Standoff at the Waterin Horse Saloon

---

Wyatt knew he must choose trustworthy men who would not be intimidated by further threats or acts of violence by the Cowboys, the group of alleged rustlers who had lost three of their own Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury in the October 26, , street fight with three Earps Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan and Doc Holliday. The possemen not only would help Deputy U. Marshal Wyatt Earp enforce the law but also would act as bodyguards for the Earp brothers Warren, as well as Morgan and Virgil and their wives.

Doc Holliday, a gambler, a lunger and a diehard friend, continued to stand by Wyatt during these dark days, and now the deputy marshal gathered some more help — gunmen who had mysterious, if not dubious, backgrounds and tough reputations. A carpenter by trade who was said to have hailed from Virginia not Texas , Vermillion gave his age as 36 in He had arrived in Tombstone from New Mexico Territory and had proved his worth to the Earps after the June town fire, when he was deputized by Virgil to help keep lot jumpers at bay.

Here was a man who could enforce the law in times of trouble. Born in Galena, Ill. Stationed in El Paso, he tracked renegade Indians, chased horse thieves, and acted as a scout for the 9th Cavalry, which was situated nearby. To further complicate matters, Sherman was also accused of army mule theft and stage robbery in company with the infamous Cowboy Pony Diehl. Although these charges were never proved, Wyatt admitted that McMaster had been friendly with the Cowboy element, and he was, therefore, able to make use of his inside knowledge.

He is thought by some to have been an undercover operative for not only Earp but also Wells Fargo. Perhaps the most dangerous man deputized by Wyatt Earp was Jack Johnson. He was 34 in and had a unique reason for joining the posse. A native of Missouri who was raised in the lead mining area of Neosho, he became a wanted man and was forced to flee the state in after he and his brothers were involved in a violent street battle in Webb City, Mo. John Blount, using the alias Jack Johnson, then went to Tombstone to see if Wyatt Earp could help get his brother pardoned.

Indeed, Wyatt assisted with a petition to the governor, and Bud Blount was eventually freed. As a way to repay his debt, Johnson joined the posse. Johnson was also said to have previously associated with the Cowboys and therefore, like McMaster, was able to pass on important inside information. Smith, a year-old native of Connecticut, had a close and long connection to the Earp family.

Charlie was fluent in Spanish, having spent several years in Texas working in saloons. In Fort Worth he had been associated with barman James Earp, the oldest of the Earp boys, as well as saloon owner and future Earp business partner Robert J. Smith took a hand in at least two Fort Worth gunfights and sustained a serious chest wound in The following year, Smith came to Tombstone with Winders and immediately became associated with all the Earps. Tipton, also 37, arrived in Tombstone in March with a shady reputation earned during the early days of the mining boom in Virginia City, Nev.

Tipton, who sported several tattoos on his hands and forearms, was a former Civil War Union seaman who took up mining and gambling after the war. Tipton was said to have traveled to Tombstone in the company of another Earp ally, Bat Masterson. By the time of the serious trouble with the Cowboys in October , Masterson had left Tombstone, but Tipton was still there supporting the Earp faction.

Tombstone was a powder keg, and Wyatt knew there was safety in numbers. The men faced off with their hands on their revolvers, but a town deputy prevented them from taking matters any further.

Wyatt Earp Articles

On the same day, gambler and Earp ally Lou Rickabaugh came to blows with Ben Maynard, a Cowboy associate, but they were separated before weapons could be used. After spending the first half of January watching out for Cowboys and watching over his injured brother, who had lost the use of his left arm but would survive, Wyatt Earp decided it was time for action. On the ride, they arrested the fiery Maynard and forced him to lead the way as they descended on the nearby Cowboy hangout of Charleston. The posse went door to door in Charleston but failed to find the Clantons or Diehl.

After riding out of town, the men scouted through the countryside, eventually setting up a camp near Tombstone at a place known as Pick-em-up. Unbeknown to Wyatt, the Clanton brothers had surrendered themselves and were already back in Tombstone. No resistance was offered, and the entire Earp posse returned to Tombstone, where McMaster was bailed, and he and Charlie Smith booked into the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Courtroom dramas dominated the Tombstone newspapers throughout February , as both factions sought justice through the legal system. Corral shootout, but these charges were later dismissed. Tipton was left with a bloody eye, and both men were fined. Two days later, the Earp posse was riding again.

