JOHN CLUM & THE GUNFIGHT NEAR THE O.K. CORRAL
Near the end of his long life, John Clum wrote about the gunfight, and he did so echoing much of the coverage that the Epitaph had offered when the event had taken place. Referring to Wyatt Earp, Clum wrote, “…only once during the entire time he was a resident of Tombstone did he bring his deadly six-shooter into effective action against a foe, and that was on the afternoon of October 26, 1881, with the Clantons and McLowerys.
“The Clanton clan had a ‘ranch’ west from Tombstone in the San Pedro Valley which was headquarters for the outlaws in that section, and which served as a sort of clearing-house for the cattle stolen in Mexico by the rustlers and smuggled across the line [border between the US and Mexico] down that Valley. ‘Old Man Clanton’ had been killed on one of his cattle-rustling raids into Mexico.
“The McLowery brothers had a ‘ranch’ about 25 miles east from Tombstone in the Sulphur Springs valley, where they harbored and fed the cattle thieves and other desperados of that locality, and looked after the interests of those rustlers who ‘imported’ their stolen stock by way of Agua Prieta. Each of these two ‘ranches’ was recognized as a rendezvous and asylum for as tough an assortment of cattle thieves, stage robbers, murderers and all-around crooks and criminals as ever assembled on any frontier.
“I had no positive evidence, but I felt justified in believing that Ike had sent word to the clan that he was starting out single-handed to kill a few members of the Earp family, and that upon receipt of this information Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLowery rushed to his assistance in the city.” Although he admitted that he had no proof of this, Clum would still hold to his theory, assuming into the historical record details that bolstered his defense of the Earps.
This error was later repeated by Wyatt Earp as well, who stated that “Ike’s next move was to telegraph to Charleston, ten miles away, for Billy Clanton, Tom McLowery, Frank McLowery…hard men, every one.” Although Tom McLaury was already in town, Earp would offer a dramatic version of the arrival of Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton. “They came galloping into town, loaded up with ammunition and swearing to kill us off in short order.”
Clum shared his thoughts on Ike Clanton, whose behavior was difficult for anyone to defend, offering a more solid defense of the Earps than in his more presumptive writings. In the hours before the gunfight on October 26th Clum saw Ike on the street, though he had yet to learn of the escalating tensions. In one of the lighter moments of the day, Clum greeted Clanton, saying, “Hello Ike! Any new war?” Ike would deflect Clum’s query, saying “Oh, nothing in particular.” Ike had busied himself in telling those who would listen about his anger toward the Earps and Doc Holliday, but spared Clum the same. This wasn’t surprising considering Clum’s well-known good will toward the Earps.
Clum further offered his view of the cowboy element in the context of those times. “These well-known leaders of the rustlers came to Tombstone and defied our laws and the officers we had appointed to enforce those laws. Not only that, but Ike Clanton had actually appeared upon our streets that day carrying a rifle in his hands and had declared that he intended to kill our Chief of Police on sight. I, myself, saw Ike holding the rifle as he was standing at one of the principal street intersections, and spoke to him only a few moments before he was arrested, as heretofore stated.”
“The Clanton clan had a ‘ranch’ west from Tombstone in the San Pedro Valley which was headquarters for the outlaws in that section, and which served as a sort of clearing-house for the cattle stolen in Mexico by the rustlers and smuggled across the line [border between the US and Mexico] down that Valley. ‘Old Man Clanton’ had been killed on one of his cattle-rustling raids into Mexico.
“The McLowery brothers had a ‘ranch’ about 25 miles east from Tombstone in the Sulphur Springs valley, where they harbored and fed the cattle thieves and other desperados of that locality, and looked after the interests of those rustlers who ‘imported’ their stolen stock by way of Agua Prieta. Each of these two ‘ranches’ was recognized as a rendezvous and asylum for as tough an assortment of cattle thieves, stage robbers, murderers and all-around crooks and criminals as ever assembled on any frontier.
