Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Law and Disorder | 2

The 1880 elections in Tombstone, Arizona, were marred by corruption and fraud, particularly in the hotly contested race for city marshal involving Wyatt Earp and Democrat Ben Sippy.

Election Fraud in Tombstone: Cowboy Gangs Rig Votes For Democrats

1880 City Marshal Election: Democrat Ben Sippy Fraudulently Defeated Republican Incumbent Virgil Earp, Despite Virgil Having More Votes

During the election for city marshal, Republican incumbent Virgil Earp initially appeared to be ahead of his Democrat opponent Ben Sippy. However, additional ballots were counted favoring Sippy, which were allegedly supplied by Curly Bill Brocius. These fraudulent votes swung the result in favor of the Democrat, despite genuine ballots indicating that Earp had a lead. The final vote tally declared Sippy victorious with 311 votes to Earp’s 259, and evidence strongly suggests that fraudulent activities affected the outcome.

Cowboy Gangs Rigged Elections, Stuffing Ballots So Their Candidates Won, Like a 104-vote Precinct With Only 10 Registered Voters, Yielding 103 Democratic Votes

There was a clear pattern of cowboy gangs, including the one led by Brocius, stuffing ballot boxes to guarantee their preferred Democratic candidates emerged victorious. In a striking example of this fraudulent practice, one precinct reported 104 vo ...

The rivalry between the Earp brothers and Johnny Behan epitomizes the lawlessness and political intrigue of the Wild West, particularly in Cochise County, Arizona.

Johnny Behan, a Democrat, Became Cochise County's First Sheriff, Outmaneuvering Wyatt Earp's Bid

In the political landscape of Tombstone, Johnny Behan, a Democrat, successfully outmaneuvered Wyatt Earp, a Republican, to become the first Sheriff of Cochise County, creating the backdrop to a longstanding rivalry.

Behan Double-Crosses Wyatt: Deputy Sheriff Position Promised but Given to Another, Fueling Animosity

The transcript does not explicitly discuss Behan promising then denying Wyatt Earp a position as Deputy Sheriff, but the positioning within the local law enforcement by Behan would likely have caused animosity between the two.

As 1880 drew to a close and Tombstone became the county seat for Cochise County, Johnny Behan held a promising position as deputy sheriff. Wyatt Earp had aspirations to become Sheriff, but the territorial governor's political maneuverings favored a Democrat - a role that Johnny Behan was positioned to fill. Behan worked his contacts and secured the Sheriff position for himself, sidelining Wyatt Earp's ambitions.

Behan Allied With Cowboy Gangs, Installing Outlaw Curly Bill Brocius as Tax Collector, Letting Criminals Profit From Misdeeds

The explicit narrative of Behan installing Curly Bill Brocius as tax collector is not provided, but Behan’s connections with cowboy gangs and the perceived strength of their alliance are evident. There was outrage over the association between Sheriff Behan and Curly Bill, a known criminal, which suggests an unscrupulous relationship that allowed lawlessness and the cowboy fac ...

Cowboy gangs in and around Tombstone committed violent crimes, including stagecoach robberies, leading to a breakdown of law and order and threatening the region's economic stability.

Cowboy Gangs in Tombstone Committed Violent Crimes, Including Stagecoach Robberies That Threatened Economic Stability

Initially, these cowboys rustled cattle in Mexico, but with tightened border security, they targeted Tombstone, Arizona. Jim Crane, a notorious stagecoach killer, and others like him raided cattle from ranches south of the border and smuggled goods into Arizona, leading to violent altercations with Mexican smugglers. After Mexican soldiers killed Ike Clanton's father and a perpetrator of the Benson stagecoach murder, the cowboy gang increasingly focused on stagecoach robberies within Arizona.

Cowboys Forced Dance Hall Patrons to Strip and Dance, Demonstrating a Breakdown of Law and Order

Curly Bill Brocius and his gang exemplified lawlessness by forcing patrons of a dance hall to strip and dance, contributing to the region's growing sense of unruliness and loss of control.

The Robberies Targeted Valuable Shipments, Including $2,000 From Wells Fargo, Often Resulting In Driver and Guard Injuries or Deaths, Sparking Public Outrage

Stagecoach robberies became more frequent, with a marked instance on September 9th when a stagecoach was robbed, involving Frank Stillwell, a scandal implicating Sheriff Johnny Behan. In a separate incident, a Wells Fargo stagecoach was r ...

Wyatt Earp set his sights on unseating the incumbent and perceived corrupt Sheriff Johnny Behan in the upcoming sheriff election. His strategy centered around capturing the notorious Benson Stagecoach killers to paint Behan as dangerous and incompetent, thus bolstering his own reputation and political prospects.

Wyatt Earp Aimed to Unseat Corrupt Sheriff Behan By Capturing the Benson Stagecoach Killers for the Reward to Boost His Reputation and Political Fortunes

In an attempt to strengthen his political position and challenge Sheriff Behan's authority, Wyatt Earp crafted a plan to capture the Benson Stagecoach Murderers, thereby proving himself competent and worthy of the sheriff position. Earp hoped this success would convince the people to prefer him over Behan in the ensuing election.

Wyatt Enlisted Cowboys and Ranchers to Trap the Killers, but the Plan Failed When two Murderers Died Separately

Earp orchestrated a plan involving cowboys and ranchers, many with criminal ties themselves, such as Joe Hill, Frank McClory, and Ike Clanton to ensnare the killers in a trap. He promised them the full $3,600 Wells Fargo reward in exchange for duping the bandits with false information about a stagecoach to rob, allowing Earp to apprehend them. However, the plan unraveled when two of the murderers died in unrelated incidents, and the failure of the plan also negatively affected Earp's plot to discredit Behan and secure the sheriff position for himself. Wells Fargo’s decision not to pay the full reward after the accidental deaths further complicated matters by demotivating the men Earp had enlisted for his plan.

Ike Clanton's Father's Death by Mexican Soldiers Fueled Tensions, Making Clanton Unpredictable for Wyatt

Following the death of his father at the hands of Mexican soldiers who were exacting revenge for the killings of Mexican smugglers, I ...