2aguy
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- Jul 19, 2014
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- #41
The night of October 25, 1881, Virgil Earp, John Behan, Ike Clanton and Doc Holliday played five hours of cards and drank and smoked. John Behan, the Deputy Sheriff that had been chosen to replace Wyatt Earp when he resigned November 9, 1880, was not a fan of the Earps. Least of all because he brought Josephine down to Tombstone and she left him for Wyatt Earp. The Earps and Doc Holliday did not like either Behan or Ike Clanton. No one knows what was said at the table. However, on August 13 Old Man Clanton was killed in the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre and rumors circulated Wyatt and Doc Holliday had been involved. He wasnāt but it is highly possible Doc Holliday played that for all it was worth. This is important because Doc Holliday was accused of being involved in a stage coach robbery and the only living witness at the time was Jim Crane was also killed. There is the theory that the Earps worked at one point with or for the Clantons. At any rate this is a two year ordeal.
Ike Clanton walked out with Virgil Earp and started talking crap about Doc Holliday and how he would fight him anywhere. Virgil, city marshal, tells him he is going to bed and not to wake him with any nonsense. Ike Clanton goes back out and goes all over town saying he is going to kill the Earps and Doc Holliday. At some point he gets a hold of his rifle and a revolver and is in a bar-he was allegedly going to leave town. This is where that reference to his dad comes in to play because this is not normal Ike Clanton behavior and, had there not been so many places he was seen, it would not have been believed. Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury regularly came into town and deposited money in the local bank and did business with the butcher. They immediately checked their guns in and stayed the night in whatever hotel because they had to ride back. They were not arrested at any point during any of their stays.
Morgan goes to tell Virgil Ike has a gun and is threatening to kill him. Virgil, Morgan and Wyatt go to find him but they split up with Wyatt going in one direction. Virgil and Morgan find him first. Virgil buffaloes Ike and his guns are confiscated and they take him to the court recorder and send for the judge. Ike is still talking shit and tells them if he had a six shooter he would kill them right there. Morgan and Wyatt both try to hand him his own gun---which Ike doesnāt take. Ike is informed they have him on record six times threatening to kill them. The judge fines Ike $25. Virgil asks Ike where he wants his guns checked in. Ike tells him wherever he can get it back. That guns are subsequently checked in at Ikeās hotel.
Wyatt walks out and runs into Tom McLaury. He slaps Tom with his left hand and buffaloes him with his right. No one could see if Tom had a weapon. It is possible Wyatt did see it and just wanted him to get out of town. Immediately afterwards Tom checks his gun in at the Capital Saloon. He and Ike take off to meet their brothers at Spangenbergās gunsmith. Where everyone buys gunsā¦ā¦ā¦.except Ike. Spangenberg refuses to sell him a gun. The Earps donāt know that at the time and believe everyone is armed.
The Clantons and McLaurys leave the gunsmith and stand in front of Halfordās and everybody does a stare down. They then walk towards the OK Corral stop and talk to each other. A Mr. Sills overhears them talking and goes to find Virgil. Virgil sees John Behan and asks him to get a drink. On the way there a few of the Citizenās Safety Committee ask Virgil if he needs help. Virgil politely declines.They go to Halfordās and Virgil asks Behan to go with him to disarm them. Behan says no and if the Earps go down there will be trouble. Virgil tells Behan if they stay in the OK Corral there wonāt be trouble. You can have your weapons in the livery stables. A guy by the name of William Murry stops Virgil and says he has 25 men that can come ASAP. Behan all of sudden realizes how quick this is about to spiral out of control and goes down to talk to the McLaury and Clanton folks and tells them they need to disarm. Frank McLaury refuses and will only disarm if the Earps disarm. Doc walks out and sees the Earps and they do the walk. Virgil hands Doc his rifle and takes Doc's cane.
Virgil tells them to throw up his hands. Guns are cocked. Two shots are fired almost at the same time. The horses try to bolt. Then more shots are fired. Frank and Billy have been hit but they are not done. Ike, bless his heart, turns around and runs screaming towards Wyatt Earp. Wyatt tells him to fight or go. Ike runs because he is unarmed. He has no gun.
Virgil is ambushed in December as a retaliatory measure and Morgan is murdered in the spring. That is not Chicago by a long shot. This is unusual crap happening. The violence in that area was not happening in Tombstone. It was to the south becauseā¦ā¦ā¦.mofos were stealing cattle from the Mexican ranchers.
Yes......exactly....the gun laws of Tombstone were only followed by law abiding citizens....the criminals obeyed them only when they wanted to....so again, gun control only works on law abiding people....Tombstone showed this...
The bad guys had guns......in violation of the gun laws....exactly as we point out all the time.....