American History Tellers - Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta | 4

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

In the aftermath of the deadly shootout at the OK Corral, the residents of Tombstone are sharply divided over whether to indict the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. As the town teeters on the edge of all-out war, Wyatt Earp decides to take justice into his own hands leading to a vengeful ""Vendetta Ride"" that puts Wyatt on the wrong side of the law.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picture this, you're transported back in time, witnessing history unfold right before your eyes, without any modern day interruptions. That's the magic of Wondery Plus. Immerse yourself in the stories that shaped our nation with ad-free episodes, early access to new seasons, and exclusive bonus content. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts and experience American history like never before. Imagine it's October 28, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona. You're a typesetter by trade, but today you're doing your civic duty sitting on the jury for that shootout that happened two days ago at the OK Corral, leaving three men dead. You open the door of the small back room of the courthouse and take a seat around a wooden table

as your nine fellow jurors file in and sit down themselves. The ten of you have just listened to the coroner's inquest, and now it's time to debate what you heard and determine if there's enough evidence to bring charges. You volunteer to be foreman, and you want to make sure that justice is done. So you clear your throat and remind your fellow jurors of the task at hand. All right, gentlemen, according to the law, we have two jobs today. First, for legal reasons, we have to rule who killed Billy Clanton and the Tomb of Glory brothers. That should be easy. The Earp brothers and Doc Holliday aren't denying that they've done.

did it, so we can all agree there, right? Everyone murmurs, in a sense, so you go on. But the second matter's a little trickier. We have to rule whether the Earps and Holiday were legally culpable and should face criminal charges. So I say we take a preliminary vote to see where things stand. So who here thinks the Earps and Holiday should be cleared? Three hands go up, including yours.

And who thinks they should be indicted? Three different hands go up, leaving four undecided, an utter deadlock. One of the jurors who voted to indict stands up. He's an insurance clerk in town. I don't understand how you can say they're innocent. Not innocent, but they were carrying out their official duties as lawmen. Well, the only one of them that had a badge was Virgil. But he deputized his brothers in Holiday.

Not officially. They just ran over there with their guns. A few people mutter in agreement, and the man goes on. Besides, you heard Sheriff Behan's testimony on the stand today. He was right there, and he says he heard Doc Holliday's nickel-plated pistol go off first. Holliday's the only person around who carries one. Holliday started the whole thing, and the Earps followed up.

Behan said that, yes, but that testimony doesn't make sense if you think about it. Other witnesses saw Holliday carrying a shotgun, and that's a two-handed weapon. We know he fired it. That's how Tom McClory died. So how was Holliday shooting a pistol and a shotgun at the same time? Well, you can spin this however you want, but the Earps committed murder. I say they were only responding to the threat. from Ike Clanton. Who they didn't even kill, Ike's still alive, and you better think hard about

the consequences if we don't indict those lawmen. What do you mean by that? Well, you saw the funeral this morning? 300 cowboys were there. If we don't indict, every one of them is going to be looking for us. Now, they're probably waiting outside right now. Your stomach tightens in vice. You know that threats like this shouldn't sway you. You have a duty to uphold justice, but that's a lot easier to say than do, especially in Tombstone. You suddenly wish you hadn't volunteered to be foreman, and you hope like hell that the ten of you can find a way out of this tough spot or else there are plenty of gunmen willing to take justice into their own hands.

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BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. It's your man, Nick Cannon. I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at night. Every week I'm bringing out some of my solutions. celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. So don't be shy. Join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American History Tellers, Our History, Your Story.

After the deadly shootout at the O.K. Corral in October 1881, the residents of Tombstone, Arizona were sharply divided over whom to blame and punish for the violent outburst. Many of them were tired of the fighting and worried about how Tombstone's growing reputation for disorder was harming its economic prospects. And when stories spread about Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, and his brothers instigating a gunfight, the citizen's wrath turned on them. Many people in town, including the sheriff, wanted to prosecute the Earps and Doc Holliday. Well, for friends of the dead cowboys, prosecution wasn't enough. They wanted Wyatt Earp and the others dead. This situation escalated until another round of shootings pushed Wyatt Earp to the edge, and he decided to go after

his family's enemies directly, even if it put him on the wrong side of the law. This is the last episode of our four-part series on the shootout at the O.K. Corral. Vendetta. On October 28, 1881, two days after the shootout at the O.K. Corralor in Tombstone, Arizona, launched an inquest into the deaths of Billy Clanton and the Tomb of Glory brothers. As a public official, the coroner had the power to convene a hearing if he thought foul play was involved, and in the shootout there was plenty of blame to go around. Multiple witnesses testified about Ike Clinton's threats and drunken rampage before the showdown, while others testified that the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday had provoked the cowboys. But one bit of testimony stunned everyone. Sheriff Johnny Behan, who was an eyewitness to the shooting,

