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Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American gambler and law enforcement officer who, while deputy town marshal in Tombstone, Arizona, took part in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cowboys. He is often regarded as the central figure in the shootout in Tombstone, although his brother Virgil Earp was Tombstone city marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal that day (October 26, 1881), and had far more experience as a sheriff, constable, marshal, and soldier in combat.
Earp lived a restless life. He was at different times in his life a constable, city policeman, county sheriff, Deputy U.S. Marshal, teamster, buffalo hunter, bouncer, saloon-keeper, gambler, brothel owner, pimp, miner, and boxing referee. Partly due to an exaggerated biography published in 1934, Wyatt Earp's image has become the prototype of the Western lawman, symbol of American frontier justice.
Wyatt Earp in Southern Victory[]
Wyatt Earp had a local reputation as an expert poker player in the late 1870s. His brother Virgil asked Wyatt to come with him to seek jobs in the New Mexico Territory, but Wyatt refused.
During the Second Mexican War, Virgil, now a Colonel in the Tombstone Rangers, was crippled and captured at Battle of Madera Canyon. Virgil then wished more than ever that Wyatt had come west, as the sharp gambler probably would not have fallen into the trap.[1]
Literary comment[]
While Virgil doesn't name his brother, several details make clear that the reference is to Wyatt rather than any of his other brothers.
References[]
- ↑ How Few Remain, pg. 284-285.
