This is a pretty good telling of the Wyatt Earp story. It leaves out all of the Tombstone film silliness. It also, as usual, forgets little brother Warren Earp, who was with family in California at the time of the street fight, but returned to Tombstone to join Wyatt, Doc Holliday, Jack "Turkey Creek" Johnson, John Wilson "Texas Jack" Vermillion, Charles "Hairlip Charlie" Smith, Daniel "Tip" Tipton and Sherman McMaster on the "vengeance ride." Sheriff Behan's posse had warrants for Wyatt and Doc, but also had a warrant for Warren Earp for involvement in the killing of Frank Stillwell in Tucson. The film plays up Wyatt as being disreputable to the more wealthy and sedate population of Tombstone because of his gambling and fraternization with Doc Holliday, but makes no mention of brother James Earp who worked as a bartender and bouncer for his wife Bessie's brothel. It has been said that if there were problems in Bessie's establishment and partially crippled James was not available, the other Earps would toss out the troublemakers, or "buffalo" them across the head with a Colt revolver, then jail them. Therefor the hushed nickname given the Earps was the "Fighting Pimps of Tombstone." I think that Warren Earp has been internationally overlooked because he was the Earp that got into a drunken altercation with rancher Henry Hooker's range boss Johnny Boyett, that escalated into Boyett gunning down Warren in the town of Willcox, Az. Boyett was arrested and a coroner found that he had shot Warren Earp, but no further prosecution was taken. Many believed that Wyatt or Warren Earp would return to deal with Boyett. ;-P
The Tombstone Epitaph reported the following on July 9, 1900:
“ Warren Earp, the youngest of the four Earp brothers whose names twenty years ago were synonymous with gun fighting on the Arizona frontier, "died with his boots on" here. He was shot through, the heart in a saloon by Cowboy Johnny Boyett, and died almost Instantly. The shooting occurred early in the morning and grew out of a feud that had existed between the two men ever since the bloody fights between the Earp's and Arizona cattle rustler about Tombstone In the early eighties [1880s]. Earp had habitually bullied Boyett for months past, and the latter always tried to avoid a quarrel. A few days ago Earp cornered Boyett in a saloon, and, pressing a revolver against Boyett's stomach, made him promise that if they ever quarreled again the one should kill the other. The two men met in a restaurant and Earp began his abuse. Boyett went Into an adjoining saloon, followed by Earp. The latter said: "Boyett, go get your gun and we'll settle the matter right here. I've got my gun; go get yours." Boyett was willing and agreed to return in a few moments and fight it out. Earp also left the saloon. Boyett returned very soon and finding Earp gone warned all loungers in the saloon to clear out, emphasizing his warning by shooting into the ceiling. Earp shortly appeared through a back door. He started toward Boyett, throwing open his coat and saying: "Boyett, I am unarmed; you have the best of this," advancing as spoke. Boyett warned him not to come nearer, but Earp did not heed the words, and when within eight feet Boyett fired, shooting Earp through the heart and killing him instantly. Warren Earp was the youngest brother of the Earp family. He was well known by Uncle-Sheriff Paul of Tucson, who was Sheriff of Pima county in the eighties when trouble occurred between the Earps and the Clanton gang. Earp came to this country about the time of the beginning of the feud from Colton, Cal. He was one of the original brothers and took an active part in their fights after he arrived. Morgan Earp was killed In 1883 In Bob Hatch's saloon in Tombstone, being shot from the back as he was playing billiards. Virgil Earp later was shot in the arm and seriously wounded and the killing of Frank Stilwell occurred In Tucson not long after, when he attempted to shoot Virgil through a car window. Stilwell was shot by Wyatt Earp. Warren came here when his brothers got into trouble at Tombstone with the Clanton gang and he has remained here since. He was driving stage from Willcox to Fort Grant and had done freighting.”
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