| Wyatt Earp |
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| Johnny Behan arrives in Pima County just in time to take Wyatt's old job as Deputy Sheriff. This causes concern for Wyatt, He is wanting the soon to be job as the Cochise County Sheriff, and Behan has let it be known that he has full intentions of taking the job himself, In January 1881, John Behan is appointed Sheriff of Cochise County by the Territorial Govenor John Freemot, ending Wyatt's hope of getting the Job. On June 6, 1881 Chief of Police Ben Sippy ask for a two week's leave of absent and Virgil Earp is voted to be a temporary replacement. On June 28, 1881 Virgil was appointed permanent replacement after Sippy did not return and no one knew his where abouts. After becomming sheriff, Behan begins to aline himself with Curly Bill Brocius, Pete Spence, Frank Stilwell and Johnny Ringo Known as the Cowboy's who have close ties with the Clanton and McLaury families. Things are not good between the Earps and the sheriff, especially since Wyatt had moved in with Behan's girl friend, Josephine Marcus with whom Behan had come to Pima County with earlier. Josephine Knew about Behan's dealings with the Cowboys who were rustling their fair share of cattle and she had even seen him accepting money from them before moving in with Wyatt. Wyatt is inferiorated by the fact, probably because he was not getting any of the money. Word was that if Behan got the job of sheriff that he would hire Wyatt as his assistent and pay him half the money he made while sheriff, if Wyatt would not pursue the job himself. Whether this was true or not we will never know for sure, but still Wyatt was mad about the matter. Things were heating up in Tombstone with the Earp's, Cowboy's and the Clantons at odds and on September 1881 to make matters worse, the Bisbee stage was robbed and the driver puts the finger on Pete Spence and Frank Stilwell, who is working as a deputy sheriff under Behan. Virgil and Wyatt, acting as chief of police, form a possee and arrest the two men for the robbery, and threats began to be made on the Earps life. On the night of Octobber 22, Doc. Holliday and Ike Clanton are almost involved in a gunfight over the fact that he heard Ike making threats on the Earp's and himself, if not for Morgan Earp, Doc. would probably have killed Ike that night and there may never been an OK Coral Gunfight. The following day Ike is at it again, telling everyone theere is going to be a fight and later is out on the street with a rifle cursing the Earps. Virgil hears Ike and confronts him in the street where he puts a pistol over Ike's head and drag's him to court there he is fined 25.00 and released. Ike is not finished he continues to make threats against Wyatt stating that he would get even. When Wyatt steps out of the courthouse he runs into McLaury where words are exchanged and Wyatt proceed's to pistol whip the unarmed McLaury there on the street. |
| Johnny Behan Comes to Town |
| The Stage Has Been Set |
| John Behan : On the day of the 26th I heard in the barber shop that trouble was about to start. I left the Barber shop and went to see Virgil Earp and told him that it was his duty to stop the fight. He said if they want a fight they will have it. I went and found Frank Mclowry, and told him I was going to disarm him, He said not unless I disarmed the Earps and Holliday also. I looked down Freemont street and saw Tom McLowry and the Clanton brothers. Frank and I went to them and I told them that I was going to arrest them, to come with me and lay down their arms which they would not do. About this time I saw Marshall Earp,Wyatt and Holliday comming down the street, I went to them and ordered them back that I had come to disarm the Party. They paid no attention and said something to me as they passed me by. When they reached the party of Cowboy's they drew their guns and said you son of bitches have been wanting a fight now you'll have it. I heard someone say throw up your hands and the firing began, there were 25 or 30 shots fired. I was still talking to the men trying to get them to stop. At this time I heard Billy Clanton say "don't shoot me, I don't want to fight" Afterward I'm sure I saw Billy Clanton firing his gun,he was laying on the ground with his legs crossed. Tom McLowery threw open his coat and said" I've got nothing" At the same time the firing started. After the fight was over Wyatt said to me"You decieved me you said that you had disarmed them"I told him that I had done no such thing. I put my arm around Ike Clanton, and he had nothing, Tom McLowry showed me that he had nothing. Frank and Billy were the only one's armed. Billy Claiborne was there he said I'm not one of them. There was five or six of us standing around, I don't know who fired the first shot, it was a nickel plated pistol and it was one of the Earps party. There were two shots fired about the same time but it was the Earps crowd who fired first. Holliday had a shotgun, he was trying to conceal it under his coat, but I saw it. I dont know whether he fired it or not I think he did. I saw Billy Clanton fall and Frank McLowry had not his pistol drawn when Wyatt told them to throw up their hands. I considered the cowboys to be under arrest at the time but I don't know if they would have paid me any attention or not. I left them for the purpose of stopping the Earps. Read Other Testimony's |
| Sworn Testimony of Johnny Behan |
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| The actions that transpired on October 6, 1881 will be debated forever. One would have to write a book to cover all the evidence and testimony of witnesses and then you would not know any more about what happened than what you can make of their statements, and which one you wanted to believe. As I've said earlier, accounts were written sometimes day's after the actual incident and sometimes they were changed around to look in favor of the most popular people. The Earps, Holliday, Clanton's, McLowry's, Cowboy's and Behan all were enemey's, and most all of them had shady backgrounds. All wanted power and all wanted to run Cochise County. The Gunfight at the O.K. Coral started the first day that the Earps came to town and came to a head on October 26th. There's thousands of stories about it, and I could write my own but it's better to hear it from the people who saw it. Below is what John Behan saw or told and He was there. |
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