had initially promised to back Virgil Earp in any investigation. But at the inquest, Behan changed his tune. He claimed that before any shooting started, Frank and Tom McClory had thrown their coats open to prove that they were unarmed, but they were mercilessly gunned down anyway. Moreover, Behan swore that the first shot was fired from a nickel-plated pistol. In Tombstone, everyone knew that only Doc Holliday carried one of those. The implication was that Holiday had fired first, and then the herbs killed the other cowboys in cold blood. Ten Tombstone men served on the jury for the coroner. It was up to them to rule who killed Clanton and the McLaurys, and then whether the Earps and Holiday were legally culpable and should face criminal charges.

This responsibility, though, put them in a tough spot. If they voted to issue warrants for the lawmen, they'd incur the wrath of half of Tombstone. But if they didn't, they'd provoke the other half of Tombstone, including the cowboys who were itching for revenge. So instead, the jury issued a cautious, carefully worded statement saying that the three cowboys had died as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by the Earps and Doc Holiday. They did not recommend issuing any warrants, but didn't foreclose on the possibility either. This non-indictment enraged I. Clanton, who was still mourning his brother's killing. And upon reading it, he marched into the office of the local Justice of the Peace named Wells Spicer and demanded a second hearing. Under Arizona

law, justices could hold their own hearings on criminal matters and then refer the matter to a grand jury. So Spicer agreed to hold a hearing and set the date for October 31st, five days after the shootout. And by that point, the Earps had moved into the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which had better security than their homes. Virgil and Morgan were still recovering from their wounds and did not attend the hearing, but Wyatt and Doc Holliday did, and for their lawyer, the Earps and Holiday hired Tom Fitch, a former congressman. The prosecution team consisted of two local lawyers. Given the Divided feelings in Tombstone, they calculated that they'd have a tough time securing murder convictions for the Earp brothers, so they charged them with the lesser degree of manslaughter instead.

They reserved murder charges for Holiday, claiming he'd started the shootout and knowing far fewer people in town had sympathy for a drunken gambler like him. And at this hearing, the prosecution didn't need to convince Spicer that Holiday and the Earps were guilty. They simply needed to convince him that enough evidence existed for a grand jury to indict them and get the case into court. And during the hearing, Spicer's questions indicated sympathy for the prosecution, and observers felt sure that he would recommend an indictment. But everything changed on November 3rd when a new lawyer joined the prosecution, none other than Tom and Frank's older brother, Will McClory. Will practiced law in Texas, where he was raising three children alone after the death

of his wife. Nevertheless, he dropped everything and hurried to Tombstone upon receiving news about his brothers. When he arrived, McClory bullied his way onto the prosecution team and demanded murder charges for the Earths. And he might have succeeded in this, except for a monumental blunder. He called Ike Clanton to the stand. Given Clanton's drunken behavior before the shootout, most lawyers would have been worried about his credibility as a witness, but McClory forged ahead, and Clanton's testimony proved disastrous. He gave long, rambling answers to McClory's questions, revealing himself to be confused and incoherent. Even worse, Clanton accused Wyatt and Morgan of taking part in the previous march's Benson's stagecoach robbery that had left two men

dead. Clanton further swore that Wyatt had asked him to murder his three accomplices to shut them up. Then, during cross-examination, the defense lawyer Fitch destroyed Clanton's testimony. Fitch also produced the telegram that exposed Clanton's secret deal with Wyatt to lure the stagecoach killers into a trap. Clanton's worst fears had come true. The cowboy gangs now knew he'd tried to betray some of them. Then, after calling two dozen witnesses over two weeks, the prosecution rested. It was the defense's turn next. On November 16, 1881, Attorney Fitch began by calling Wyatt Earp to the stand, and in doing so, Fitch deployed a clever tactic. Under Arizona law, instead of being questioned and cross-examined, defendants could read a prepared statement. If they did so,

they could avoid cross-examination. Reading his statement, Wyatt gave a great performance, plain-spoken and convincing, a sharp contrast to I. Clanton. And for Virgil's testimony, the court had to shift to the hotel where he was recovering with a leg wound. Justice Spicer, the prosecution, and the defense lawyers, and all the witnesses marched to the hotel to continue the proceedings. But the sight of the ailing lawman, wounded in the line of duty, no doubt tugged on Spicer's sympathies. The defense did not call Doc Holliday or Morgan to testify.

