124 years ago today, the Gunfight at the OK Corral took place. Here's a write-up from Wikipedia:
"During the day, reports of the cowboys going about with firearms and seeking more floated about Tombstone. Ike Clanton was noted claiming to want a showdown with the Earps. Virgil Earp, looking to enforce the town's law saying that firearms had to be checked in with local authorities, finally decided to approach Ike Clanton's group to demand they give up their guns.
Accompanied by his brothers Morgan and Wyatt, and soon by Holliday, they marched to the vacant lot near the corral. Virgil was able to say "Throw your hands up, I want your guns", but eyewitness testimony from this point gets sketchy, especially depending on the bias of the witnesses. The shooting began soon after and the fight lasted about 30 seconds.
Virgil and Morgan were seriously wounded, while Holliday received minor wounds. Wyatt remained standing. Ike Clanton, who had insisted on a showdown, ironically was unarmed and actually fled the gunfight unscathed. Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers Frank and Tom were killed."
Gotta love this story. Holliday and the Earp brothers dishing out steaming, hot bowls of justice. Mmm . . . justice!
What a great part of history! Of course the Libs will want to somehow change it to a tea party where sides come together and work out their differences over tea and crumpets. The Earps were not ones to talk about it! Action only!
ReplyDeleteIf you could go back 124 years, what would you do?
ReplyDeleteSteve - Amen!
ReplyDeleteLinda - Hard to say, since the details are a bit sketchy, but I would have done the same thing the Earps did. The Clantons and McLaurys were carrying pistols in defiance of the town law, and they needed to be disarmed before any innocents were killed. In "Tombstone," Kurt Russell captured my probable emotions when he realized that there was gonna be a gunfight. "Oh my God."
Too many people back then (as now) don't want to get involved. Is the country better for it? Hell no. If I didn't want to arrest every single person who breaks the law (within reason, of course), I shouldn't have the badge.
Things were simpler back then. Justice was swift most likely because the "good guys" weren't second guessing themselves into paralysis. I don't think the Earps were overly worried about violating the criminal's civil rights. Aahh to live in a time before the ACLU...
ReplyDeletedid Holliday really say: "i'm yo huckleberry"? That was kewl.
ReplyDeleteIt was 45-Caliber Justice
ReplyDeleteJust not 45 ACP Justice.
45 LongColt Justice.
I love Wyatt and his brothers! But I wouldn't want to go back in time, I really like being clean.
ReplyDeleteGunnNutt - Second guessing has gotten more than a few officers killed recently. People bitch that we don't do enough, when they don't realize that most of the time, our hands are tied.
ReplyDeletePeak - Doubt it, but it WAS cool.
Ty - Mmm, long colt!
SK - Agreed. I hate baths, and the dirt and dust wouldn't help the situation.