Transcript

Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta

From American History Tellers · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 38 min · 6,633 words · 50 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta", an episode of American History Tellers published October 30, 2025 (38 min, about 6,633 words). It mentions 59 people, works and ideas, including Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Posse, Curly Bill Brocius, Ike Clanton.

What this episode is about

The content centers on the tense deliberations of a jury in Tombstone, Arizona, following the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, where three men were killed. The jurors grapple with complex questions of legal culpability regarding Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday, as they must determine not only who was responsible for the deaths but whether the shooters should face criminal charges despite their assertion that they were acting in self-defense and fulfilling

Key takeaways

  • Doc Holliday's dual-wielding dilemma: shotgun in one hand, nickel-plated pistol in none?
  • Justice or survival? Tombstone jurors caught between cowboy wrath and legal duty.
  • Sheriff Behan's flip-flop: from backing Virgil Earps to pointing pistols at Holliday.
  • OK Corral juror: a role less law, more dodgeball with angry cowboys.
  • Vendetta's VIP list: Wyatt Earp turned from lawman to most-wanted vigilante.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Tombstone, Arizona, Billy Clanton, Doc Holliday, American History Tellers
  2. – 10:00: Arizona law, Ike Clanton, Sheriff Johnny Behan, Simon Fitch
  3. – 15:00: Chester A. Arthur, Ike Clanton, Martial law, Tombstone City Council
  4. – 20:00: Stolen Kisses
  5. – 25:00: Sheriff Johnny Behan, Vendetta Ride, Florentino Cruz, Ike Clanton
  6. – 30:00: Vendetta Ride, Harry Clay Hooker, Indian reservations, Sheriff Johnny Behan
  7. – 35:00: Federal pardon, Florentino Cruz, Ike Clanton, Prescott, Arizona
  8. – 37:48: American History Tellers, Aaron Oclarity, Airship, Alita Rosanski

Notable quotes from "Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta"

  • Imagine it's October 28th, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona. You're a type setter by trade, but today you're doing your civic duty, sitting on the jury for that shootout that happened 2 days ago at the OK Corral, leaving three men dead. You.
    about Tombstone, Arizona · at
  • According to the law, we have two jobs today. First, for legal reasons, we have to rule who killed Billy Clanton and the two McClary brothers. That should be easy. The Her…
    about Billy Clanton · at
  • However you want, but the Herbs committed murder. I say they were only responding to the threats from Ike Clanton, who they didn't even kill.
    about Ike Clanton · at
  • From Wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story.
    about American History Tellers · at
  • And Doc Holiday 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…
    about Sheriff Johnny Behan · at
  • 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.
    about Arizona law · at
  • 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.
    about Vendetta Ride · at
  • There. But the posi 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 Florentino Cruz · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Virgil Earp — Person · 22 mentions
  • Morgan Earp — Person · 18 mentions
  • Curly Bill Brocius — Person · 8 mentions
  • Ike Clanton — Person · 6 mentions · first at
  • Fin Clanton — Person · 6 mentions
  • Frank Stilwell — Person · 6 mentions
  • Tom McLaury — Person · 6 mentions
  • Sheriff Johnny Behan — Person · 5 mentions · first at
  • Frank McLaury — Person · 4 mentions
  • Will McLaury — Person · 4 mentions
  • Ally Earp — Person · 3 mentions
  • Billy Clanton — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Doc Holliday — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    To rule who killed Billy Clanton and the two McClary brothers. That should be easy. The Her brothers and Doc Holliday aren't denying that they did it. So, we can all agree…
  • Florentino Cruz — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Warren Earp — Person · 2 mentions
  • Wells Spicer — Person · 1 mention · first at
    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…
  • Simon Fitch — Person · 1 mention · first at
    But Wyatt and Doc Holiday did, and for their lawyer, the Herbs and Holiday hired Tom Fitch, a former congressman.
  • Chester A. Arthur — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Coverage only grew worse after the shootout. Even US President Chester Arthur considered sending in federal troops to assert martial law. The Tombstone City Council was appalled.
  • Maretta Spence — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Town had held an inquest into Morgan's death, which had included testimony from a woman named Maretta Spence. Marietta's husband, Pete, often beat her, and she testified that he and several others were responsible for Morgan's murder.
  • Pete Spence — Person · 1 mention · first at
    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 posi did…
  • Harry Clay Hooker — Person · 1 mention · first at
    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 US Army and local Indian…
  • Josephine Marcus — Person · 1 mention · first at
    San Francisco and reunited with Johnny Behan's old fianceé, the actress Josephine Marcus. They stayed together for the next 47 years. And during that time, they drifted all…
  • Tom Clavin — Person · 1 mention · first at
    If you'd like to learn more about Tombstone, we recommend The Last Gunfight by Jeff Gwyn, Tombstone by Tom Clavin, and Ride the Devil's Herd by John Bozenecker. American…
  • Molly Bach — Person · 1 mention · first at
    By me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Muhammad Shazib. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Sam Keane. Edited by Dorian Marina.…
  • Alita Rosanski — Person · 1 mention · first at
    By Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Sam Keane. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rosanski. Managing producer Desi Bllelock. Senior producer Andy…
  • Dorian Marina — Person · 1 mention · first at
    By Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Sam Keane. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rosanski. Managing producer Desi Bllelock. Senior producer Andy…
  • Desi Bllelock — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Episode is written by Sam Keane. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rosanski. Managing producer Desi Bllelock. Senior producer Andy Beckerman. Executive producers are…
  • Andy Beckerman — Person · 1 mention · first at
    By Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rosanski. Managing producer Desi Bllelock. Senior producer Andy Beckerman. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman, Marshall Louie, and Aaron Oclarity for Wondering.
  • Marshall Louie — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Bllelock. Senior producer Andy Beckerman. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman, Marshall Louie, and Aaron Oclarity for Wondering.
  • Aaron Oclarity — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Beckerman. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman, Marshall Louie, and Aaron Oclarity for Wondering.
  • Jeff Guinn — Person · 1 mention
  • Jenny Lauer Beckman — Person · 1 mention
  • John Boessenecker — Person · 1 mention
  • Mohammad Shazi — Person · 1 mention
  • Sam Kean — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