So testimony wrapped on November 29th, and then the lawyers and defendants gathered in the courtroom the next day to hear the decision. The defense team wins as Spicer recounted how Virgil had brought along his brothers on holiday to confront people who were openly hostile to them. Spicer characterized this decision

as a foolish and reckless act. But then he continued by saying their actions were not illegal. The Clantons and McLorries were violating the law and carrying guns and clearly posed a menace. Spicer also noted that the majority of the evidence supported the Earp's version of events. Therefore, Spicer was recommending against the grand jury bringing charges. But this final failure to indict the Earp Brothers and Holiday infuriated the Cowboys of Tombstone.

Lurid newspaper stories described them drawing up a hit list written in blood. And outside Tombstone, the newspaper coverage was equally frenzied. Tombstone already had a reputation for lawlessness, but the coverage only grew worse after the shootout. Even U.S. President Chester Arthur considered sending in federal troops to assert martial law. The Tombstone City Council was appalled. Their dreams of making their town the San Francisco of the desert were crumbling. So to distance themselves from the herbs, the council demanded that Virgil stepped down from his appointment as acting town marshal. For a man who'd taken a bullet in the line of duty, who was a painful rebut, and unfortunately for Virgil, things were about to get worse.

Imagine it's December 28, 1881. You're a doctor in Tombstone, and it's past midnight, but you're sprinting down the street with your medical bag. You yank open the front door of a hotel and spring up the stairs two at a time. Inside room 215, you find a chaotic scene. Virgil Earp has been shot. He's lying on the bed, covered in blood. His brothers are there, too, plus their wives. You hurry up to a colleague of yours, another doctor in town.

God, it's a madhouse in here. What's the prognosis? I don't know, I just got here myself. I can't get near the patient. We need to get these people out of here. You drop your bag, strip off your overcoat, and hop onto a footstool. Everyone, everyone, I know you mean well, but you need to leave. Please, go into the hallway, and let us work. It takes a minute to herd them all out, and the last to leave is Virgil's wife, Allie, who caresses his face. You feel a lump in your throat, but you gently steer her into the hall, and then you turn to your colleague. All right, now let's cut his shirt off

and get a look at what we're dealing with. Given how Virgil is lying, you examine the right side of his back and torso first. Looks like a shotgun blast. I'm seeing wounds to deliver. He's got wounds near the kidney and spine back here, but they're pretty superficial. These are two. All right, this is looking better than I feared. Let's turn him around, get a look at the other side.

As soon as you roll Virgil over, he gasps in pain and passes out. You soon see why. His humorous is shattered. You can even see bones. sticking out. Oh, this is bad. It looks like his upper left arm took the brunt of the blast. I don't think I could save this. Can you? You probe the wound with your finger and study it for a long moment, and you shake your head no. You're certain the arm will need amputating, and you're already dreading having to tell his wife. But that's not the only bad news. Given the amount of blood loss,

you might have to forget saving his arm. The real question is whether you can save Virgil's life. Near midnight on December 28th, two months after the shootout at the O.K. Corral, Virgil Earp was ambushed while walking home alone after an evening at a saloon with his brother Wyatt. Wyatt heard the gunfire and raised to help. He and a few bystanders then carried Virgil to a nearby hotel to await doctors. When he came to and was informed of the damage to his arm, Virgil tried to keep a stiff upper lip. Don't worry, he told his wife, Allie. I've still got one arm left to hug you with. But deep down, he was terrified of losing the arm. Against his doctor's orders, he refused to let them amputate. He said he'd rather go into the ground hole than live with one arm missing.

It seemed like a rash decision. The risk of infection was high, but the doctors bowed to his wishes. A later investigation into Virgil's shooting determined that the gunshots came from a building under construction, where the perpetrators had concealed themselves to lie and wait. It was easy to drop a list of suspects. It included several members. It included several members of the cowboy gangs, including Curly Bill Brocious. Several ranchers were on the list as well, including Ike Clanton and his older brother Finn. In fact, Ike's hat was found in the building where the shots came from. This was more than enough proof for Wyatt Ear. As his brother's life hung in the balance, he made a faithful decision. If the law couldn't control these cowboys,

then he would take action himself. I'm Patrick Wyman, the host of Wanderies Show, Tides of History. Tides takes you deep into the roots of our present-day world and brings you the lived experiences of people in the past. The ancient economy was shockingly sophisticated. Far from being a primitive static system that barely changed over centuries or even millennia, it was dynamic. And the first millennium BC was one of the most extraordinary periods of economic growth before the industrial revolution. In our newest episode, we'll be starting a new block on the ancient economy. At the most basic level, economies are just people doing stuff. All of the thousand mundane, things that actually occupy most people's time. The humblest shepherd, tending his herd, has a place in the story of economic history. And by centering those everyday activities, we can return some agency to the vast bulk of people who were actually alive during any given period of time. That's the beauty of economic history. Follow tides of history wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. It's your man, Nick Cannon, and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at

