Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-23
TALE OF THE BORDER.

Tombstone, a mining center in southeast
srn Arizona, is the grave of moro romano
and adventure, hair breadth escapes ant
deeds of daring than any other region il
America, perhaps Tombstone is about six
teen miles from the Mexican boundary line
and for four or five years was the headquar
tiers of all the leading desperadoes of the
west. The four carp brothers, toughs all
Doc Halliday, Frank and Jack Stillwell, Ike
Clanton and his brother Billy, Jack McLowry
and his brother Bob, Jack Ringo, Bill Dodge
and several gentlemen known as Curly, Slim
Shorty, Texas, Buffalo and similar cogno
mems were frequently seen on the streets to
gether. All had reputation to sustain, and
some were SO eager to do themselves Justice
that they would not rely on the ordinary A
callber revolver, but had the barrels of shot
guns cut of to about a foot in length, end
thus abbreviated, that terrible engine of de
struction, when properly loaded, became O
part of their personal adornment. There
were two factions in southeastern Arizona in
1879, one being known as the stage robbers
and the other IS the rustlers The Earps and
DOC Halliday were the recognized chiefs of
the stage rObber faction, and Ike Clanton
and Jack Ringo were the acknowledged
bosses of the rustlers. The factions came
into frequent conflict. One day the Nc
Lowrys and Frank Stillweu rode into town
and put up their horses at a corral on FIRE.
mont street Just as they emerged from the
corral the Earps and Halliday confronted
them, and in a minute the two McLowrvs.
Billy Clanton and Stillwell were dead. Word
was sent TO their friends, who were canned
in the Huachuoa mountains, and they pre-
pared TO march to Tombstone in force to
clean out the Earps. The Earps recruited
and fortified in an adobe building in the west
end OF the town. The rustlers, thirty strong.
under command of Ike Clanton and Jack
Ringo, marched to town and took I'D head
quarters in q corral at the extreme end Of the
town.
The writer Of this was the city editor of
tombstone paper at the time, and he visited
both tho camps daily, and was mado the me-
dunn of communication between the leaders.
The rustlers circulated through the town.
and the carp, or stage robber faction, con-
lined 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 nose
carp sent back invitations 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 were on the verge of a.
thirst famine Warren carp, one of the
brothers, heeled himself properly with two
revolvers and a shotgun, and walked uptown
one evening about s o'clock. He went into
saloon, took a drink at the bar and walked
back to the faro department in the rear. He
hadn't bucked the tiger in five days and his
of the dealer, pulled out handful of $50 gold
pieces and coppered the queen. Just as hs
did so a report was heard, and Warren carp
fell OFF his stool dead A bullet had pene-
trated 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. The casualties were meager,
only three killed and two wounded. The
Earps retreated and skipped the town. When
they had left, and there was no hope of catch
ing them, the sheriff of Cochise county be-
came energetic. He organized posses to give
pursuit that subsequently cost the tax payers
of the county $1,000. The Earps being alb
sent, sympathy, of course, was against them,
and they went to Colorado, where they re-
manned for some time and then went to Cali
fornia. The rustlers then had supreme com
mand of the tough element of Tombstone
and they held it until the leaders querreled
and gradually killed each other
The hates Of the factions in those days were
something appalling. All the tough element
had DO take sides, but the respectable portion
of the community was never bothered The
rustlers 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 in Mexico. and
stole in Mexico and sold in California. They
spent the proceeds of their forays in Tomb
stone. They were a royal set of thieves.
When they were flush they scorned to drink
anything but Roeder or Pommery sec and
the markets We're Quilted to provide them
with Injuries The leader of the gang, Ike J
Clanton, was a handsome fellow, six feet
high, with yellow curling locks, and a COM
plexion, in spite of the Arizona sun and reell- I
lar exposure, that belle would envy He |
was a ready and straight shooter. He faced |
death hundred times and met it at last lie I
hated the carp brothers with al the intensity /
Of an un6ridled passion, and loved their sis
ter with equal force. Jessie carp was a .
beautiful girl Of 10 at the time. She had the |
courage and grace Of her brothers, and was.
of course, partisan of theirs in the fractional
fight, without being in sympathy with their
habits OF life and career Of rapine and muir
der. Ike Clanton and Jessie carp met at
dance at Tombstone. Ike and the carp boys
were then at war and carried guns cooked
and primed fer each other Between Ike and
Jessie it was a case of love ct first sight Her /
brothers became furious when they heard il,
and Virgil, the Oldest of the family and the
Keeper OF the family headquarters wanted TO
turn her out OF the house and disown her
But Wyatt, the brains Of the family, said
this would ne playing into The hands of the
arch enemy, ClantOa he would immediately
marry her and both would be happy. This
would not suit the ESIy's, and they resolved
to keep the girl away from Clanton and pre-
vent meeting or communication between
them if possible
The girl was real heroine. She was esiu
Gated in California convent; and while IS
full OF romance as aa egg Is OF meat, she had
a sense of honor that made her sustain her
family in the quarrel With the faction If
which her lover was chief 1t was a marvel
TO many people why the Canton gang cid
not attack the carp headquarters Immediate
l. after reaching Tombstone TO revenge the
death Of the AcLowTy BOYS and Billy Clan !
ton The reason was that Jessie was CGI. !
fined in her brothers headquarters. snd
Clanton would Lot run the risk OF killing
her. When the EarPs retraa.ed from Tomb !
tone they took their sister with them. This
''as the reason, perhaps, why Clanton re
used &c become a member Of the sheritI5s
POSSE and join in the pursuit Of his eneuY.
Three months later, however. when the
larps were living at Gunpison, Colo, and, Of