Inc. reached an agreement with

SECTION 60

#1732905763897

6138-575: The mines. Virgil had been hired as Deputy U.S. Marshal for eastern Pima County , with his offices in Tombstone, only days before his arrival. In June 1881 he was also appointed as Tombstone's town marshal (or police chief). Though not universally liked by the townspeople, the Earp brothers tended to protect the interests of the town's business owners and residents; even so, Wyatt helped protect outlaw "Curly Bill" Brocius from being lynched after he accidentally killed Tombstone town marshal Fred White . In contrast, Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan

6237-461: The most reckless class of outlaws in that wild country ... infinitely worse than the ordinary robber." During the 1880s in Cochise County, it was an insult to call a legitimate cattleman a "Cowboy". The Cowboys teamed up for various crimes and came to each other's aid. Virgil thought that some of the Cowboys had met at Charleston and taken "an oath over blood drawn from the arm of Johnny Ringo,

6336-504: The mules on the McLaury's Ranch on Babacomari Creek, northwest of Tombstone, as well as the branding iron used to change the "US" brand to "D8." To avoid bloodshed, Cowboy Frank Patterson promised Hurst they would return the mules and Hurst persuaded the posse to withdraw. Hurst went to nearby Charleston , but the Cowboys showed up two days later without the mules, laughing at Hurst and the Earps. In response, Hurst had printed and distributed

6435-412: The new city charter that year. Clum and his newspaper tended to side with the interests of local business owners and supported Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp. Harry Woods, the publisher of the other major newspaper, The Daily Nugget , was an undersheriff to Behan. He and his newspaper tended to side with Behan, the Cowboys (some of whom were part-time ranchers and landowners) and the rural interests of

6534-475: The new city charter of 1881. While mayor he became lifelong friends with Wyatt Earp and became one of his greatest supporters. In December 1880, his wife Mary had a daughter Elizabeth, called Bessie, but Mary died soon after on December 18, 1880. Elizabeth was sickly and died the following summer. After the gun battle of October 26, 1881 in a vacant lot adjacent to the home and studio of photographer Camillus S. Fly , Ike Clanton filed murder charges and after

6633-561: The newspaper owners decided to split the paper into 2 separate editions—a national historical monthly and a local weekly newspaper. In doing so, the owners felt they could serve the interests of visitors and residents at the same time. In 1975, The Tombstone Epitaph National Edition was launched as "the historical monthly journal of the Old West." Since that time, it has showcased the research of western writers and historians with stories devoted to western exploration, mining and ranching history, outlaw and lawman history, Native American history,

6732-581: The next two years he published editorials criticizing "the Army of Arizona and the political double-crossers in Washington". After silver was discovered in Tombstone in 1877, Clum moved to Tombstone and began publication on Saturday, May 1, 1880 of The Tombstone Epitaph . He organized the "Anti-Chinese League", and a " Vigilance Committee " to end lawlessness in Tombstone, and his association with that group helped get him elected as Tombstone's first mayor under

6831-451: The original document in his home, where it was destroyed in a house fire. The interpersonal conflicts and feuds leading to the gunfight were complex. Each side had strong family ties. The brothers James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan , and Warren Earp were a tight-knit family, working together as lawmen, pimps , and saloon owners in several frontier towns, among other occupations, and had moved together from one town to another. Virgil served in

6930-465: The peaceful pursuits of farming and raising cattle. The Army disliked Clum's actions, as it prevented them from raking off part of the funds that passed through the reservation. Clum tired of the Army's constant meddling in his management of the reservation and the lack of support from the Indian Bureau, the very people who a short time previously had sought him out specifically as a man who would make

7029-408: 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 ordinance was the legal basis for City Marshal Virgil Earp's decision to confront the Cowboys on the day of the shootout. In the borderlands south of Tombstone there was only one passable route between Arizona and Mexico ,

7128-520: The position. He also promised Wyatt a position as his undersheriff if he was appointed over Wyatt. Wyatt withdrew from the political contest and the governor and legislature appointed Behan to the job of Cochise County sheriff on February 10, 1881. Behan reneged on his deal with Earp and appointed Harry Woods as undersheriff instead. Behan said he broke his promise to appoint Earp because Wyatt Earp used Behan's name to threaten Ike Clanton when Wyatt recovered his stolen horse from Clanton. Tensions between

7227-478: The ranchers. Much of what is known of the event is based on month-long preliminary hearings held afterward, generally known as the Spicer hearings . Reporters from both newspapers covered the hearings and recorded the testimony there and at the coroner's inquest , but only the reporter from the Nugget knew shorthand . The testimony recorded by the court recorder and the two newspapers varied greatly. According to

7326-622: The reservation, lost influence when Cochise died on June 8, 1874. In 1876 Jeffords was relieved of his responsibility and on May 3 the government ordered Clum to transfer the Chiricahuas to San Carlos. After waiting in vain for military reinforcements to help with the move, Clum began relocating the tribe in early June. Cochise's sons Taza and Naiche agreed to the move and killed several Chircahuas, including Eskinya, Cochise's trusted ally, when he insisted they go to war. The Nednhi Chirica led by Juh also requested transfer. Clum granted them three days to round up their kinsmen. They used that time to elude

