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American Pioneer
& Cemetery Research
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Internet Presentation
010720
THE EARLY ARIZONA TERRITORY CORONERS AND HISTORY
By Kathy Block
APCRP Historical Staff
Early
Arizona Territory coroners and their records can be an interesting source of
information about historical events and people. The brief notations in a county
coroner's register offer glimpses of tragedies that led to the deaths of many
early citizens. Six famous deaths are explored in this article as well.
An 1870
mortality schedule from Arizona City, Yuma County has a hand written note at
the bottom of the form: “I expect a great many violent deaths, this being a
frontier county where all disputes are settled by the use of weapons, and it
occurs between transient and single men who have no families.” Eleven of the 31
deaths (35 percent) were from gunshot wounds, skull fractures, or stabbings!
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Coroner's Register, First Page.
For
comparison with Yuma County, I used deaths on a “Coroner's Register No.2,
Register of Actions & Fee Bk. Cochise County, Arizona Territory,
1881-1901.” There were 474 deaths listed on almost 11 pages of this record.
Only 24 could be identified as women. The rest were either men or unknown. Here's
the results, grouped by categories of deaths, using the coroner's descriptions.
(Some confusions may result.)
GUNSHOT
WOUNDS: 210
TOTAL (44 percent of total deaths recorded).
Gunshot wounds, some murders and some
self-defense: 130 (27 %)
Accidental gunshot wounds: 18 (incl. 2
women) (0.4 %)
Pistol shot wounds: 16 (incl. 3 women)
(0.4%)
Gunshot wounds from law enforcement: 16
(0.4%)
Gunshot wounds from Indians: 15 (Incl. 2
from Apaches) (0.4%)
Self-inflicted gunshot wounds “with
suicidal intent”: 15 (0.4%
OTHER
DEATHS:
Unusual deaths: 57 (12 %)
Medical: 51 (11 %)
Suicide: 47 (10 %)
Train Accidents: 41 (.09 %)
Mine Accidents: 35 (.07 %)
Unknown causes: 33 (.07%)
Drowning: 8 (.02%)
Fire: 5 (.01
Some of
the “unusual deaths” were quite varied. Examples:
A kick
in the groin; hit on the head with a rock; falling into a well; thrown from
buckboard trying to control unmanageable team; poisoning from bite of a Gila
Monster; fall from cliff while under the influence of liquor; neck broke by
stroke of a man's fist; and, for a woman, “'Rape' effects of an outrage
committed upon her person.”
Train
Accidents included:
Attempt to couple cars while in motion; scalding from defective flue in engine;
run over by engine while asleep on RR track; train wreck; shot attempting to
hold up train; and run over attempting to board train while in motion!
Mine
Accidents
commonly were results of poor work conditions or carelessness: Fall into chute;
explosion of giant powder; car loaded with coal overturned - “death by coal”;
blow from falling rock in cave-in; suffocation by poisonous gas; and wounds
received thru own carelessness!
People
killed themselves,
called “a fato de se” in some reports. Some men and
women poisoned themselves with chloroform, overdose of morphine, chloral
hydrate, laudanum, opium, or “alcoholic stimulants.” A few died from
self-inflicted stabs or cuts by knife or razor. One died from a deliberate
drowning and one hanged himself. Another died from an injury to his head
“caused by his own hand.” (Suicides by gunshot were also included in the
statistics for gunshot deaths.)
Early
day functions of a coroner were done by citizens summoned by a Justice of the
Peace, to investigate these deaths that were reported in the Coroner's
Register. Sometimes a panel of law enforcement officers or just a sheriff and a
deputy, were convened. Almost every man (there didn't seem to be any women on
these investigations!) rode horses to the scene to view a body and usually,
with a sheriff present, viewed a deceased person and determined the cause of
death. (This would be fairly obvious for gunshot wounds and stabbings.) In
cases of murder, a jury might be subpoenaed for a formal inquest, with jurors
and witnesses sworn in, evidence presented, and a verdict given. This could be
held in a regular county courthouse with a Justice of the Peace or Judge
presiding as a coroner. News accounts in
old newspapers and records regularly reported on their activities.
Edward
Franklin Bowers (1839-1879), elected Yavapai County Sheriff in 1875, discussed
a coroner's jury in “Pioneer Remembrances: Black Notebook” regarding
circumstances leading to death of gunslinger in a shootout with law officers.
