Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-12-04
TALE OF TIE BORDER.

and adventure, hair breadth escapes and
deeds OF daring than any other region in
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 I;
Doc Halliday, Frank and Jack Stillwell, Ike
Clanton and his brother Billy, Jack McLowry
and his brother Bob, Jack Rfngo, Bill Dodge
and several gentlemen known as Curly, Slim,
Shorty, Texas, Buffalo and similar cogno-
mems were frequently seen ON the streets to-
gethcr. All had reputation to sustain, and
some were so eager to do themselves justice
that they would not rely ON the ordinary "A
calibcr revolver, but had the barrels Of shot
guns cut of to about foot IN length, ind,
thus abbreviated, that terrible engine Of de-
struction, when properly loaded, became
part of their personal adornment. There
were two factions in southeastern Arizona In
1870 one being 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 Rihgo were the acknowledged
bosses of the rustlers. Tho factions came
into frequent conflict. One day the Nc
Lowrys and Frank Stillwell rode into town
and put up their horses at a corral on Ere
mont street. Just as they emerged from the
corral the Earps and Halliday confronted
them, and IN a minute the two McLowrys,
Billy Clanton and Stllwell were dead Word
was sent to their friends, who were camped
in the Huachuca mountains, and they pre-
pared TO march 10 Tombstone in force to
clean out tho 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 up head
quarters in 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 the camps daily, and was made the me-
dunn Of communication between the leaders.
The rustlers circulated through the town,
and the carp, or stage robber faction, con-
fined themselves to their camp. Ike Clam
ton, the rustlrr 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 n
thirst famine. Warren carp, one of the
brothers, heeled himself properly with two
reyolvers and II shotgun, and walked uptown
one evening about o'clock. He went into a
saloon, took "a drink at the bar and walked
hack TO the faro department in the rear. He
hadn't buckcd the tiger In five days and his
appetite was whetted. He sat down in front
of the dealer, pulled out handful of $40 gold
pieces and coppered tho queen Just as he
did so 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 tho Clanton party
on Alton street, and an exchange of shots
took place. The casualties were meager,
only three killed and two wounded The
Earps reiterated 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 Quarreed
and gradually killed each other
The hates of the factions in those days were
something appalling, All the tough element
had to 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 We're a royal set of thieves,
When they were flush they scorned to drink
anything but Roeder or Pommery sec, and
tho markets were Quilted to provide them
with iuxuries. The leader of the gang. Ike
Clanton, was n handsome fellow, six feet
high, with yellow curling locks, and a COM
plexon, in spite of the Arizona sun and regu-
lar exposure, that a belle would envy. He
was II ready and straight shooter. He faced
death n hundred times and met it at last. He
hated the carp brothers with all the intensity
of an unbridled passion, and loved their sis
ter with equal force. Jessie carp was
beautiful girl of 10 ut the time. She had the
courage and grace of her brothers, and was,
OF course, IA 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 a
dance at Tombstone. Ike and the carp boys
were then at war and carried guns cooked
and primed for each other Between Ike and
Jessie it WIS a case of love at fira sight Her
brothers became furious when they heard it,
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 I've playing into the hands of the
arch enemy, Clanton. He would Immediately
marry her and both would be happy. This
would not suit the Earps, and they resolved
to keep the girl away from Clanton and pre-
vent meeting or communication between
them ii possible
The girl was real heroine She was edu-
Gated IN California convent; and while as
fun of romance as an egg is of meat, she had
a sense of honor that made her sustain her
family in the quarrel with the faction of
which her lover was chief. Il was marvel
TO many people why the Clanton gang did
not attack the carp headquarters Immediate
~ after reaching Tombstone TO revenge the
death of the McIowry boys and Billy Clan
ton. The reason was thiA Jessie was con-
fined in her brothers headquarters, and
Clanton would not run the risk of killing
her. When the Earps retreated from Tomb
stone they took their sister with them. This
was the reason, perhaps, why Clanton re-
fused TO become n member Of the sheriffs
posse and join in the pursuit of his enemy.
Three months later, however, when the
Earps were living at Gmnison, Colo, and, Of
course, were running the town, their sister
mysteriously disappeared one night. The re-
suit of inquiry convinced them that she had
He'd tn company with Ike Clanton- This was
pouring salt and vinegar into their fostering
wounds The whole band, comprising vir-