  • Stolen Kisses — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Saturday night of March 18th, Morgan decided to take in a stage show in Tombstone, a comedy called Stolen Kisses. Doc Holiday joined him. They had a fine time, but upon exiting…
  • The Last Gunfight — Book · 1 mention · first at
    If you'd like to learn more about Tombstone, we recommend The Last Gunfight by Jeff Gwyn, Tombstone by Tom Clavin, and Ride the Devil's Herd by John Bozenecker. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced.
  • Ride the Devil's Herd — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Tombstone, we recommend The Last Gunfight by Jeff Gwyn, Tombstone by Tom Clavin, and Ride the Devil's Herd by John Bozenecker. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and…
  • Tombstone (book) — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • American History Tellers — Company · 3 mentions · first at
  • United States Marshals Service — Company · 2 mentions
  • Tombstone City Council — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Arthur considered sending in federal troops to assert martial law. The Tombstone City Council was appalled.
  • Airship — Company · 1 mention · first at
    John Bozenecker. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Muhammad Shazib. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music…
  • Thrum — Company · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

  • Posse — Concept · 12 mentions
  • Vendetta Ride — Concept · 5 mentions · first at
  • Arizona law — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
  • U.S. Deputy Marshal — Concept · 2 mentions
  • Martial law — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Shootout. Even US President Chester Arthur considered sending in federal troops to assert martial law. The Tombstone City Council was appalled.
  • Indian reservations — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    The ranch of Harry Clay Hooker, a cattle baron who supplied beef to the US Army and local Indian reservations. Hooker was wealthy and politically powerful enough to feel…
  • Federal pardon — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    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 Curly Bill Brochious while serving as a.
  • Pilgrims — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Native tribes, and internal strife, these separatists, who become known as the pilgrims, struggle to build the Plymouth Colony.

Places & events

Full transcript with timestamps

Wonder. Imagine it's October 28th, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona. You're a type setter by trade, but today you're doing your civic duty, sitting on the jury for that shootout that happened 2 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 10 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've volunteered to be foremen 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 two McClary brothers. That should be easy. The Her brothers and Doc Holliday aren't denying that they did it. So, we can all agree there, right? Everyone murmurss in a sense. So, you go on. But the second matter is a little trickier. We have to rule whether the Herbs 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 Hers 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

lawman. Well, the only one of them that had a badge was Virgil, but he deputized his brothers on holiday. Not officially. They just ran over there with their guns. A few people mutter an in agreement and the man goes on. Besides, you heard Sheriff Beehan's testimony on the stand today. He was right there and he says he heard Doc Holliday's nickelplated pistol go off first. Holiday is the only person around who carries one. Holiday started the whole thing and the herbs followed up. Behan said that yes, but that testimony doesn't make sense if you think about it. Other witnesses saw Holiday carrying a shotgun and that's a two-handed weapon. We know he fired it. That's how Tom McClory died. So, so how was Holiday shooting a pistol and a shotgun at the same time? Well, you can spin this however you want, but the Herbs committed murder. I say they were only responding to the threats 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 advice. 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 foremen. And you hope like hell that the 10 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.

from Wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story. After the deadly shootout at the OK 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 Holiday, Wyatt Herp, and his brothers instigating a gunfight, the citizens wrath turned on them. Many people in town, including the sheriff, wanted to prosecute the Herbs and Doc Holiday. But for friends of the dead cowboys, prosecution wasn't enough. They wanted Wyatt Herp and the others dead.

This situation escalated until another round of shootings pushed Wyatt 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 OK Corral. Vendetta. On October 28th, 1881, 2 days after the shootout at the OK Corral, the coroner in Tombstone, Arizona, launched an inquest into the deaths of Billy Clanton and the two McClure 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 Her brothers and Doc Holiday 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 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 nickelplated pistol. In Tombstone, everyone knew that only Doc Holiday carried one of those. The implication was that Holiday had fired first, and then the herbs killed the other cowboys in cold blood. 10 tombstone men served on the jury for the coroner. It was up to them to rule who killed Clanton and the McClurries and then whether the Hersps 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

provoked 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 herbs and Doc Holiday. They did not recommend issuing any warrants, but didn't foreclose on the possibility either. This non-indictment enraged Ike. 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, 5 days after the shootout. And by that point, the Herbs 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 Holiday did, and for their lawyer, the Herbs 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 Earth brothers, so they charged them with a 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 Herbs 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 Mccclary.

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, Mcclor bullied his way onto the prosecution team and demanded murder charges for the earth. 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 Mcclurry forged ahead and Clanton's testimony proved disastrous.

He gave long, rambling answers to Mccclary'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 stage coach robbery that had left two men dead. Clanton further swore that Wyatt had asked him to murder his three accompllices 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 stage coach 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 2 weeks, the prosecution rested. It was the defense's turn next.

On November 16th, 1881, attorney Fitch began by calling Wyatt 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 law man wounded in the line of duty no doubt tugged on Spicer's sympathies. The defense did not call Doc Holiday 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 McLarries were violating the law and carrying guns and clearly posed a menace. Spicer also noted that the majority of the evidence supported the Herbs version of events. Therefore, Spicer was recommending against a grand jury bringing charges.

But this final failure to indict the Her 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 US 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 step down from his appointment as acting town marshal. For a man who' taken a bullet in the line of duty, it was a painful rebuke. And unfortunately for Virgil, things were about to get worse.

Imagine it's December 28th, 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 Herb has been shot. He's lying on a 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 mad house 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 foottool. Everyone, everyone, I 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, Ally, who caresses his face. You feel a lump in your throat, but you gently steer her into the hole 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. It looks like a shotgun blast. I'm seeing wounds to the liver. He's got wounds near the kidney and spine back here, but they're pretty superficial. These are, too. 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. 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. Then you shake your head. No. You're certain the arm will need amputating. 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, 2 months after the shootout at the OK Corral, Virgil Herp was ambushed while walking home alone after an evening at a saloon with his brother Wyatt. Wyatt heard the gunfire and raced 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, Ally. "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 whole 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 draw up a list of suspects. It included several members of the cowboy gangs, including Curly Bill Brochious. 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 herb. As his brother's life hung in the balance, he made a fateful decision. If the law couldn't control these cowboys, then he would take action himself.

After a painful recovery, Virgil ended up surviving the assassination attempt made in late December 1881, but his doctors had to remove 5 in 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 US Deputy Marshall for Tombstone, but for all practical purposes, his days of law enforcement were over. Wyatt Herps, however, were not. He sent a telegram to the US Marshall for Arizona asking to be deputized as a new local marshall, and a feeble Virgil swore his young brother in. Wyatt, in turn, deputize his brothers Morgan and Warren, Doc Holiday, and three other friends, and organized them into a posi. Wyatt knew his posi would have a difficult time tracking down Virgil 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 9 mi 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 rush toward them, but the third man grabs your arm. Stay back, miss. What's going on here? We're with Wyatt Herp. You know the Hers 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 Herb and we've heard that men have been seen coming and going from here all week. Oh, those are my customers. I washed 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, dude. 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 Herp and his deputies. Wyatt Herp and his posi 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 posi 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 posi 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 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 decided to take in a stage show in Tombstone, a comedy called Stolen Kisses. Doc Holiday 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 chafed 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 the pool queue 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 34th 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 Holiday, and a few other men accompanied Virgil to the nearest train station. It was located in Benson, 20 mi northwest of 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 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 stage coach. Hearing this, Wyatt's posy decided to accompany Virgil to Tucson for safety. Upon arrival, they saw no sign of Stillwell 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 the two men. Sure enough, it was Clanton and Stillwell.