The jury consisted of a Justice of the Peace, a U.S. Marshall, another man, and
a Constable. Here's an example of how
these inquests were recorded in death records:
William Crawford. Born 1856. Died: Prescott,
Yavapai County, Arizona Territory, Oct. 29, 1873. COD:
Effects of liquor. Coroners Inquest.
There
are six famous deaths recorded on the Cochise County Coroner's Register:
___________________________________________________________________________________
Inquest
Held
on Body of: Year Inquest Inquest Cause of
Death Coroner
Held Filed
Clanton,
Wm. 1881 26-Oct 1-Dec Gun shot wounds. HM Malthews
Earp,
Morgan 1882 16-Mar 22-Mar Gunshot
wound HM Malthews
Earp,
Warren 1900 8-Jul
12-Jul Gunshot
wound at the hands
of John N. Boyett WF Nichols
McLowery, Frank 1881 26-Oct 1-Dec Gunshot
wounds. See Inquest HM Malthews
(McLaury) papers of Wm. Clanton
McLowery, Thomas 1881
26-Oct 1-Dec Gunshot
wound. See Inquest HM Malthews
(McLaury)
papers in Clanton case.
Ringo, John 1882 14-Jan 3-Nov Unknown
but supposed gunshot Citizens
wounds. Statement of John Yoast
dated July 14, 1882.
WM.
CLANTON, FRANK MCLAURY, THOMAS MCLAURY (Misspelled as McLowery
on list) were killed in the famous gunfight at O.K. Corral, Tombstone, Arizona
Territory, in 1881.
MORGAN
EARP was killed in Tombstone in 1882.
WARREN
EARP was shot in Willcox in 1900.
JOHN
RINGO, an outlaw, was buried in a grave in West Turkey Creek Valley near where
his body was found.
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Morgan Earp |
Warren Earp |
|
Frank McLaury |
Tom McLaury |
Contemporary
accounts in old newspapers give details about the role of a coroner in these
deaths.
The
three deaths in Tombstone in the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” came from a
gunfight which was the result of a personal, family, and political feud. The
following robbery attempt was the stimulus, but there were many complicated background
events. Three cowboys attempted to rob a Kinnear & Company stagecoach
carrying $26,000 in silver bullion that was en route from Tombstone to Benson,
the nearest railroad freight terminal. Just outside of Contention City the
driver and a passenger were both shot and killed. Virgil Earp (Deputy U.S.
Marshal Sheriff) and his brothers Wyatt and Morgan pursued the cowboys
suspected of the murders. They were
tracked down to Tombstone and killed. The three were Tom McLaury,
Frank McLaury, and Billy Clanton.
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Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers graves in Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone
Photo courtesy: Kathy Block
A
somewhat sympathetic article in the Arizona Weekly Citizen, Oct. 30,
1881, “At the Morgue” described the scene: (Note McLaury
is spelled McLowry here.)
“The
bodies of the three slain cowboys lay side by side, covered with a sheet. Very
little blood appeared on their clothing, and only on the face of young Billy
Clanton was there any distortion of the features or evidence of pain in dying.
The features of the two McLowry boys looked as calm
and placid in death, as if they had died peacefully, surrounded by loving
friends and sorrowing relatives. No unkind remarks were made by anyone, but a
feeling of unusual sorrow seemed to prevail at the sad occurrence. Of the McLowry brothers we could learn nothing of their previous
history before coming to Arizona. The two brothers owned quite an extensive
ranch on the lower San Pedro, some seventy or eighty miles from this city, to
which they had moved their band of cattle since the recent Mexican and Indian troubles.
They did not bear the reputation of being of a quarrelsome disposition, but
were known as fighting men, and have generally conducted themselves in a quiet and
orderly manner when in Tombstone.”
William
“Billy” Harrison Clanton; was born in 1862 in Hamilton County, Texas, one of
the 7 children of Newman Haynes Clanton and Mariah Sexton Clanton. He was 19
years old when he was shot to death on October 26, 1881, in his first and last
shootout! He helped his widowed (1866) father, “Old Man” Clanton on their
Charleston Ranch near Charleston, established in 1877, and may have assisted in
rustling livestock. His father also was a gold miner and prospector. Billy was
best known for being a member of a group of outlaw cowboys, often called “The
Cowboys.” that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen, particularly Wyatt, Virgil,
and Morgan Earp. The Clanton’s
repeatedly threatened the Earp’s because they interfered with “The Cowboys”
illegal activities. Billy is buried in Boothill
Cemetery, Tombstone, to the left of the McLaury
brothers.
