TOMBSTONE, Arizona-The story of one of history’s most famous Wild West gunfights is clouded with many rumors and differing accounts.
Wyatt Earp, formerly marshal of Kansas City, moved to the silver mine town in 1879 with his wife and brothers, Virgil, US Marshal and Morgan, to barkeep at the Alhambra saloon. Wyatt was appointed Deputy Sheriff when Tombstone’s population doubled and the lawlessness with it.
Soon after taking on his new position, Wyatt began butting heads with Johnny Behan, who also wanted to be the law in Tombstone. Behan was friends with a group called The Cowboys, a group of ranchers that were mostly honest but had cattle rustlers as well, including brothers Tom and Frank McLaury and Ike and Billy Clanton.
“Doc” Holliday, a former dentist turned professional gambler, was friends with the Earp brothers. Behan accused Holliday of taking part in a stagecoach robbery in mid-October. To make matters worse, bad blood existed between the Earps and the Clantons.
On the evening of Oct. 25, Holliday overheard Ike making threats against himself and the Earps at the Alhambra. He confronted Ike and attempted to goad him into a gunfight. Ike remarked he was unarmed, and Holliday tried to put a gun in Ike’s hands to justifiably shoot him. The two went outside of the saloon and met with now-deputized US marshal Morgan and Virgil. Wyatt was also outside, and Ike told him he would have him “man for man” the next day. Ike returned to the saloon and played cards all night, ironically with Behan and Virgil.
The next day, a still-drunk Ike paraded through Tombstone with a rifle, threatening to shoot the first Earp he saw. Virgil caught up with him, disarmed him and brought him to court. Ike was ordered to give up his rifle and pay a $25 fine. Ike threatened revenge on the Earps, and Wyatt responded to him: “If you’re so anxious to make a fight, I will go anywhere on Earth to make a fight with you.”
Tom McLaury intercepted Wyatt as he left the courthouse and the Earp brother, still upset about Ike, tried to pick a fight. Tom said he was unarmed and Wyatt pistol-whipped him and left.
Later that afternoon, the Clantons and McLaurys met at the OK Corral, planning to leave town but still threatening the Earps. The three Earp brothers walked through to town towards the corral, planning to disarm the rogue Cowboys. Behan failed to convince the party to forget their plan and also could not disarm the Clantons and McLaurys.
After the Earp party reached OK Corral and saw no one was there, the Clanton and McLaury brothers met up with them in the alley by Fly’s Photo Shop on Fremont Street. Frank McLaury was shot first by Virgil, then Billy Clanton. Billy managed to shoot Morgan, who continued firing, then Virgil. Tom was also shot. Holliday took a bullet from Frank before he died. Ike was not shot and was seen running through Fly’s and disappeared from town. In all, 30 bullets were fired in 30 seconds.
Behan arrested Holliday and Wyatt Earp on Nov. 4 for murder, but was exonerated by Judge Wells Spicer. In December Virgil was shot in the back of the left arm. Ike’s hat was found at the scene.
Morgan was shot in the back in March of 1882 in front of his brother Wyatt, who later confronted the gunman and killed him. Wyatt and his wife fled to Alaska and eventually settled in California. Holliday died in 1882 of tuberculosis in Colorado.
Ike Clanton was fatally shot June 1, 1887, by detective Jonas V. Brighton for cattle-rustling with his brother, Phineas Clanton.
Compiled by Joel C. Theriault