The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-04-17
TALK OF THE BORDER.


eastern Arizona, is the grave of more
romance and adventure, hair breadth
escapes and deeds Of daring than any
other region in America, perhaps.
Tombstone is about sixteen miles from
the Mexican boundary line, and for
four or FIVE years was the headquarters
of all the leading desperadoes Of tho
west. The four carp brother, toughs
all; Doc. Halliday, Frank and Jack
Stillwel1, Ike Clanton and his brother
Billy, Jack McLowry and his brother
Bob. Jack Ringo, Bill Dodge and sew
eral gentlemen known at Curly, Slim,
Shorty, Texas, Buffalo and similar
cognOmens were frequently seen on the
streets together. All had areputation
to sustain, and some were so eager to
do themselves justice that they would
not rely on the ordinary .44 caliber re-
volver, but had the barrels of shot-guns
cut off to about a foot In length, and,
thus abbreviated, that terrible engine
Of destruction, when properly loaded,
became 8 part Of their personal adorn-
ment. There were two factions In
southeastern Arizona in 1879, one be-
ing known as the stage robbers and the
other as the rustlers. The Earps and
Doc Halliday were the recognized chiefs
Of the stage robber faction, and Ike
Clanton and Jack Ringo were tho ac-
knowledged bosses of the rustlers. The
factions came into frequent conflict.
One day the McLowrys and Frank
Stillwell rode into town and put up
their horses at corral on Fremont
street. just as they emerged from the
corral the Earps and Halliday confront
ed them, and in a minute the two Nc
Lowrys, Billy Clanton and Stillwell
were dead. Word was sent to their
friends, who were camped in the Hua-
chuca mountains, and they prepared to
march to Tombstone in force to clean
oat the Earps. The Earps recruited
and fortified In an adobe building in
the west end Of the town. The rustl-
ers, thirty strong, under command Of
Ike ClantOn and Jack Ringo, marched
to town and took up Headquarters in a
corral at the extreme end Of the town.
The writer Of this was the city editor
of a Tombstone paper at the time, and
he visited both the camps daily, and
was made tho medium of communica-
tion between the leaders. The rustlers
circulated through the town, and the
carp, or stage robber faction, confined
themselves to their camp. Ike Clan
ton, the rustler, leader, sent several
messages to Wyatt carp, the leader of
that faction, daring him to come out
and show his noso carp sent back in
vitations to Clanton to come and visit
him. This thing continued for three
days, and at last the Earps began to
get tired-in fact, their liquor was ex-
hausted and they we're on the verge of
Il thirst famine. Warren carp, one of
the brothers, hceled himself properly
with two revolvers and a shotgun, and
walked uptown one evening about s
O'Clock. lie went into saloon, took q
drink at the bar and walked back to the
faro department. in the rear. He hadn't
bucked tho tiger in five days and his
appetite was whetted. He sat down
i'll front Of the dealer, pulled out q
handful Of $50 gold pieces and copper.
cd the queen. just as he did so q re-
port was heard, and Warren carp fell
off his stool dead. A bullet had pene.
tratcd his brain. When the report Of
his death reached his friends they rallied
out in force. They were met by the
Clanton party on Allen street, and an
exchange Of shots took place. Tho
casualties wcre ncager, only three
killed and two wounded. The Earps
retrcated and skipped tho town. When
they had loft, and there was no hope Of
catching them, tho sheriff of Cochise
county became energetic. He organ
lied passes to give pursuit that subse-
quentiy cost the tax payers of the
county $1,000 The Earps being ab.
sent, sympathy, of course, was against
them, and they went to Colorado.
where they remained for some time
and then went to California. Tie
rustlers then had supreme command of
the tough element Of Tombstone, and
they heldit until the leaders q,larreled
and gradually killed each other.
The hates Of the factions in those
days were something appalling. Ali
ths tough clement iihad Ito take sides.
but the respectable portion offthe con-.
mnanity was, never bothered. The rustl.
crs were cattle thieves. They stole cat.
tie in New Mexico and sold them in
Texas; they stole In Texas and sold in
Arizona; they stole in Arizona and sold
iD Mexico. and stole in Mexico and sold