Heavily armed, they left Tombstone with warrants for the arrest of Pony Diehl, who was now wanted for a January stage robbery. That expedition proved fruitless, and Wyatt and his men eventually returned empty-handed to town.

Chinese coast guard intervenes as Indonesia arrests illegal fishermen

As March progressed, an uneasy quiet fell over Tombstone. Wyatt and his men had heard that the Cowboys were plotting more revenge attacks, but no one knew for sure when, or where, the attacks would take place. There seemed to be an air of inevitability about further violence occurring. Tipton would later state that members of the Earp faction had been repeatedly warned to be on the lookout for a Cowboy ambush, and on March 18, it finally came. At about 11 p. As Morgan turned his back to a rear door to play a shot, gunshots tore through the door widows and struck him in the back.

Morgan collapsed at the scene and died within the hour. The cowardly assassination of his brother was a turning point for Earp and his posse. The wives of James and Wyatt, Bessie and Mattie, would follow five days later. Wyatt and his men then escorted Virgil and his wife, Allie, to the train station at Contention. The original plan was to see them safely as far as Benson, but reports came in that Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell had been seen in Tucson. A passenger later commented that the men carried pistols, rifles and shotguns and that McMaster wore two belts of cartridges. At the end of the meal, the rest of the group helped Virgil and Allie back onto the westbound train.

At that point, two men thought to be Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell were seen lying on nearby flatcars with guns pointed at the train. Wyatt quickly alighted from the train and moved quietly between the cars. He would later claim that both men saw him and ran. Wyatt chased hard after the men, who separated among the rail cars.

McMaster, Holliday and Johnson also gave chase. A railroad fireman testified that he saw one man running along the tracks followed by four armed pursuers. Wyatt claimed that he caught up with one would-be assassin and fired both barrels of his shotgun when the man made a grab for it.

The remaining posse members then arrived at the bloody scene and proceeded to fire more shots into the corpse. The dead man was Frank Stilwell. A witness would later say that he heard six to 10 shots and at the same time heard men cheering. They had wanted to send a clear message to Ike Clanton and the other Cowboys: There would be no more attempted arrests from now on; Wyatt and his men would dispense their own law.

Having no luck, they then walked in the darkness to the Papago station, where they hopped a freight train and rode back to Benson. The posse then rode back to Tombstone and immediately went to the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Later that day, Charlie Smith and Dan Tipton joined them, and plans were made to again leave town. A telegram sent to Sheriff John Behan in Tombstone advised him that his deputy had been murdered and asked him to detain the men responsible.

When Behan arrived at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, he found Earp and his posse walking through the lobby to the street, armed to the teeth and in no mood to chat. Behan approached the group and said he wanted to see Wyatt, but all the men brushed past him. He and his men strode on to a nearby corral, where they mounted their horses and rode defiantly out of Tombstone. After spending that night in a camp outside of town, the Earp posse rode hard in the direction of the Dragoon Mountains. Spence had judiciously surrendered in Tombstone, and an Indian known as Hank had already been arrested.

Get to Know Us. English Choose a language for shopping. Amazon Music Stream millions of songs. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon.

Wyatt Earp Facts

Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web. AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally. Amazon Inspire Digital Educational Resources. Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go. Amazon Restaurants Food delivery from local restaurants.

Similar authors to follow

ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics. East Dane Designer Men's Fashion. Neighbouring nations dispute this. Log in No account?

Sign up Log out news. News Corp Australia Network March 21, 8: Who's who in the South China Sea dispute 1: US military to use radios clipped to teeth.

• Inventividade Prática e Rápida! (Portuguese Edition)
• Grant Us Courage: Travels Along the Mainline of American Protestantism
• Whose Voice Are You Listening To?
• Words of Ajaan Lee
• Our Friends, The Fed: Theres Something Funny bout the Guys Who Control Our Money