The Ghosts of Boot Hill,
Tombstone Arizona
by
Gene Stevens
Boot Hill Grave Yard, Photo by the Author
I visited Tombstone Arizona and Boot Hill Several Times over the last few years, On my last visit in 2022, I spent some additional time walking Boot Hill and learning about its permanent residents, I picked up a pamphlet there which is featured below for the readers observation.
The following description is from wikipedia, Its important to note that boot hill is now a tourist attraction, and has been altered for the public entertainment. Tombstone is a town of renowned legend and profound truth. Buy a true researcher can be befuddled while attempting nail down the truth in each story that is about Tombstone Arizona.
From Wikipedia
Boothill Graveyard is a small graveyard of at least 250 interments located in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona. Also known as the "Old City Cemetery", the graveyard was used after 1883 only to bury outlaws and a few others. It had a separate Jewish cemetery, which is nearby."Boot Hill" refers to the number of men who died with their boots on. Among a number of pioneer Boot Hill cemeteries in the Old West, Tombstone is among the best-known, and it is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
The author of the pamphlet notes that all available sources were used to
verify the identities of those buried in Boot Hill
Row 2, first "Victim" Peter Smith, apparently the victim of an unsolved murder.
Also in row #2
Are the Clanton's, McClaury's and Old Man Clanton, all victims of
an ongoing range war, between democrats, republican factions, cattle rustlers and lawman.
According to author Glen G. Boyer, in the book Vendetta, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday may have been responsible for the killing of Old Man Clanton. A story that may never be completely revealed.
Dan Dowd, Red Sample, Tex Howard, Dan Delaney and Dan Kelly, Hung for murder
The Bisbee massacre (a.k.a. the Bisbee murders or Bisbee raid) occurred in Bisbee, Arizona, on December 8, 1883, when six outlaws who were part of the Cochise County Cowboys robbed a general store. Believing the general store's safe contained a mining payroll of $7,000, they timed the robbery incorrectly and were only able to steal between $800 and $3,000, along with a gold watch and jewelry. During the robbery, members of the gang killed five people, including a lawman and a pregnant woman. Six men were convicted of the robbery and murders. John Heath, who was accused of organizing the robbery, was tried separately and sentenced to life in prison. The other five men were convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. Unsatisfied with Heath's sentence, a lynch mob forcibly removed Heath from jail and hanged him from a telegraph pole on February 22, 1884. The other five men were executed on March 28, 1884. They were the first criminals to be legally hanged in Tombstone. The graves of the five murderers is part of the popular Boothill Graveyard tourist attraction in Tombstone.
-Ref Wikipedia
John Heath Row 3
The hanging of John Heath
-Wikipedia
Row 7; Marshall Ed White, Killed by gunman Curly Bill Brocius,
Curly Bill was acquitted of Whites murder.
Row 7; Dutch Annie was a prostitute and Madam in Tombstone Arizona during the 1880's She was called the queen of the red light district.
Dutch Annie from Discover Tombstone
Row 8; Charlie Storms, Killed by Luke Short after a gambling dispute in the oriental saloon
On February 25, 1881, Storms had been drinking all night and made several rude remarks to faro dealer Luke Short in the Oriental Saloon. Storms had successfully defended himself several times with his pistol. He had inaccurately sized Short up as someone who, according to Bat Masterson, he could "slap in the face without expecting a return." Masterson knew both men.
wikipedia
Photo courtesy of
Dan Oelrich
Storms' body was taken to the undertaker, where the coroner's jury was convened and testimony was heard. The jury reached a verdict that Storms died from three pistol wounds at the hands of Short, and that Short's actions were justifiable. Short was free to go, as no further legal action was taken.
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