The McLaury brothers were in Tombstone to conclude a cattle
deal. Tensions between the Earp’s and “The Cowboys” had escalated. Ike Clanton,
brother of Billy, had been cited earlier in the day for carrying a weapon in
town, after which Tom had arrived to get Ike. Tom and Wyatt Earp had a heated
exchange and Wyatt later testified he saw a pistol in Tom's waistband and confronted
him. The famous shoot-out occurred with the Earp’s and Doc Holliday against the
McLaury brothers and Billy Clanton, joined by Billy
Claiborne.
Robert
“Frank” Findley McLaury; was born March 3,
1848 in Courtright Center, New York, son of Margaret Knowland and Robert Houston, farmers. His father was also a
lawyer. Frank was one of 11 children
that included 6 sons! The family lived with his grandfather after his mother
died of typhoid in 1859. He died of gunshot wounds in Tombstone at the age of
33. His allegiance was to “The Cowboys”, and he worked as a ranch hand, miner,
outlaw, and cattle rustler. He was only 5'4” tall.
Thomas
McLaury
was a younger brother of Robert. He was born June 30, 1853, in Courtright Center, New York. He was 28 years old when he died. Like his
brother and Billy Clanton, he was a member of “The Cowboys.” He also was a
ranch hand, miner, outlaw, and cattle rustler.
He and his brother Frank owned a ranch outside Tombstone during the
1880's. The Tombstone shootout was also his first and last gunfight. Tom was just 5'3” tall.
Afterward,
brother William McLaury, an
attorney, spent most of his finances trying to charge Doc Halliday and the Earp’s
with murder. The prosecutor explained
that the $3,000 that Tom had on him when he died was from the sale of a herd of
cattle. Some disputed the charges that Tom was a cattle rustler. On Feb, 16, 1882 Justice Smith of Contention
arrested Doc Holliday, Wyatt and Morgan Earp on the charge of deliberate murder
of Billy Clanton. They were quickly released, however. An extensive
investigation over a period of four weeks was undertaken, with evidence
published in the daily papers stating the Earp’s were just carrying out their
duties. The examining magistrate looked over the testimonies and discharged the
defendants and completely exonerated them, and the Grand Jury of Cochise
County, then in season, declined to find any bill of indictment. The Arizona Weekly Citizen, March 26,
1882, then concluded: “These facts are sorely entitled to sufficient consideration
to prevent the homicide thus legally declared to be justifiable from being
classed with deeds of secret murder.”
Some
historians believe that William McLaury, who was
frustrated in his attempt to find out how and why his brothers were murdered,
organized the “Vigilante Justice” that crippled Virgil Earp and murdered Morgan
Earp after the Earp’s and Doc Holliday (1851-1887) were set free.
The
exoneration of the Earp’s and Doc Holliday did not end the conflicts.
The
next person killed by gunshot was Morgan Samuel (or Seth) Earp, on March 18,
1882, about a half year after the O.K. Corral gun battle. Morgan, born April 24, 1851 in Pella, Iowa,
was 30 years old when he died. Morgan was married to Louise Houston in 1875,
only 7 years before his murder His parents were Nicholas Earp and Virginia Ann
Cooksey. His father was a farmer, cooper, and municipal constable in Turtle,
Illinois. The father was in this position for about 3 years until he was
convicted of bootlegging! The farm was sold to pay his fines and the family
moved back to Iowa, where Morgan was born.
He was the younger brother of Virgil and Wyatt Earp. Morgan, who had
been wounded in the O.K. Corral shootout earlier, was in the saloon of Campbell
& Hatch in Tombstone and shot to death in an ambush.
A
coroner's jury investigated the killing of Morgan Earp, publishing their
findings in The Tombstone Epitaph on March 26, 1882:
“We,
the undersigned, a jury empaneled by the Coroner of Cochise County, Territory
of Arizona, to inquire whose body is that submitted to our inspection, when,
whom and by what means he came to his death, after viewing the body and hearing
such testimony as has been brought before us, find that his name was Morgan S.
Earp, age about 29 years, a native of Iowa, and that he came to his death in
the city of Tombstone....by reason of gunshot or pistol wound inflicted at the
hands of Pete Spence, Frank Stilwell, a party by the name of Freise, and two Indian half-breeds, one whose name is
Charlie....”(Signed by 7 men).
Below
the report was the news that Deputy Sheriff Bell arrived from Charleston in
charge of Indian Charlie, charged with the murder of Morgan Earp. “Charlie
was a little playful in Charleston a day or two since, and shot at a man, shot
out some lights, etc.”