night. I've heard y'all been needing some advice in the love department. So who better to help than yours truly? Now, I'm serious. Every week, I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. Having problems with your man? We got you. Catching feelings for your sneaky link? Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it. Consider this a non-judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex and modern dating in relationships, friendships,

friendships, situationships, and everything in between. It's going to be sexy, freaky, messy, and you know what? You'll just have to watch this show. So don't be shy. Join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app

or wherever you get your podcast. Want to watch episodes early and ad-free? Join Wondery Plus right now. After a painful recovery, Virgil Earp ended up surviving the assassination attempt made in late December 1881, but his doctors had to remove five inches of bone from his shattered left arm. After that, the arm was useless. Virgil was crushed by the outcome. At that time, he was still technically the U.S. Deputy Marshal for Tombstone, but for all practical purposes, his days of law enforcement were over. Wyatt Earps, however, were not. He sent a telegram to the U.S. Marshal for Arizona,

asking to be deputized as a new local marshal and a feeble Virgil swore his young brother in. White, in turn, deputize his brothers Morgan and Warren, Doc Holliday and three other friends, and organized them into a posse. Wyatt knew his posse would have a difficult time tracking down Virgil's shooters. The outlaws had likely scattered far and wide, and the landscape around Tombstone was dotted with innumerable canyons and other hiding spots. And to do the hunt properly, they'd need rifles, good horses, and supplies, which meant money. Wyatt initially appealed to the head territorial marshal for funds, but the wheels of the federal government turned too slowly. So to avoid delays, Wyatt sold his lucrative

quarter stake in the local saloon. He was pushing in all his chips to avenge Virgil, and he would prove ruthless in his pursuit. Imagine it's January 1882. You're a widow in Charleston, a mining town nine miles southwest of tombstone. You're scrubbing some filthy clothing in a wash basin. Doing laundry is the only income you have, and it's barely enough. Suddenly you hear a banging on your door. Confused, you open the door to find three men, all tall and mustached.

They're dusty from riding. Before you can say anything, two of them shove past you and start ransacking your place, pulling open closets and yanking open drawers. Stop that, who are you? You rushed toward them, but the third man grabs your arm. Stay back, miss. What's going on here? We're with Wyatt Earp.

You know the Earps? From Tombstone, what are you doing here? We're deputized federal marshals, and we have jurisdiction over the whole territory. Well, what do you want with me? We're hunting for the outlaws who shot Virgil Earp, and we've heard that men have been seen coming and going from here all week. Oh, those are my customers. I wash their clothing.

You can see piles of it over there. The deputy calls out to one of the others. James, check that clothing. James starts kicking the clothes, getting dirt all over them. When you try to break free to stop him, the deputy grips your arm tighter. Ah, do you really think these outlaws are hiding under my laundry? Well, there could be weapons. Evidence, you never know.

You stand there helpless as the men paw through every cupboard and then climb into your attic. As a final insult, one grabs a half loaf of bread from your kitchen on his way out the door. After they leave, your home looks like it was robbed. They even tore some of the clothing you washed. Hot tears of rage start to well up in your eyes. You've never understood how anyone could oppose a lawman out here against the likes of those hooligan cowboys, but right now you feel a sudden hatred for Wyatt Earp and his deputies.

Wyatt Earp and his posse ransacked several towns around Tombstone in their pursuit of Virgil's shooters. Their aggressive raids, storming houses and flashing their guns, angered hundreds of innocent people and all in vain. The posse found no trace of the shooters. The only thing they accomplished was to turn otherwise sympathetic people against them. Still, as word of the raids got around, some of the cowboys got nervous. They saw how relentless Wyatt was and calculated that he'd never give up. This was especially true of the Clanton brothers, Ike and Finn, who had a cowardly streak.

So rather than face Wyatt, the Clantons and two others finally surrendered to another posse, led by an agent of Wells Fargo, which wanted peace and stability to run its business. For the Clantons and their outlaw friends, this turned out to be a smart gamble. In a preliminary hearing, one of Wyatt's deputies testified that he'd overheard Ike say something suspicious after Virgil was shot, that he, Ike, would now have to finish the job. There was also the matter of Ike's hat being found at the crime scene. Nevertheless, a judge ruled that the evidence against the four men was circumstantial. He dismissed all charges before the case even went to trial.