“I had no positive evidence, but I felt justified in believing that Ike had sent word to the clan that he was starting out single-handed to kill a few members of the Earp family, and that upon receipt of this information Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLowery rushed to his assistance in the city.” Although he admitted that he had no proof of this, Clum would still hold to his theory, assuming into the historical record details that bolstered his defense of the Earps.
This error was later repeated by Wyatt Earp as well, who stated that “Ike’s next move was to telegraph to Charleston, ten miles away, for Billy Clanton, Tom McLowery, Frank McLowery…hard men, every one.” Although Tom McLaury was already in town, Earp would offer a dramatic version of the arrival of Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton. “They came galloping into town, loaded up with ammunition and swearing to kill us off in short order.”
Clum shared his thoughts on Ike Clanton, whose behavior was difficult for anyone to defend, offering a more solid defense of the Earps than in his more presumptive writings. In the hours before the gunfight on October 26th Clum saw Ike on the street, though he had yet to learn of the escalating tensions. In one of the lighter moments of the day, Clum greeted Clanton, saying, “Hello Ike! Any new war?” Ike would deflect Clum’s query, saying “Oh, nothing in particular.” Ike had busied himself in telling those who would listen about his anger toward the Earps and Doc Holliday, but spared Clum the same. This wasn’t surprising considering Clum’s well-known good will toward the Earps.
Clum further offered his view of the cowboy element in the context of those times. “These well-known leaders of the rustlers came to Tombstone and defied our laws and the officers we had appointed to enforce those laws. Not only that, but Ike Clanton had actually appeared upon our streets that day carrying a rifle in his hands and had declared that he intended to kill our Chief of Police on sight. I, myself, saw Ike holding the rifle as he was standing at one of the principal street intersections, and spoke to him only a few moments before he was arrested, as heretofore stated.”
Clum had left his Epitaph Office on Fremont, and headed for a lunch at the Grand Hotel on Allen Street. While en route crossing Fourth Street, he saw Charlie Shibell, former Pima County Sheriff. At one time Shibell had hired Wyatt Earp as a Deputy Sheriff for Tombstone and its environs.
“I had not proceeded more than a half-dozen paces on Fourth Street when I met Charlie Shibell,” Clum wrote. Shibell had “just come in from Tucson…Within a moment or two Virgil and Morgan Earp swung around the corner from Fremont Street and walked swiftly past us on Fourth Street – each with a six shooter in his hand.” Concerned, Shibell then asked Clum “What does that mean?” “Looks like real trouble,” Clum replied.
Clum added that these “outlaws from the ‘ranches’ – Ike and Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLowery (and Billy Claybourne [Claiborne] was with them) refused to surrender their arms when ordered to do so by Sheriff Behan, in person, and determined to carry on with their desperate and deadly plan to shoot it out with the police – and they did.”
He added, “The fight took place in a broad street and in broad daylight…That Virgil and Morgan Earp were not killed was not due to any lack of deadly purpose on the part of the rustlers. The bullets that wounded these two officers were fired with the most determined purpose to kill…They had come from their ‘ranches’ to the City of Tombstone for that purpose. Shortly after their arrival in Tombstone that day they had purchased additional ammunition with which to shoot to kill, and that deadly purpose was uppermost in their minds when they refused to surrender their arms to Sheriff Behan a very short time before the fight.”
Clum is correct that Frank McLaury refused to allow Sheriff Behan to disarm him. But Clum went further than this established fact. Clum claimed he knew the cowboys’ intent to murder the Earp party as they gathered near the Harwood House, because he claimed that Frank McClaury and Billy Clanton “…had come from their ‘ranches’ to the City of Tombstone for that purpose.” Clum was of the mind that Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury were traveling to Tombstone with prior knowledge from Ike Clanton of the trouble with the Earps that had already taken place, further asserting his belief that they had conceived of a plan before arriving in Tombstone to shoot the Earps.
But this would mean that instead of Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury being surprised by the tension on Tombstone’s streets when they arrived, they already knew of the dangers and were planning to escalate the situation, rather than diffuse it.