An
article the next day commented:
“It
is seldom that a jury of investigation are enabled to bring out so strong an
array of evidence upon a preliminary examination as in the present case.
Unfortunately for the cause of law and order, the violent taking off of
Stillwell, at Tucson, on Monday night, has put him beyond the reach of earthly
tribunals. Peter Spence has surrendered himself to the sheriff and is now in
custody. His examination will come before Judge Wallace at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning.”
The
reason for the reference to the “violent taking” of Stillwell is that the
Sheriff of Cochise county apparently didn't think it necessary to hunt for the
murderers, who escaped. The Earp’s then “took the law in their own hands and
it is supposed killed Frank Stillwell, a noted stage robber and desperado and
one of the parties whom the coroner's jury held responsible for the murder of
Morgan Earp.”
Morgan
Earp's remains were taken by train by his surviving brothers to Colton,
California for burial in Hermosa Memorial Gardens, Colton, San
Bernardino County, California.
The
deaths of the Earp brothers by gunshot hadn't ended. A little over eight years
later, on July 6, 1900, Warren Baxter Earp, the youngest brother of Wyatt,
Morgan, Virgil, James and Newton Earp, was killed by gunshot in Willcox, Arizona Territory. Warren was born March 9, 1855
in Pella, Iowa. He was 45 years old and was a lawman and mail stagecoach
driver. Warren was not involved in the shootout at O.K. Corral, though he was a
deputy for his brother Virgil. He was
killed by Johnny Boyett. There had been “bad blood”
between them for some years. According to a news account in the Arizona
Republican, July 10, 1900:
“Earp
had the disagreeable habit when under the influence of liquor of running Boyett all over town.
Boyett, it seems, never sought a quarrel and
always sought to avoid Earp when he was looking for trouble....It was not long
ago that Earp got Boyett in a saloon, and with a
six-shooter pressed to his stomach, made him promise that if he and Earp ever
had another quarrel a killing would result.”
The
quarrels ended tragically on a Friday morning when the two men met in a
restaurant at the back of Brown's saloon.
A drunken Earp started to abuse Boyett, then
the two men went into the saloon. Supposedly Earp challenged, “Boyett, get your gun and we will settle this thing right
now. I've got my gun, you go and get yours!”
Boyett got his gun from his hotel room and
advanced to the middle of the restaurant and called out, “Where is that S.O.B?”
Just then Earp peered in the door of the restaurant and Boyett
fired some shots at him, not killing him.
After some running around after Earp, firing more shots, Boyett confronted Earp in the saloon and warned him to not
come closer. When Earp continued to advance, Boyett
fired a fatal shot into Earp's chest. It
turned out that Earp was armed only with a half-opened pocket knife. A sheriff reported that Boyett
was always a peaceable man and put up with a great deal from Earp.
Joe Boyett, who shot and killed Warren Earp, had a hearing on
July 19, 1900 before Justice W.F. Nicholson and the case was discharged (not
charged). Boyett claimed that he “feared for his
life”. Boyett later retired from a job at the Hooker
Ranch, returned to Redlands, California, and died in Texas. He kept a low profile, fearing retribution
from the remaining Earp’s.
Warren
Earp was buried in Willcox Pioneer Cemetery, Willcox, Cochise County, Arizona.
He was the only member of the Earp family to die and be buried in Arizona!
These
were all violent deaths by gunshot! One final famous death was that of Johnny Ringo.
John
Peters “Johnny” Ringo was born May 3, 1850 in Greensfork, Indiana, and died July 13, 1882, aged 32, in
the Chiricahua Range of Cochise County. He was the
son of Martin Albert Ringo and Mary Peters. His
father was killed by an accidental shotgun blast and buried along the trail in
Wyoming as the family traveled by wagon to California. Johnny was 14 at the
time.
John Ringo's body was discovered in Turkey Creek Canyon of West
Turkey Creek Valley, and buried nearby.
He was a noted outlaw member of “The Cowboys” of Cochise County and was
affiliated with Ike Clanton and Frank Stilwell in 1881-1882.
A
lengthy article in the Tombstone Weekly Epitaph, July 22, 1882, gives
some details. The reporter had a few sympathetic comments:
“There were few men in Cochise County
or Southeastern Arizona better known. He was recognized by friends and foes, as
a recklessly brave man, who would go any distance, or undergo any hardship to
serve a friend or punish an enemy. While undoubtedly reckless, he was far from
being a desperado and we know of no murder being laid in his charge. Friends
and foes are unanimous in the opinion that he was a strictly honorable man in all
his dealings, and that his word was a good as his bond.”