Wyatt was furious. He began contemplating whether to turn full vigilante to go after Virgil's shooters with the sole intention of killing them. This would be a drastic step, however, putting him on the wrong side of the law, and he didn't know if he could go through with it until something forced his hand. On a rainy Saturday night of March 18th, Morgan Earp decided to take in a stage show and Tombstone, a comedy called Stolen Kisses. Doc Holliday joined him. They had a fine time, but upon exiting the theater, Morgan was surprised to see his brother Wyatt outside to escort him

home. Wyatt explained that several people had spotted cowboys prowling around town. He told Morgan that they were heading straight home as a result. Morgan shaved at his big brother telling him what to do and insisted on playing a game of pool with a friend. Against his better judgment, Wyatt agreed to one game. He and Morgan and the friend then headed off to a saloon around 11 p.m. Halfway through the game, Morgan bent down to line up a shot. His back was facing a door with four large glass panels. He pulled a pool cue back, then heard a barrage of gunfire. Customers dove for cover. One bullet nearly struck Wyatt's head, but Morgan wasn't so lucky. He crashed onto the pool table, then slumped onto the floor. He died just after midnight, a few minutes into Wyatt's 34

birthday. With the courts unwilling to do anything, Wyatt finally decided to take justice into his own hands and hunt down his family's tormentors. His mission became known as the vendetta ride. But before Wyatt could hit the trail, he first had a few family matters to take care of. The following day, March 19th, he arranged to ship Morgan's body to his parents in California for burial. And given Virgil's bad arm, it seemed wise to send him to California too. So Wyatt, Doc Colliday and a few other men accompanied Virgil to the nearest train station. It was located in Benson, 20 miles northwest to Tombstone. Virgil and his wife would take the train from there to Tucson, then transferred to a California line. But upon reaching Benson, Wyatt's crew heard ominous rumors.

Some passengers who'd just come from Tucson reported that two outlaws were lying in wait there to attack Virgil when he arrived. They identified the pair as Ike Clanton and Frank Stillwell, the former Tombstone Deputy Sheriff and friend of Johnny Behan who caused a scandal when he brazenly robbed a stagecoach. Hearing this, Wyatt's posse decided to accompany Virgil to Tucson for safety. Upon arrival, they saw no sign of Stilwell or Clanton, which gave them an hour to kill before the train left for California. They decided to eat dinner at a hotel. But while they were leaving, a passenger tipped off Wyatt that he'd seen two men lurking near the edge of the train station both armed. So after getting Virgil onto the train, Wyatt's crew marched over to where the

passenger indicated he had seen two men. Sure enough, it was Clanton and Stilwell. And when they saw Wyatt approaching, Clanton took off running and once again got away. Stillwell, though, stumbled as he was fleeing. Wyatt quickly gained on him and shot him down. Wyatt later swore that before his death, Stillwell had confessed to killing Morgan and implicated others, including Curly Bill brocious. But given the quick chase, it's doubtful that Stillwell had time to do anything but beg for mercy before Wyatt killed him and left his body lying near the track. Afterward, Wyatt hurried back to the platform, just as the train was pulling out. He caught Virgil's eye through a window and yelled, one for Morgan, and watched his brother chug away for California.

After that, Wyatt returned to Tombstone to gather supplies for his vendetta ride. But people in Tucson were furious about the shooting. They didn't want the violence of tombstone infecting their town, so they sent a telegram to Sheriff Johnny Behan, demanding Wyatt's arrest. But the Tombstone telegraph operator sympathized with Yerps and delayed handing the message over to Behan for hours. By that time, Wyatt had gathered his supplies and his crew was headed out of town. Behan tried to arrest Wyatt anyway, catching up with him outside the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Wyatt told him to go to hell, then spurred his horse and rode off. Behan later claimed that Wyatt's crew resisted arrest and threatened him, but witnesses to the exchange mocked

Behan for saying this. In reality, he simply ducked a confrontation and let them go. But despite being in Tombstone just a few hours, Wyatt had picked up some good intelligence. During his absence, the town had held an inquest into Morgan's death, which had included testimony from a woman named Marietta Spence. Marietta's husband, Pete, often beat her, and she testified that he and several others were responsible for Morgan's murder. Acting on this tip, Wyatt's crew rode straight for a logging operation that Pete Spence ran outside Tombstone. The foreman told Wyatt that Spence wasn't there, but the posse did spot another person that Marietta implicated a man named Florentino Cruz, who tended mules for Spence.