7425-561: The robbery and murder in Skeleton Canyon. Wyatt Earp said in his testimony after the shootout, "I naturally kept my eyes open and did not intend that any of the gang should get the drop on me if I could help it." On July 27, 1880, Pima County Sheriff Charles A. Shibell , whose offices were in the county seat of Tucson, appointed Wyatt Earp as deputy sheriff . On October 28, 1880, Tombstone Marshal Fred White attempted to disarm some late-night revelers who were shooting their pistols in

7524-412: The rural ranchers and Cowboys resented the growing influence of the city residents over county politics and law enforcement. The ranchers largely maintained control of the country outside Tombstone, due in large part to the sympathetic support of Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan , who favored the Cowboys and rural ranchers, and who also grew to intensely dislike the Earps. Behan tended to ignore

7623-424: The saloon girls whom he wanted to take with him. Gordon stormed from the saloon and began firing his revolver into the building. Before Gordon could get off his second shot, Holliday killed him. Holliday was tried for murder but acquitted, mostly based on the testimony of Webb. Holliday had saved Wyatt Earp's life at one time and had become a close friend. He had been living in Prescott, Arizona Territory and making

7722-504: The severed head of Cochinay, a Tonto Apache renegade they had tracked down and killed. He inherited a legacy of violence and mayhem, and a military presence which showed both animosity toward the Indians and disdain for the civilian Indian Agents. To the distant politicians in Washington D.C., all Indians were alike. They did not give consideration to the different tribes, cultures, customs and language. They also ignored prior political differences and military alliances. They tried to apply

7821-426: The shootout determined the shootings were justified, public opinion in Tombstone was with the outlaw Cowboys . The Earps soon left Tombstone, as did Clum, who traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept employment with the U.S. Post Office. Ownership of The Epitaph fell to former political adversaries. After Clum left, The Epitaph remained a going concern, though it could never regain the standing it had prior to 1886,

7920-614: The stage, but walked until he found a horse he could borrow. He got to Benson the next day and then returned to Tombstone. Clum, Wells Fargo Agent Marshall Williams, Justice of the Peace Wells Spicer , mine owner E. B. Gage, attorney Tom Fitch , Oriental Saloon owner Lou Rickabaugh, and the Earps were also threatened. Clum described the attempted murder later. "Yes, I ran away from Tombstone," said Clum. "There were nine of us who were not supposed to get out of Tombstone alive. We received warnings, written in blood. We didn't pay

8019-479: The stage. Paul, in the driver's seat, fired his shotgun and emptied his revolver at the robbers, wounding a Cowboy later identified as Bill Leonard in the groin. Philpot, riding shotgun, and passenger Peter Roerig, riding in the rear dickey seat , were both shot and killed. The horses spooked and Paul was not able to bring the stage under control for almost one mile (1.6 km), leaving the robbers with nothing. Paul, who normally rode shotgun, later said he thought

8118-678: The summer of 1871. Clum read in a newspaper story that the federal War Department in Washington, D.C. was organizing a meteorological service. He applied for and was inducted into the US Army Signal Corps on September 14, 1871, with the rank of Observer Sergeant. Two weeks later he was dispatched to Santa Fe , New Mexico, where he became a weather observer. Clum was first married on Nov. 8, 1876, in Delaware County, Ohio to Mary "Mollie" Ware. Mary died on Dec. 18, 1880, in Tombstone, Arizona, of fever, about one week after giving birth to

8217-412: The year Tombstone's silver boom began to crumble as silver prices fell and the mines filled with water. Subsequent editors predicted a return to the heady days of the 1880s, but such a turnaround in the town's financial fortunes never occurred. Tombstone's future seemed tied to its relatively mild desert climate, the emergence of automobile tourism in the 1920s, and its sometimes violent history. Such were

8316-418: Was a member of Rutgers' football team. Although Clum was on the team, he did not play in the first intercollegiate game between Rutgers and Princeton on November 6, 1869, but played in the second game in the fall of 1870. Clum's strenuous activity and competitive athletics left him ill and in his second year of college he was unable to earn enough money to pay for his tuition. He returned to his father's farm in

8415-548: Was appointed Pima County Deputy Sheriff . He held this position for only three months, until after the election of November 9, 1880, when he resigned. When Virgil was maimed by an assassination attempt, Wyatt was appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal in his place. He held that position until he left Cochise County in April 1882. Wyatt was an imposing, handsome man: blond, 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, weighing 165 to 170 pounds (75 to 77 kg), broad-shouldered, long-armed, and muscular. He had been

8514-662: Was appointed as Tombstone's acting town marshal on September 30, 1880, after popular Tombstone town marshal Fred White was accidentally shot and killed by Brocius. Wyatt had been a deputy city marshal in Kansas, as well as deputy sheriff in Tombstone. Only six weeks later, Virgil ran for the office on November 12, 1880, but lost to Ben Sippy . However, on June 6, 1881, Sippy asked for a two-week leave of absence . The city soon discovered $ 3,000 (equivalent to $ 95,000 in 2023) in financial improprieties in Sippy's records. A few days later Virgil