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 Brochious. 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 the 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 Maretta 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 posi 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 posi of

two dozen men to stop Wyatt's vendetta ride. He also deputized several cowboys to form a separate posy, a group that included Curly Bill Brochious. 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 Herp into a fight to the death.

In the spring of 1882, Tombstone Sheriff Johnny Behan set off in pursuit of Wyatt Herp and his crew with a posy of two dozen armed men. But even with this show of force, Sheriff Behan hesitated to confront Wyatt directly. Instead, Behan wanted to see whether the posi led by Curly Bill Brochious could track Wyatt's crew down first. And on the afternoon of March 24th, 1882, the Brochious Posi got their chance. Wyatt, Doc Holiday, 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 bills posy jumped out from behind a bank of earth 30 yards away and opened fire. Most of Wyatt's posy 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 on to it and his shotgun. He took aim at Curly Bill

Brochious and blasted a hole in his longtime enemy's chest. Brochious 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 shoe horn 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 posi 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 posi fled and no longer posed a threat to Herp 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 27th, 1882. You're clearing away some brush on your ranch 20 m outside Tombstone. 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 nigh. 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 9:00 a.m. She rides up looking nervous. Hey, you all right? You look vexed. Wide herbs posy 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 posy. Well, that puts us in a spot. I want you to send them away. Well, I can't do that. They ask for a meal. But still, I want them gone. Well, you know that's not how it works. Any man asks for a meal, we provide it. Do we have to also provide shelter for vigilantes? Now, Herps had two brothers shot, one kill.

And then he shot an unarmed ranch hand. You read the papers. If Johnny behan's posy comes storming in here, he could get us killed. We have twins in the crib at home. 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 and 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. He has 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 Herp and his crew won't hold it against you because the truth is the way things have been going recently, Herp'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 US Army and local Indian reservations. Hooker 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 Posi members were startled to see Wyatt ask 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 Beehan, who had taken the lead in pursuing Wyatt in the aftermath of Brochious'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 assume 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 Behance Posi 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 watched Behind's men ride all over the ranch searching. But they never approached the bluff, which was the obvious place for Wyatt's men 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 rung out. So, despite his initial determination to fight, Wyatt Earth decided to flee Arizona and put himself beyond the reach of Johnny Behan. His posi split up and went their separate ways, including Doc Holiday. 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 Curly Bill Brochious while serving as a deputized US 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 Herb brothers faded. After Wyatt's Posi broke up at the Hooker Ranch, Doc Holiday

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 Herb, Ike and his brother Finn moved 200

m 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 Ike again tried to escape. This time, his luck ran out and he was gunned down. Sheriff Johnny Behan claimed credit for running off the Earth 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 Herb 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 Herb traveled to San Francisco and reunited with Johnny Behan's old fianceé, 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 Herp'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 OK 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 Herp 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. Herp proved even more popular on television. At least a half dozen shows in the 1950s featured earthlike 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 4 of our four-part 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'd like to learn more about Tombstone, we recommend The Last Gunfight by Jeff Gwyn, Tombstone by Tom Clavin, and Ride the Devil's Herd by John Bozenecker. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Muhammad Shazib. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Thrum. This episode is written by Sam Keane. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rosanski. Managing producer Desi Bllelock. Senior producer Andy Beckerman. Executive producers are Jenny Lowour Beckman, Marshall Louie, and Aaron Oclarity for Wondering.

Questions about this episode

What is "Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta" about?

The content centers on the tense deliberations of a jury in Tombstone, Arizona, following the infamous shootout at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881, where three men were killed. The jurors grapple with complex questions of legal culpability regarding Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday, as they must determine not only who was responsible for the deaths but whether the shooters should…

What is mentioned in this American History Tellers episode?

59 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Posse, Curly Bill Brocius, Ike Clanton, Fin Clanton. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Vendetta"?

The episode runs 38 min; the transcript is about 6,633 words in 50 timestamped sections.

More from American History Tellers

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated December 19, 2025.