Arguing against this is Frank McLaury’s reaction when he was told that Wyatt Earp had struck his brother Tom. Frank asked Billy Allen, “What did he hit Tom for?” This would indicate that he had no prior knowledge of the troubles with the Earps. When Billy said that he didn’t know, Frank’s next reaction was to ignore the drinks that had just been served. “We won’t drink…I will get the boys out of town.” This statement does not seem indicative of a man who traveled to town with the intent of killing the Earps, or who had made a ten mile trip to Tombstone only to turn around and leave. Based on this, Clum may have been a poor judge of what was “uppermost in their minds.”
While discussing events that led up to the shooting, the Nugget account acknowledged the threats made against the Earps, but added, “Still, nothing occurred to indicate that any such threats would be carried into execution.” This is not to ignore witness testimony that threats were made against the Earps by the cowboys on the street, before they arrived next to Fly’s boarding house where the fight began, a group which included later arrivals Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton.
“I had not proceeded more than a half-dozen paces on Fourth Street when I met Charlie Shibell,” Clum wrote. Shibell had “just come in from Tucson…Within a moment or two Virgil and Morgan Earp swung around the corner from Fremont Street and walked swiftly past us on Fourth Street – each with a six shooter in his hand.” Concerned, Shibell then asked Clum “What does that mean?” “Looks like real trouble,” Clum replied.
Clum added that these “outlaws from the ‘ranches’ – Ike and Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLowery (and Billy Claybourne [Claiborne] was with them) refused to surrender their arms when ordered to do so by Sheriff Behan, in person, and determined to carry on with their desperate and deadly plan to shoot it out with the police – and they did.”
He added, “The fight took place in a broad street and in broad daylight…That Virgil and Morgan Earp were not killed was not due to any lack of deadly purpose on the part of the rustlers. The bullets that wounded these two officers were fired with the most determined purpose to kill…They had come from their ‘ranches’ to the City of Tombstone for that purpose. Shortly after their arrival in Tombstone that day they had purchased additional ammunition with which to shoot to kill, and that deadly purpose was uppermost in their minds when they refused to surrender their arms to Sheriff Behan a very short time before the fight.”
Clum is correct that Frank McLaury refused to allow Sheriff Behan to disarm him. But Clum went further than this established fact. Clum claimed he knew the cowboys’ intent to murder the Earp party as they gathered near the Harwood House, because he claimed that Frank McClaury and Billy Clanton “…had come from their ‘ranches’ to the City of Tombstone for that purpose.” Clum was of the mind that Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury were traveling to Tombstone with prior knowledge from Ike Clanton of the trouble with the Earps that had already taken place, further asserting his belief that they had conceived of a plan before arriving in Tombstone to shoot the Earps.
But this would mean that instead of Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury being surprised by the tension on Tombstone’s streets when they arrived, they already knew of the dangers and were planning to escalate the situation, rather than diffuse it.
Arguing against this is Frank McLaury’s reaction when he was told that Wyatt Earp had struck his brother Tom. Frank asked Billy Allen, “What did he hit Tom for?” This would indicate that he had no prior knowledge of the troubles with the Earps. When Billy said that he didn’t know, Frank’s next reaction was to ignore the drinks that had just been served. “We won’t drink…I will get the boys out of town.” This statement does not seem indicative of a man who traveled to town with the intent of killing the Earps, or who had made a ten mile trip to Tombstone only to turn around and leave. Based on this, Clum may have been a poor judge of what was “uppermost in their minds.”
While discussing events that led up to the shooting, the Nugget account acknowledged the threats made against the Earps, but added, “Still, nothing occurred to indicate that any such threats would be carried into execution.” This is not to ignore witness testimony that threats were made against the Earps by the cowboys on the street, before they arrived next to Fly’s boarding house where the fight began, a group which included later arrivals Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton.
