Page 70 - All About History - Issue 12-14

WYATT EARP’S WILD WEST

Cruz started shouting that Wyatt had got what
he wanted and he should leave him alive and send
him back to Tombstone. There was only one place
Wyatt was going to send Cruz – straight to hell.
Drawing his pistol, he placed it to the side of the
assassin’s head and, punctuated only by a final
scream from Cruz, pulled the trigger. A single trail
of gunsmoke from his pistol rose slowly into the
air. One down, three to go.
So, it had been Brocius who had orchestrated the
murder. He should have known that his old enemy
from the OK Corral, was the mastermind behind
his family’s misery. Wyatt and his posse saddled
up and made straight for Brocious’ old prowling
ground, the Whetstone Mountains.
The posse searched the surrounding area for the
next two days, eventually arriving at Iron Springs
in the Whetstone Mountains. The area looked to
be empty when the posse stumbled onto a group
of cowboys cooking dinner alongside the spring.
It took only a split-second for Wyatt to identify
Before he became a lawman, Wyatt Earp was
Brocius and, in a heartbeat, he dismounted from
one of the co-owners of the Oriental Saloon
his horse, grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun

Follow the key events of Wyatt’s vendetta ride

5. Florentino executed in the South Pass NEW MEXICO
Travelling to Pete Spence’s wood camp in the South Pass
of the Dragoon Mountains in search of the murderer, Wyatt 9. Vendetta posse
and his posse discover his accomplice instead, Florentino break up
‘Indian Charlie’ Cruz. Cruz, after confessing who was behind In early-April 1882, Wyatt Earp’s
Morgan’s murder, is executed by Wyatt. posse head east out Arizona,
MEXICO ARIZONA stopping in Silver City, New
Mexico and then Albuquerque.
None of them are ever seen in
6. Outlaws tracked to Tombstone, Arizona again.
Whetstone Mountains
Wyatt, now aware that Morgan’s
murder had been orchestrated 8. Wyatt seeks refuge
1. Frank Stilwell taken by ‘Curly Bill’ Brocius, starts Wanted by Behan’s posse for a
out in Tucson Phoenix what a two-day search of the growing number of killings, the
After escorting his recovering Whetstone Mountains, known Earp posse seek refuge and end
brother Virgil to Tucson so that stomping ground of the outlaw. up at the Sierra Bonita ranch of
he and his wife could leave the wealthy and prominent rancher
state for their own safety, Earp Henry C Hooker.
intercepts would-be assassin
Frank Stilwell and kills him in
the Tucson train yard.
Silver City
3. Vendetta posse
Tucson leave Tombstone
7. Curly Bill taken out Wyatt takes the law into
‘Curly Bill’ Brocius is discovered his own hands, deputising
32km (20mi) west of a posse. He ignores Sheriff
Tombstone with his gang. After Behan’s repeated attempts to
an intense firefight, Brocius is bring him in for the
gunned down by Wyatt. His Stilwell shooting.
other men are either shot or
flee the scene. Tombstone

GULF OF 4. Behan deputises a rival posse 2. The law fails the Earps
Returning to Tombstone, Wyatt
CALIFORNIA Sheriff Behan, whose long-standing feud with watches outlaw cowboys Pete
Wyatt had just been made worse by Wyatt’s
casual dismissal of him as he left town, takes Spence, Frank Stilwell and Florentino
pleasure in assembling his own rival posse to Cruz escape from the law.
bring him and his men in and sets off in pursuit.
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