Wyatt later insisted that he interrogated Cruz about his role in Morgan's murder, though it's unlikely he bothered. Wyatt decided that Cruz was guilty and shot him dead. The body was found under a tree. This killing of Cruz now put Wyatt unquestionably beyond the rule of law. Cruz had not been armed at the time of his death, and he presented no active threat. But instead of arresting him, Wyatt and his crew had committed murder. After this point, Tombstone Sheriff Johnny Behan had no choice but to act. He formed a posse of two dozen men to stop Wyatt's vendetta ride. He also deputized several cowboys to form a separate posse, a group that included Curly Bill

Brochus. Behan knew that if his men couldn't arrest Wyatt's crew, then Curly Bill's group would be more than willing to pursue Wyatt Earp into a fight to the death. On Boxing Day, 2018, 20-year-old Joy Morgan was last seen at her church, Israel United in Christ, or IUIC. I just went on my Snapchat and I just see her face plastered everywhere. This is the missing sister. the true story of a woman betrayed by those she trusted most. IUC is my family and like the best family that I've ever had. But IUIC isn't like most churches.

This is a devilish cult. You know when you get that feeling, man, you just, I don't want to be here. I want to get out. It's like that feeling of like I want to go hang out. I'm Charlie Brink Coast Cuff, and after years of investigating Joy's case, I need to know what really happened to Joy. Binge all episodes of The Missing Sister, exclusively and ad-free, right now on Wondery Plus.

Start your free trial of Wondry Plus on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or in the Wondry app. From hysteria to Hollywood, discover the spellbinding story of witchcraft in America, with witches, the dawn of sorcery to witchcraft today, available now wherever magazines are sold. Inspired by American history tellers, this captivating public. takes you deep into the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692, where 20 innocent people lost their lives to paranoia and persecution. You'll also explore the mythical origins of sorcery, spiritualism in the 19th century, and modern religions like Wicca, and see how pop culture has transformed the witch from villain to hero, from the Wizard of Oz to Harry Potter. Inside,

you'll find fascinating stories from the Salem trials and witch hunts throughout the ages, alongside stunning historical illustrations. Don't miss this whole. hauntingly beautiful exploration of one of history's most misunderstood phenomena by yours today on newsstands everywhere. In the spring of 1882, Tombstone Sheriff Johnny Behan set off in pursuit of Wyatt Earp and his crew with a posse of two dozen armed men. But even with this show of force, Sheriff Behan hesitated to confront Wyatt Earp directly. Instead, Behan wanted to see whether the posse led by Curly Bill Brocious could track Wyatt's crew down first, and on the afternoon of March 24, 1882,

the Brocious Posse got their chance. Wyatt, Doc Holliday, and four others were galloping toward a spring west of Tombstone to water their horses and rest after a few long days of riding. Suddenly, the nine Cowboys and Curly Bill's posse jumped out from behind a bank of Earth 30 yards away and opened fire. Most of Wyatt's posse fled, but he stayed to fight. To shield himself, he hopped off his horse and took cover behind it. The horse began bucking wildly, caught in the crossfire, but Wyatt managed to hold onto it and cock his shotgun. He took aim at Curly Bill Brocious and blasted a hole in his longtime enemy's chest. Brocious bellowed in pain, then dropped dead. The other cowboys kept firing,

though. Wyatt managed to retreat a bit and tried to hop onto his horse, but his holster had slipped from his waist to around his knees hobbling him in a rain of gunfire. One shot struck Wyatt's boot. Another blew the shoehorn off his saddle, which made mounting his horse even tougher, but nonetheless, Wyatt managed to hitch up his holster and climb back into the saddle. He galloped off to where his posse had retreated in a stand of willow trees. Once again, he had emerged miraculously unscathed from a firefight with little more than bullet holes in his coat. Meanwhile, with their leader taken out, the cowboy posse fled and no longer posed a threat to Earp and his men. The next night, Wyatt's shaken band,

tried to slip back into tombstone to resupply, but they found it impossible. Patrols of cowboys were circling the city, hunting for them, so they turned and rode away. But however exhausted he was, Wyatt refused to end his vendetta ride. He still had men to hunt down, but with supplies running low, he was desperate enough to take a risk. Imagine it's March 27, 1882. You're clearing away some brush on your ranch, 20 miles outside Tombstone. stone. You're working on an especially stubborn root, and it takes a dozen hard wax with your axe to loosen it. You tear it from the dirt and then toss it aside. Your horse starts to neigh. You look up and are surprised to see your wife approaching on her horse. Sometimes she brings you