Just as Judge Spicer had in his decision, Clum addressed the issue of who fired first with a similar line of thinking. “There has been much discussion as to who fired the first shot in this street battle. This question is utterly unimportant to me, though I believe that the rustlers shot first. My Chief of Police [Virgil Earp] told me so at the time, and Wyatt Earp repeated the same story to me within a week before he died…I do not think that an officer of the law should offer himself as a target for the bullets of every thug and bandit and desperado he may be called upon to apprehend, and to wait until the criminal has missed him a couple of times – or has mortally wounded him – before he joins the shooting…I always cautioned my police…that, in any meeting with renegades, or other desperate outlaws, if there was to be any shooting, they should be prepared to join in the fray with disconcerting alacrity and deadly effect, for the reason that society could much better afford to lose a score or two of rustlers and bandits, than to sacrifice one efficient peace officer.”
Sheriff Behan’s inability to effect a change of outcome was addressed by Clum. “When Sheriff Behan saw the crowd gathering at Fourth and Allen streets and heard the talk of an impending combat he did not summon his deputies, nor a posse comitatus to aid him in enforcing his authority. When the cowboys refused to obey his command to surrender their arms he did nothing, personally or otherwise, to compel compliance with his orders. In fact, it appears that his final meeting with the cowboys served only as a last minute warning to them to be prepared for the anticipated coming of the city police.”
In an even stronger criticism of Behan, Clum asserted that the County Sheriff may have looked upon this unfolding drama as an opportunity to see the Earps murdered. Events were moving quickly that day, and Clum described Behan in contradictory terms. Clum wrote, “Sheriff Behan’s testimony relative to his action in this affair admits of two interpretations – either he was unable to enforce his authority against the rustlers, or he acquiesced in the belligerent attitude of the rustlers with the hope that they might prove the superior marksmen in the impending battle.” Regardless of his ineffectiveness, Behan’s efforts to prevent the fight in the minutes before it occurred are well documented.
In an even stronger criticism of Behan, Clum asserted that the County Sheriff may have looked upon this unfolding drama as an opportunity to see the Earps murdered. Events were moving quickly that day, and Clum described Behan in contradictory terms. Clum wrote, “Sheriff Behan’s testimony relative to his action in this affair admits of two interpretations – either he was unable to enforce his authority against the rustlers, or he acquiesced in the belligerent attitude of the rustlers with the hope that they might prove the superior marksmen in the impending battle.” Regardless of his ineffectiveness, Behan’s efforts to prevent the fight in the minutes before it occurred are well documented.
Aside from his criticisms of the Clantons and McLaurys, as well as Behan, Clum did offer his view of Virgil’s most controversial selection in forming his group to disarm the cowboys. Referring to the presence of Doc Holliday, Clum noted that “…I have always felt that his selection on that occasion was a very unfortunate one.”
NOTED EARP RESEARCHER AND EXPERT JEFF MOREY ON Witness at the O.K. Corral: Tombstone’s Billy Allen Le Van.
I’d like to thank the many who have purchased the Le Van book, and who have offered such kind words about it. Among the many that have done so, I’d especially like to acknowledge Earp expert and researcher, Jeff Morey. I’ve long held respect for his talented and insightful research abilities, and Jeff’s decades of devotion to this pursuit have enriched all who enjoy this intriguing story. I am humbled by his praise for Witness at the O.K. Corral: Tombstone’s Billy Allen Le Van. In a response to Robin Andrews, whose remarkable research made this book possible for me to write in the first place, Mr. Morey wrote “I do want to congratulate you and John Rose on the great new Billy Allen book. It is a truly wonderful contribution!” –Jeff Morey
ROBIN ANDREWS REGARDING Witness at the O.K. Corral: Tombstone’s Billy Allen Le Van.
Robin Andrews, whose remarkable family history and stellar research made this book possible, said the following of this book. “I am very pleased to announce that Billy Allen Le Van’s biographic story has been told in its entirety. “…I have been researching the lives of Billy Allen Le Van (aka Tombstone’s Billy Allen) and his future wife, Belle Crowley (my great-great grandmother), for a long time (since 1998). Posters close to me knew after several years, that there was enough research material, mined out of the archives of Arizona on Billy Allen Le Van, to create a book. I started looking for someone willing to write that story.