Johnny Ringo's body was found by John Yost (spelled Yoest on the coroner's report) who was acquainted with him
for years. Yost, a wood hauler, was
driving a team along the road and noticed a man apparently asleep in the middle
of a clump of oaks. At first Yost passed by, but then looked back and saw his
dog smelling the man's face and snorting.
He stopped his team and returned to Ringo,
sitting, with his body leaning backward and resting against a tree. He noted a
hole large enough to admit two fingers about halfway between the right eye and
ear, and a hole correspondingly large on top of his head, probably the outlet
of the fatal bullet. A .45 caliber revolver was firmly clenched in his hand,
which was almost conclusive evidence that death was instantaneous.
Yost
immediately sent for help, and in about fifteen minutes eleven men were on the
spot! A statement was written for the Coroner and Sheriff of Cochise County. It
included information on the position of Ringo's body,
the gunshot wound, and the fact that these were the only marks of violence
visible on the body. His other weapons and clothing were also listed. Several of the men identified the body as
John Ringo, who was well known in Tombstone. He had
been dead about 24 hours. The remains
were buried close to where they were found. Today the grave is marked by a pile
of stones and a Historic Site sign.
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Grave of Johnny Ringo. Wikipedia.
Testimony
to the Coroner from various people strongly suggested suicide. Prior to his
death by gunshot, he'd been drinking heavily at nearby Galeyville.
Before then he'd been on an extended “jamboree” in Tombstone and left there
only ten days before. According to the
reporter:
“He
was subject to frequent fits of melancholy and had an abnormal fear of being
killed. Two weeks ago last Sunday in conversing with the writer he said he was
as certain of being killed, as he was of living then. He said he might run along for a couple of
years more, and may not last two days.”
The
reporter also stated earlier:
“Many
people who were intimately acquainted with him in life, have serious doubts
that he took his own life, while an equally large number say that he frequently
threatened to commit suicide, and that event was expected at any time. The circumstances of the case hardly leave
any room for doubt as to his self-destruction.
The
Coroner's Register of Cochise County, Arizona Territory, 1881-1901, does not
state suicide, but “unknown, but supposed gunshot wound. Statement of John Yoast (Yost), dated July 14, 1882”, reported by citizens.
Historians may never know the truth, as stated on the marker by his grave.
Various accounts claim he was murdered, with no agreement on who may have shot
him.
___________________________________________________________________________________
The Historical Site marker reads:
JOHN RINGO
THE REMAINS OF THE NOTED
GUNMAN AND OUTLAW LIE HERE.
A TEAMSTER TRAVELING FROM
WEST TURKEY CREEK FOUND THE
BODY SITTING IN THE FORK OF A
NEARBY OAK TREE WITH A BULLET
HOLE IN THE RIGHT TEMPLE.
A CORONER'S JURY REPORTED THE
DEATH TO BE A SUICIDE, AND RINGO
WAS BURIED ON THE SPOT. THERE
WERE OTHERS WHO VIEWED THE
BODY AND MAINTAINED THAT THE
July 13. 1882 DEATH OF RINGO
WAS MURDER.
Cochise County
Archaeological and Historical
Society
and the Arizona Historical Society
________________________________________________________________________________
In
conclusion, research into six of the deaths on this coroner's report reveals
some of the history and stories behind deaths by gunshot in the early days of
the West in Cochise County, Arizona Territory.
References:
The 11
page Coroner's Register for Cochise County, Arizona Territory, 1881-1901 was
prepared by Arizona State Archives Library, Phoenix, Arizona. The complete pdf
file can be found at: www.mycochise.com/1881-1901.
Old
newspaper articles are found on: www.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/.
Information
on various people and events, and historic photos from Wikipedia at
en.wikipedia.org. and other internet sites.
Genealogical
information from Family Search site (familysearch.org) and various internet
sites.
Good
biographies of famous people in involved in the “Gunfight at OK Corral” are on:
www.eaglefreeenterprises.org/warren_earp.
The
author tallied the individual entries on the coroner's reports on index cards.
Any errors are my own.
Thank
you, as always, to Ed Block for careful proofreading and comments.
American Pioneer
& Cemetery Research
Project
Internet Presentation
010720
WebMaster: Neal Du Shane
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