sandwiches for lunch, but it's only 9 a.m. She rides up looking nervous. Hey, you all right? You look vexed. Wyatt Earp's posse just showed up at the house. You turn and squint at your home, a mile in the distance. You can just make out a gang of men. on horses. Did they say what they want? A meal. They also want to hide here, refuge from Johnny Behan's posse. Well, that puts us in a spot. I want you to send them away. Well, I can't do that. They asked for a meal. But still, I want them gone. Well, you know that's not how it works. Any man asked for a meal or we provide it. Do we have to also provide shelter for vigilantes? Now, Earps had two brothers shot and one kill. And then he shot an unarmed ranch

hand. You read the papers. If Johnny Behan's posse come storming in here, he could get us killed. We have twins in the crib at home, and you're going to let wanted men inside? You close your eyes because your wife's right. You'd never forgive yourself if anything happened to the twins. All right, well, we'll give them a meal on fresh horses. You can't do that, but after that, I'll ask them to leave. You're right, they can't stay here. Maybe I can convince them to go to Harry Hooker's ranch instead.

There's more to offer them anyway. You grab your axe and walk over to your horse. You know your wife won't be happy with even the little hospitality you're extending, but you can live with that. You just hope Wyatt Earp and his crew won't hold it against you, because the truth is, the way things have been going recently, Earp's men seem every bit as dangerous as the gangs of cowboys. On March 27th, after being refused to welcome at several ranches by fearful residents, Wyatt's crew took refuge at the ranch of Harry Clay Hooker, a cattle baron who supplied beef to the U.S.

Army and local Indian reservations. Hooker was. was wealthy and politically powerful enough to feel shielded from any pressure that a mere sheriff like Johnny Behan could apply. Hooker also hated outlaws, cowboys and cattle rustlers with a passion, so Wyatt knew he'd be sympathetic. During their first night at Hooker's home, the other posse members were startled to see Wyatt asked for a glass of whiskey. They'd never seen him drink before. The stress of being on the run was clearly getting to him. So before Wyatt could pursue any more of Morgan's killers, he had to shake off Johnny Behan, who had taken the lead in pursuing Wyatt in the aftermath of Brocious's death. But Behan's men could resupply and

rest whenever they liked, which gave the sheriff's crew a decided advantage over Wyatt's. Wyatt therefore decided that his best hope was to bring things to a head and fight it out. For this purpose, Hooker offered to let Wyatt's men use his home as a bunker. Its thick walls would provide good shelter in a firefight, but Wyatt declined the offer. He didn't want to drag Hooker into this mess and get him or his men killed. But he did take up Hooker's offer to stay on the ranch. Wyatt's men eventually assumed positions on a bluff a few miles from the ranch house, which gave them a good vantage point, as well as the high ground for shooting. And a few hours after Wyatt's crew reached the bluff, Johnny Behan's posse rode up to Hooker's

home. But the cattle baron refused to disclose any information about Wyatt's crew, even whether he'd seen them. The next few days proved tense. Wyatt's men lay in concealed positions on the bluff and watch Behan's men ride all over the ranch searching. But they never approached the bluff, which was the obvious place for Wyatt's meant to hide. Still Behan deliberately avoided it, perhaps afraid to provoke a fight, and eventually Behan's crew rode off and never returned. By this point, the strain had worn Wyatt down. In the past two weeks, he'd seen his brother killed, killed three men himself in revenge, and ridden hundreds of miles to evade capture. He was exhausted and wrung out. So despite his initial determination to fight, Wyatt Earf decided to flee

Arizona and put himself beyond the reach of Johnny Behan. His posse split up and went their separate ways, including Doc Holliday. Wyatt viewed this retreat as a temporary measure, a chance to catch his breath and plan his next move. He spent some time in New Mexico and Colorado before ultimately heading to California. He hoped to receive a federal pardon for his actions, given that he killed those three men on his vendetta ride, Frank Stillwell, Florentino Cruz, and Curley Bill Broches, while serving as a deputized U.S. Marshal. He even fantasized about returning to Tombstone and running for sheriff, but no pardon ever came.