“I was looking for a very good story teller. I have the attention span of a gnat, so I needed someone’s writing that could keep my attention and interest so others like me would enjoy the book as well. That was important to me. Then I felt this person needed to be an excellent historian of southern Arizona and one who could author a non-fiction old west biography and still give dimension to the characters in Billy’s story. I was asking a lot, I know. I knew much about the lives of Billy and the people in his family, even the gunfight, but not enough about other citizens, historic events, politics, organizations, businesses , and things like that, to do this story justice. I knew that my friend, John D. Rose of Sierra Vista, Arizona, met these requirements and more.
“After John Rose’s book, ‘Charleston & Millville, A.T., Hell on the San Pedro’ came out, I knew that John would qualify as an excellent choice to write Billy Allen Le Van’s biography, but would he do it? I knew he had other very important projects he was working on, but I hoped that someday in the near future that he would take on this daunting project of mine. I asked John if he would write Billy Allen Le Van’s book and John said yes. I think you too will be glad he said yes when you read this book. John has honored us with a great Tombstone story and includes many images from his own fabulous ephemeral type collections related to Tombstone. “He wove the stories of Tombstone citizens throughout the Le Van’s life story in Arizona, making it a balanced and extremely interesting account. He was meticulous in his efforts to honor the rules of non-fiction story telling, but brought those characters to life.
Oh, and of course, the very famous Tombstone gunfight is featured in this book as are all the players of that event, including Billy Allen as the first witness to testify at the Spicer preliminary hearing that followed. Don’t go without this book on your Arizona History/Gunfight at the O.K. Corral bookshelf. Trust me, it’s a good one.”-Robin Andrews
“I was looking for a very good story teller. I have the attention span of a gnat, so I needed someone’s writing that could keep my attention and interest so others like me would enjoy the book as well. That was important to me. Then I felt this person needed to be an excellent historian of southern Arizona and one who could author a non-fiction old west biography and still give dimension to the characters in Billy’s story. I was asking a lot, I know. I knew much about the lives of Billy and the people in his family, even the gunfight, but not enough about other citizens, historic events, politics, organizations, businesses , and things like that, to do this story justice. I knew that my friend, John D. Rose of Sierra Vista, Arizona, met these requirements and more.
“After John Rose’s book, ‘Charleston & Millville, A.T., Hell on the San Pedro’ came out, I knew that John would qualify as an excellent choice to write Billy Allen Le Van’s biography, but would he do it? I knew he had other very important projects he was working on, but I hoped that someday in the near future that he would take on this daunting project of mine. I asked John if he would write Billy Allen Le Van’s book and John said yes. I think you too will be glad he said yes when you read this book. John has honored us with a great Tombstone story and includes many images from his own fabulous ephemeral type collections related to Tombstone. “He wove the stories of Tombstone citizens throughout the Le Van’s life story in Arizona, making it a balanced and extremely interesting account. He was meticulous in his efforts to honor the rules of non-fiction story telling, but brought those characters to life.
Oh, and of course, the very famous Tombstone gunfight is featured in this book as are all the players of that event, including Billy Allen as the first witness to testify at the Spicer preliminary hearing that followed. Don’t go without this book on your Arizona History/Gunfight at the O.K. Corral bookshelf. Trust me, it’s a good one.”-Robin Andrews
The above information is in part excerpted from Witness at the O.K. Corral: Tombstone’s Billy Allen Le Van, by John D. Rose. For more on this legendary story and other research breakthroughs, this book is available at https://www.createspace.com/5258114 as well as Amazon.com. See the next page to view the cover of this landmark book on Billy Allen Le Van, the Gunfight near the O.K. Corral, Tombstone A.T., Belle Le Van and her family history, and so much more.
Copyright 2015, 2016, 2017. John D. Rose