8613-431: Was appointed as town marshal in his place. At the time of the gunfight, Virgil was both Deputy U.S. Marshal and town marshal. The city suspended him as town marshal after Ike Clanton filed murder charges. After Wyatt first arrived in Tombstone, his business efforts yielded little profit, and he took a job as a stagecoach shotgun messenger for Wells Fargo , guarding shipments of silver bullion. On July 28, 1880, Wyatt

8712-451: Was captured at gunpoint without a shot fired on either side. A total of 453 Chiricahuas, 100 from Geronimo's band and the rest under Victorio, reached San Carlos in late May. From the very beginning they quarreled with the other Apaches confined there. Clum's feuds with the military escalated. Faced with superior officers who strongly disagreed with his methods, dogged by an uncaring Indian Bureau administration and under constant harassment by

8811-411: Was generally sympathetic to the interests of the rural ranchers and members of the loosely organized outlaw group called the Cochise County Cowboys , or simply the Cowboys, to which Brocius belonged. (In that time and region, the term cowboy generally meant an outlaw; legitimate cowmen were instead referred to as cattle herders or ranchers . ) Many of the sources describing the events leading up to

8910-561: Was in charge, and it was his decision to enforce the ordinance that led to the shoot out. His two brothers and Doc Holliday were temporary assistant marshals. The Cowboys were a loosely-connected group of outlaws. In Tombstone at the time of the gunfight were five members of the Cowboys: Billy Claiborne , brothers Ike and Billy Clanton , and brothers Tom and Frank McLaury . During that brief battle, three men were killed, three were wounded, two ran away, and one fought but

9009-537: Was maimed in an assassination attempt and in March Morgan was murdered. On May 1, 1882, two years to the day after he started The Tombstone Epitaph , he sold it and left Tombstone. The newspaper is still published today as a nationally distributed chronicle of the old west. In 1898, Clum was appointed Postal Inspector for the District of Alaska and was commissioned to establish a territorial postal service there. During

9108-485: Was named after his daughter Caro. John Clum left Alaska in 1909. Clum spent several years touring the country for the Southern Pacific Railroad , giving hundreds of lectures all over the country to promote tourism and passenger-use of the railroad. In 1928 he moved to Los Angeles, where he lived until his death in 1932 at age 80. Sam Melville was cast as Clum in the 1970 episode, "Clum's Constabulary", on

9207-415: Was not in it. He called to Ike. 'Get in this, Ike, or get out!' and Ike got out." Clum's friendship with the Earps and loyalty to the business leadership made him a target for the outlaw Cochise County Cowboys . On December 14, Clum was on a stagecoach to Benson to catch a train for Washington, D.C., where he planned to spend Christmas with his parents and son. He and his newspaper had consistently supported

9306-416: Was one of the election judges. Paul finally became sheriff in April 1881, but it was too late to re-appoint Wyatt Earp as deputy sheriff because on February 1, 1881, the eastern portion of Pima County containing Tombstone had been split off into the new Cochise County , which would need its own sheriff, based in the county's largest city, Tombstone. This position was filled by a political appointment from

9405-512: Was temporarily working once again as the Wells Fargo shotgun messenger . He had taken the reins and driver's seat in Contention City because the usual driver, a well-known and popular man named Eli "Bud" Philpot, was ill. Philpot was riding shotgun . Near Drew's Station , just outside Contention City , a man stepped into the road and commanded them to "Hold!" Three Cowboys attempted to rob

9504-466: Was the first run-in between the Clantons and McLaurys and the Earps. On the evening of March 15, 1881, a Kinnear & Company stagecoach carrying $ 26,000 in silver bullion (equivalent to $ 820,000 in 2023) was en route from Tombstone to Benson, Arizona , the nearest freight terminal. Bob Paul , who had run for Pima County Sheriff and was contesting the election he lost due to ballot-stuffing ,

9603-549: Was the result of a long-simmering feud between five outlaws (including two sets of brothers) 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. Among the lawmen were three brothers, Virgil , Wyatt , and Morgan Earp , as well as Wyatt’s close friend Doc Holliday . As Deputy U.S. Marshal and Town Marshal , Virgil

9702-432: Was unexpectedly re-elected. He immediately appointed Johnny Behan as the new deputy sheriff for eastern Pima County, a job that Wyatt wanted. A controversy ensued when Paul uncovered ballot-stuffing by Cowboys and he sued to overturn the election. While San Simeon precinct, east of Tombstone, only had 10 registered voters, Shibell won that precinct with 103 votes to 1. Ike Clanton was the election inspector and Johnny Ringo

9801-449: Was unharmed. The gunfight was not widely known until two years after Wyatt Earp's death, when Stuart Lake published his 1931 Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal . The book was the basis for the 1939 film Frontier Marshal , with Randolph Scott and Cesar Romero, the 1946 film My Darling Clementine , directed by John Ford , and the 1957 film Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , after which the shootout became known by that name. Since then,

#896103