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Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
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=== Virgil decides to disarm Cowboys === Citizens reported to Virgil on the Cowboys' movements and their threats told him that Ike and Tom had left their livery stable and entered town while armed, in violation of the city ordinance. Virgil Earp was told by several citizens that the McLaurys and the Clantons had gathered on Fremont Street. Virgil decided he had to disarm the Cowboys.<ref name="virgiltestimony"/><ref name=historynetgun/> His decision to take action may have been influenced by the Cowboys' repeated threats to the Earps, their proximity to Holliday's room in Fly's boarding house, and their location on the route the Earps usually took to their homes two blocks further west on Fremont Street.<ref name=turner/>{{rp|27|date=November 2012}} Several members of the citizen's vigilance committee offered to support him with arms, but Virgil refused.<ref name="wgbh"/> He had, during the prior month, appointed Morgan as a Special Policeman. He had also appointed Wyatt as a Special Policeman while Virgil had been in Prescott on business. He had also called on Doc Holliday that morning for help with disarming the Clantons and McLaurys.<ref name=virgiltestimony/> Wyatt spoke of his brothers Virgil and Morgan as the "marshals" while he acted as "deputy." Virgil Earp picked up the shotgun he had retrieved from the Wells Fargo office earlier.<ref name="weir"/>{{rp|185|date=November 2012}} He gave the shotgun to Doc Holliday who hid it under his overcoat. He took Holliday's [[walking-stick]] in return.<ref name=boyer>{{cite book |author=Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp |title=I Married Wyatt Earp|others=Glenn G. Boyer, editor |location=Tucson |publisher= [[University of Arizona Press]] |year=1976}}</ref>{{rp|89|date=November 2012}} As usual, the Earps carried their revolvers in their coat pockets or in their waistbands. Wyatt Earp was carrying a [[.44 S&W American|.44 caliber American]] [[Smith & Wesson Model 3|1869 Smith & Wesson]] revolver.<ref name=shillingberg>{{cite journal|title=Wyatt Earp and the Buntline Special Myth |url=http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-wyatt-earp-and-the-buntline-special-myth/13255 |first=William B. |last=Shillingberg |date=Summer 1976 |volume=42 |number=2 |pages=113β154 |journal=Kansas Historical Quarterly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201191828/http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-wyatt-earp-and-the-buntline-special-myth/13255 |archive-date= February 1, 2012 }}</ref> Holliday was carrying a nickel-plated pistol in a holster, but this was concealed by his long coat, as was the shotgun. The Earps and Holliday walked west, down the south side of Fremont Street past the rear entrance to the O.K. Corral, but out of visual range of the Cowboys' last reported location.<ref name=wyatttestimony/> Near the corner of Fourth St. and Fremont St., the Earps ran into Sheriff Behan. He had left the Cowboys and came toward the Earps, though he looked nervously backward several times. Virgil testified afterward that Behan told them, "For God's sake, don't go down there or they will murder you!"<ref name=virgiltestimony/> Wyatt said Behan told him and Morgan, "I have disarmed them."<ref name=wyatttestimony/> Behan testified afterward that he had only said he had gone down to the Cowboys "for the purpose of disarming them," not that he had actually disarmed them.<ref name=behantestimony/> One eyewitness, laundryman Peter H. Fallehy, testified afterward that Virgil Earp told Behan, "those men have made their threats and I will not arrest them but I will kill them on sight."<ref name=fallehytestimony/> When Behan said he had disarmed them, Virgil attempted to avoid a fight. "I had a walking stick in my left hand and my hand was on my six-shooter in my waist pants, and when he said he had disarmed them, I shoved it clean around to my left hip and changed my walking stick to my right hand."<ref name="virgiltestimony"/> Wyatt said, "I took my pistol, which I had in my hand, under my coat, and put it in my overcoat pocket." The Earps walked further down Fremont street and came into full view of the Cowboys in the lot.<ref name=wyatttestimony/> Wyatt testified he saw "Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, and Billy Clanton standing in a row against the east side of the building on the opposite side of the vacant space west of Fly's photograph gallery. Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne and a man I don't know <nowiki>[</nowiki>Wes Fuller<nowiki>]</nowiki> were standing in the vacant space about halfway between the photograph gallery and the next building west."<ref name="wyatttestimony">{{cite web|url=http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/earp/wearptestimony.html|title=Testimony of Wyatt S. Earp in the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp-Holliday Case|access-date=February 6, 2011|year=2005|editor-first=Douglas|editor-last=Linder|work=Famous Trials: The O. K. Corral Trial|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203011441/http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/earp/wearptestimony.html|archive-date=February 3, 2011}} From Turner, Alford (Ed.), ''The O. K. Corral Inquest'' (1992)</ref> Addie Bourland corroborated Wyatt's testimony, stating that she saw "five men opposite my house, leaning against a small house west of Fly's Gallery and one man was holding a horse, standing a little out from the house."<ref name="addietestimony"/>
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