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From his hotel window, Virgil watched Billy Clanton ride into town, accompanied by
friend Billy Claiborne. They met the McLaury brothers and Ike Clanton on Allen Street.
When Virgil investigated their movements, he encountered Ike alone, bracing a shotgun
while rambling down an alley. Words were exchanged and Clanton raised his rifle. Virgil
heeled him and dragged him before Justice of the Peace Wallace, who fined Ike $25. Wyatt
and Tom McLaury, both hearing what had happened, met at the judge’s door
simultaneously; they literally bumped into each other. Wyatt apologized, but McLaury
insulted him. In return, Wyatt brought out his Buntline Special and brought it down across
his head. He left him on the threshold with a headache.
Later that morning, the rustlers reassembled at Spangenbergs, a gunsmith, where Ike
bought a six-shooter (Virgil had impounded the shotgun). When Frank McLaury rode his horse
onto the boardwalk, scattering pedestrians off its path outside the shop, Wyatt grabbed
the reins and led it to the street. Passersbys heard McLaury thrash out at the lawman.
After this latest confrontation, the outlaws retreated in a group around the corner off
Allen.
The Clantons were egging for a fight; it was obvious to many. Various members of the
town’s Citizens’ Committee conferred with Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp on the
walkway and offered their assistance in the event of trouble. Wyatt thanked them, but told
them it was his and his brothers’ responsibility as law officers. It was during this street-corner parley that John Behan appeared to pronounce,
"Ike Clanton and his crew are on Fremont Street talking gun-talk." Virgil, as
Chief Marshal, agreed to go down there to break them up, but contended that Behan should
accompany him. Behan laughed. "Hell, this is your fight, not mine."
The county sheriff was right about one thing. Ike Clanton, the two McLaurys, Billy
Clanton and Billy Claiborne had collected en force in a small vacant lot off
Fremont Street. It is now believed they planned to bushwhack Doc Holliday whom they knew
passed this way to and from the central part of town every morning. Their pockets were
loaded with cash, indicating intentions of a quick getaway. That said, they must have been
surprised when the Earps materialized much sooner than they obviously expected.
And they certainly were stunned seeing Doc Holliday with them. The latter had either
taken another route or they must have bypassed each other by minutes. Intersecting Wyatt
and his brothers on their famous walk to meet the Clantonites, Doc convinced them it was
his fight, too. After all, the Clantons had involved him when they tried to implicate him
in that stage robbery. Wyatt shrugged, but agreed.
Where the two forces finally met in combat was actually 90 yards down an alley from the
OK Corral, not at the corral as colorful history later placed it. The actual
gunfight took place off Fremont Street between Fly’s Photo Gallery and Jersey’s
Livery Stable. The Earps passed by the OK Corral, but cut through the alley where they
found the troublemakers waiting at the other end.
"You are under arrest for attempting to disturb the peace," Virgil announced.
As senior officer, he displayed only a non-threatening walking stick, having given his
shotgun to Doc to carry. The rustlers tightened and Morgan and Doc simultaneously braced
for action. "Hold on, I don’t want that!" cried Virgil.
What happened then is still very much unsettled. Because it happened in a span of no
more than 40 seconds even the participants couldn’t be sure. It was a blur of
reflexive action -- and a bloody one. No one could later target who had shot first, but
Doc Holliday seemed to have scored the first hit. His bullet tore through Frank
McLaury’s stomach sending McLaury’s own shot wild through Wyatt’s
coat-tail. Billy Clanton fired at Virge, but his shot too went astray when Morgan’s
report entered his rib cage. Billy Claiborne had run at the first blast and was already
out of sight. Ike Clanton, too, panicked and threw his gun down, pleading for his life. "Fight
or get out like Claiborne!" Wyatt yelled and watched him desert his brother
Billy, arms flailing until he reached the door of the photography shop. But, from that
angle, behind the Earps’ backs, Ike withdrew a hidden gun to pop a shot towards Wyatt
before disappearing. The sound distracted Morgan; the moment was enough for Tom McLaury to
send a bullet into Morgan’s side. Doc instantly countered, blowing Tom away with
blasts from both barrels of the shotgun. Desperately, wounded and dying, Billy
Clanton fired blindly into the gunsmoke encircling him, striking Virge’s leg. He then
fell lifeless from a final volley from Wyatt’s Buntline Special..
An abrupt silence followed.
Townspeople ran from their homes and shops to see what had happened. John Clum and the
Citizens Committee called for wagons to convey wounded Morgan and Virgil to their
respective homes; doctors followed those wagons.
The sting of gunpowder in his nostrils, Wyatt walked from the scene, wondering what had
happened and how it happened. He became conscious of Behan beside him, advising him
he was under arrest.
"Not today," he answered and continued on to Virge’s and Morg’s
homes.
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