Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Big Nose Kate

in 1939 letter niece lillian rafferty, kate claimed in tombstone area holliday during days before shootout. according kate, holliday in tucson when attended san augustin feast , fair in levin park during october 1881. on october 20, 1881, morgan earp rode tucson request holliday s assistance dealing cochise county cowboys had threatened kill earps. wrote holliday asked remain in tucson safety, refused, , traveled holliday , earp. kate reminisced in letter stay holliday @ c.s. fly s boarding house bordered alley gunfight @ o.k. corral took place. kate accurately described minor details of shootout.

kate wrote on day of gunfight, man entered fly s boarding house bandaged head , rifle. looking holliday, still in bed after night of gambling. kate recalled man turned away mrs. fly later identified ike clanton, whom city marshal virgil earp had pistol-whipped earlier day when found clanton carrying rifle , pistol in violation of city ordinances. clanton s head bandaged afterward.

virgil earp had disarmed him earlier day , told ike leave ike s confiscated rifle , revolver @ grand hotel, favored cowboys when in town. ike testified afterward had tried buy new revolver @ spangenberger s gun , hardware store on 4th street owner saw ike s bandaged head , refused sell him one. clanton unarmed @ time of shootout later afternoon. ike testified picked weapons william soule, jailer, couple of days later.

author glenn boyer disputes kate saw gunfight through window of boarding house. according him also, kate stated after doc holliday returned room, sat on edge of bed , wept shock of had happened during close-range gunfight. awful, kate claims said. awful. boyer s work, however, has been rejected serious scholars.