The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-08-05
New Life Dawns On Tombstone's
Courthouse In Arizona As Dead
Mems Saga Bows To Health Quest
BY MURRAY SINCLAIR

sup W AOOh DIT IllGlI Single IlCdQ-
stone in Boothill cemetery.
Free For All Shooting
And the courthouse played its
part in the famous gun battle be-
tween the Earps and the Clan
tons and McLowerys ,one of the
classics of the west.
Wyatt B. carp was a U. S. dep
uty marshal his brother, Virgil.
the marshal of Tombstone. With
another brother, Morgan, and
their friend, Doc Holiday, they
started through the streets of
Tombstone early IN the afternoon
of Sept. 26, 1881. seeking Ike and
Billy Clanton, Frank and Tom
McLowery. There had long been
bad blood between the Earps and
the cowboys.
Outside the abode walls of the
OK. corral the forces faced each
other from 80 feet. Boys, rec
ords quote Virgil as saying,
throw up your hands, / want
you to give up your shooters"
Frank McLowery lowered his
hand. In the next 60 seconds 80
shots roared from blazing six
shooters. Frank McLowery drop
ped dead, with bullet above his
waist. Morgan carp was wound
ed in the shoulder. A blast from
a shotgun hit Tom McLowery be-
meath his right arm. Ike Clan
ton, apparently unarmed, disap-
peared. Billy Clanton dropped
to the ground, mortally wound
ed; then, together with Tom Nc
Lowery, propped himself against
a wall and fired shot after shot.
Virgil was wounded. When the
shooting stopped the McLowery
brothers and Billy Clanton were
dead.
Town Left carp Wyatt
Within a few days Wyatt carp
and Doc Holiday were charged
with murder and arrested. Nor
gan and Virgil carp, confined to
beds with wounds. could not APP
pear in court.
The drama moved to the court
house. Wyatt and Doc Holiday
were given a closed hearing be-
fore justice of the peace Wells
Spicer and ACQUITTED.
Later Morgan carp was shot
from a doorway while playing
pool and killed, Virgil carp was
shot from ambush and seriously
wounded. Wyatt carp and Doc
Holiday left Tombstone.
This courthouse had many
queer affairs to deal with, as in
dictated in a deposition filed by
Wyatt carp in Boston's Suffolk
probate court years later.
Recalling the old days he wrote:
1.-THE next man was killed by a
man named Bradshaw. He killed
his partner. Mcintyre.
A Fatal Question
Bradshaw had kind of funny
looking shirt, a red striped shirt,
and he went out in the street and
everybody was making fun of it
and saying where did you get
that shirt and he got hot over
it and he says, the next man that
kids me about this shirt am 60
ing to KILL
1.-THE next man he met was his
partner and of course he said to
Bradshaw, Where did you get
that shirt and Bradshaw jerked
out his gun and killed him."
The old building looked down
on one of the tensest minutes in
the towns history.
John O'Rourke, called Johnny
behind the-deuce" because of his
habit of backing the tWo-spot in
card games, had, the, records say,
killed a mining engineer by the
name of Henry Schneider in
Charleston. Ariz. Fearing trouble.
Sheriff Geo. McKelvey rushed
O'Rourke to Tombstone with a
gang of 200 irate miners close be-
hind.
Facing The Mob
In Tombstone, Wyatt carp took
over. Virgil and Morgan carp
too kO'Rourke into a building;
Wyatt, grading a shotgun in his
arm. strutted to the center of the
road and waited for the mob.
They stopped a few PAGES away.
Don't make mistake" said
the deputy marshal. Hes facing
the law. I'll cut down any man
who makes a step forward. You
may kill me, but I'll take few
with me before I CO." The crowd
grew silent. the street, was still
for a moment, then those in front
started moving backwards and
the danger was gone. Johnny
behind the-deuce" later broke
Jail and disappeared.
When Tomostone's city fathers
sold the courthouse, they also
their one and only Jail. Now the
place that was once the toughest
town on earth" is jailless. we
don't need one" says Mayor John