Page 67 - All About History - Issue 12-14

WYATT EARP’S WILD WEST

had heard. Spence, Stilwell and Cruz were now the
prime suspects in Morgan Earp’s murder.
Tombstone, Arizona, 1881
Duarte was called to testify this in court and
did so, Wyatt looking on from the rear of the
courthouse. However, thanks to the then-antiquated
legal system, Duarte’s testimony was dismissed
because a spouse could not testify against her
husband. Learning of the judge’s decision to free
the men Wyatt knew the law could not be relied on
to bring the outlaws to justice and realised the only
way to put an end to his family’s bloodshed would
be to kill them all himself.
Arrangements were made to escort Virgil and his
wife to the train station in Contention City, which
they were to board on 20 March and leave the state.
Upon arriving, news was received that Frank C
Stilwell and others were hunting Virgil and waiting
in Tucson – the next stop on Virgil’s intended trip
to California – to murder him. As such, Wyatt and
his men remained with Virgil up to Tucson.
4. A double-barrelled death
After two opening revolver shots, one from After spending a night in a nearby hotel before
Billy Clanton one from Virgil, the latter escorting Virgil and his wife to the train the next
hitting Frank McLaury in the stomach, Doc
Holliday moved around Tom McLaury’s morning, Wyatt spotted two figures lying in wait
horse and surprised him with a double-
barrelled shotgun blast. Tom tried to on a nearby flat-car; Frank Stilwell and accomplice
escape down the street but collapsed. 3. Fast on the draw Ike Clanton. Years of experience as a law man
Upon discovering the cowboys
Virgil Earp shouted, “Throw up mixed in with the culminate rage of months of
your hands, I want your guns!”
Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton death, threats and living in fear and Wyatt Earp
moved to draw and cock their ran full speed, shotgun in hand, at the men. Seeing
six-shooters. Virgil yelled, “Hold!
I don’t mean that!” but it was too Wyatt and Doc Holliday approaching, Stilwell and
late and the shooting began. Clanton turned to run, but Stilwell tripped and fell.
Scrambling around in the dust of the Tucson train
yard, Stilwell attempted to regain his footing but it
was too late; Wyatt was on him. A double-barrelled
shotgun pointing directly at his chest at point-blank
range, Stilwell caught a glimpse of the burning
View of the O.K Corral

5. McLaury gunned down
A chaotic exchange of gunfire then
occurred, with Billy Clanton shooting
Morgan Earp across the back, wounding
his shoulder and he himself being hit in
the wrist. Frank McLaury exchanged some
shots with Doc Holliday but was then shot
2. Not OK through the head and killed instantly.
The location of the Shoot-out at the OK
Corral was actually not directly at the
building, but in a narrow lot six doors west
of its rear entrance. When the Earps and
the Clanton gang faced off, they were only
about 1.8m (6ft) from each other.

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