After leaving Arizona in March 1882, Wyatt never laid eyes on Tombstone again. And in Wyatt's absence, city leaders in Tombstone lost interest in pursuing him due to more pressing matters. A fire gutted the city in May 1882, but worse, the silver mines near town began running low. Labor disputes between miners and mine owners

further harmed the town's economy, as did the sinking price of silver, which dropped by half over the next few years. For the first time, Tombstone's population began dropping, and memories of the Earp brothers faded. After Wyatt's posse broke up at the Hooker Ranch, Doc Holliday headed straight for Colorado, where he continued drinking, gambling, and shooting his mouth off. But years of hard living finally caught up with him, and his tuberculosis, which had been stable in the dry heat of Arizona, got worse. His weight dropped steadily. In 1885, Holiday had one last reunion with his old friend when Wyatt swung through Denver. The two men talked quietly in Holiday's hotel room, likely reliving old times, then parted

while Wyatt blinked away tears. They both knew they'd never see each other again. By 1887, Holiday had taken up residence in a hotel. He was too sick to get out of bed most days and had his breakfast, a bottle of whiskey, delivered to his room every morning. He slipped into a coma and died in early November that year, just 36 years old. Despite holiday's untimely death, he did outlive Ike Clanton. After helping murder Morgan Earp, Ike and his brother Finn moved 200 miles north of tombstone, but kept rustling cattle and robbing people. They were arrested a few times, but the charges were always conveniently dropped. But the brothers were caught during a robbery attempt in June 1887. Finn surrendered, but I again tried to escape. This time his luck ran out,

and he was gunned down. Sheriff Johnny Behan claimed credit for running off the Earp Brothers, but his political career never took off. In the next election for Tombstone Sheriff, he didn't even get his party's nomination. He eventually moved to El Paso, where he took a job hunting down Mexican immigrants. He served in the army for a few years, then moved to Tucson. He died in 1912 at the age of 67 of a heart attack brought on by syphilis. Virgil Erb tried various careers out in California, including running a detective agency and operating a burlesque show. Eventually, he moved back to Prescott, Arizona, where his name and reputation got him appointed deputy sheriff in January 1905. He was 62 years old. But that October, a pneumonia epidemic swept

through Arizona. Virgil caught it and died. Back in California, Wyatt Earb traveled to San Francisco, and reunited with Johnny Behan's old fiancée, the actress Josephine Marcus. They stayed together for the next 47 years, and during that time, they drifted all over the west as Wyatt took jobs, operating saloons, and managing horses. He went bankrupt several times and once got run out of San Francisco for fixing a boxing match as the referee. But no bad deed could ever completely tarnish Earp's name in the mind of the public. The lawlessness of Tombstone had long fascinated people, and in the years after 1881, the shootout at the O.K. Corral became legendary. Eventually, Wyatt decided to capitalize

on his role in the incident, and he began giving long, rambling interviews to newspapers, painting himself as the incorruptible hero, often fighting off angry hordes of outlaws all by himself, exaggerations that verged on fabrication. Nevertheless, readers gobbled up the stories, and Wyatt became a celebrity. Wyatt Earp eventually died from a chronic kidney infection in 1929 at the age of 80, the last survivor of the OK Corral shootout. Not long after, Hollywood began churning out westerns featuring him as a character. These films sanded off the rough edges and made him a hero of the West. Earp proved even more popular on television. At least a half-dozen shows in the 1950s featured Earp-like heroes. But none of them could capture the true violence and drama

of Frontier Life in Tombstone, Arizona, and that fateful day in October 1881, when two bands of gunmen faced off for a shootout at the OK Corral. From Wondery, this is episode four of our four-parts series on the shootout at the OK Corral for American history tellers. In our next season, a group of English separatists flee to Holland, then undertake a treacherous sea voyage to establish a new colony in America. Through a brutal winter, conflicts with native tribes and internal strife, these separatists who become known as the Pilgrims struggle to build the Plymouth colony.

If you like American history tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at Wondry.com slash survey. If you'd like to learn more about Tombstone, we recommend The Last Gun Fight by Jeff Gwynn. Tombstone by Tom Clavin, and Ride the Devils Heard by John Bozenecker. American History Tellers is hosted, edited and produced by me, Lindsay Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohamed Shazim, sound design by Molly Bach, music by Throm. This episode is written by Sam Keene, edited by Dorian Marina, produced by Alita Rosansky,

managing producer Desi Blaylock, senior producer Andy Beckerman, executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marsha Louis, and Aaron O'Flaherty for Wondering. In the 1880s, the lawless streets of Tombstone, Arizona, were home to the most legendary gunfight in history. Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of the podcast, American History Tellers. We take you to the events, times, and people that shaped America and Americans. Our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, we followed the Nodian. notorious Earp brothers as they take on a band of gun-slinging hooligans intent on disrupting

law and order. But tensions boiled over on October 26, 1881. When the Earps confronted the Clanton and McClury gangs near the OK Corral. In a hail of gunfire, three cowboys were killed, setting off a cycle of violence and retribution, transforming the Earps into both heroes and outlaws. Follow American History Tellers on the Wondery app, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of American History Tellers The Shootout at the OK Corral early and ad-free right now on Wondry Plus.