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154 The McLaurys in Tombstone, Arizona Open Hostilities Following the Indian outbreak at the Cibecue, Acting Governor Gosper traveled throughout the Territory. He was in Tucson on September 8th and traveled to Tombstone the next day. His brief stay in Tombstone took place as the news of the stolen horses and the stage coach robbery were breaking. By the time Frank Stilwell and Pete Spence were brought in for arraignment, Gosper had moved on to Willcox and was on his way to New Mexico to confer with the governor there. His fact-finding tour concerned two issues: suppression of the cowboys and defense against Indians. He must have had wide-ranging conversations with many citizens, including Joseph Bowyer. Bowyer was part owner of the Texas Mine in Galeyville. In the company of a leading merchant from the town, Bowyer went to Tucson to approach Gosper directly to request arms and ammunition to equip a volunteer militia for the defense of Galeyville. The two men put up a bond in order to come away with twenty old carbines and 5,000 rounds of ammunition. Gosper remembered his conversation with Bowyer well enough afterward to write and ask him to give information about the cowboys. Bowyer’s letter was a detailed reply. Anecdote by anecdote he illustrated how the cowboys bullied everyone, including deputies and justices of the peace. He told of the misadventure of Turner and McCallister in Mexico, that cowboys had ambushed a Mexican pack train, and how the cowboys openly boasted of their exploits.1 “A notorious cow-boy known as John R. offers to sell all the mutton the town can consume at the rate of $1.00 per head. No secrecy is observed, in this kind of transactions.” John Ringo—the same “John R.” who sold mutton at a ridiculously low price—had been a partner with Dave Estes in robbing a card game during the rainy August days. Describing the nature of the prosecution of Estes, Bowyer revealed the cowboys’ unchecked influence over the law. “While the trial was in progress the Judge stated to Quartz Johnson that the prisoner could not be convicted, and subsequently that he (the Judge) would now stand well with the cow-boys.” Bowyer related many things that were Twenty 155 An O.K. Corral Obituary common knowledge around the county, giving an over-all description of life in Galeyville at the mercy of the worst of the cowboys.2 The cow-boys frequently visit our town and often salute us with an indiscriminate discharge of firearms, and after indulging in a few drinks at the saloon, practice shooting at the lamps, bottles, glasses +c. [crockery] sometimes going to the length of shooting the cigar out of ones mouth; this of course produces a nervous feeling among visitors especially.3 The letter made no distinction between the cowboys who shot up Galeyville and any other stockmen or ranchers, portraying all the cowboys in the same category. It may have been that the roughest element were the ones who turned up in Galeyville, an isolated mining camp on the eastern slope of the Chiricahua Mountains, not a center for agriculture or a particularly big market for beef. Still, Bowyer’s letter amplified the bad reputation of cowboys as Gosper transmitted it in turn to the United States Secretary of State, James G. Blaine. President Garfield died on September 19. The nation went into mourning , yet the stagnation of the federal government finally came to an end as the administration began anew under Chester A. Arthur. The succession in Washington again changed the background for events in Arizona. By the time Gosper wrote to Secretary Blaine, he was even more keenly aware of the pressure to place himself in the way of a presidential appointment to the real job of Territorial Governor. His own accompanying letter reflected what he had learned on his fact-finding tour of Cochise County. At Tombstone, the county seat of Cochise County, I conferred with the Sheriff of said county upon the subject of breaking up the bands of out-laws, and, I am sorry to say he gave me but little hope of being able in his department to cope with the power of the cow-boys. He represented to me that the Deputy U.S. Marshal, resident of Tombstone, and the city Marshal for the same and those who aided him (the Deputy Marshal) seemed unwilling to heartily cooperate with him (the Sheriff) in capturing and...

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