The Stuart N. Lakes Letters, Part II
Foreword;
Dear Wyatt Earp Aficionado,
There are in this world, men of substance, action and being, who by Gods grace are placed in their time and location to influence the world around them. It's easy to wax philosophical over such men, and to ponder over men like Wyatt Earp. Especially by those who sometimes contemplate history. They pour over texts, letters, diaries, records and old tintype photographs trying to nail down the persons or times in which the lived, these contemplations grow within their minds. But behind the mask, is a desire that takes on many forms of intentions. They range from the most sincere actions of the heart, to the most evil intentions of destruction. But the hind site of time, history, age and health, can temper the hardest of souls. I know this is true of Wyatt Earp, who was a man of substance, action and being. A man who wore a badge of authority, but the badge never made him who he was. He made the badge what it was supposed to be. The evidence of this cannot in the semi fictional, but in the many documents that he left behind. Many of these documents eventually came into possession of Writer and Earp historian Glenn Boyer. Direct evidence in the way of records and letters were donated to the Arizona Historic Society (AHS) from Glenn Boyers collection. The AHS has in their possession hundreds of pages of documents between Wyatt Earp, Josephine Earp, Stuart lake and Houghton Mifflin publishers. Stuart Lake and Wyatt Earp had formed a very tight, cooperative and cordial relationship as Lake had begun his journey to write Wyatt Earps biography, "Frontier Marshall". I have begun the process of purchasing copies of these letters with the intent of showing the public what is in these files, as I believe that the truth should be revealed for all of those who want to know what really happened, rather than examining it through the lens of Hollywood. My original intent was to photograph and publish each letter, however AHS has exercised copyrights over all copies and requires fees for each page that is placed on public display, It is therefore cost prohibitive to display each page. I can however transcribe each page. On one hand this will be very time consuming, but on the other hand, I will indeed gain much knowledge from closely examining and transcribing each page. I will do my best to recreate the look and feel of every letter, so that the reader has a full feel for its contents (which was written by first generation typewriters) and context. I look forward to this endeavor, and I hope the reader will benefit from this article.
Letter dated Aug 31, 1928
Stuart Lake attempts to interrogate Wyatt Earp about how many men he had killed? In this letter, Lake cites statements made by Bat (Lawman Bat Masterson), and how many men Bat had claimed that he killed.
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Aug 31, 1928
Dear Mr. Earp:
Because you were pretty well tired with all the work we had done. I didn't try yesterday to check to check up on one very important thing. So, when you get back to Lod Angeles, as promptly as you can, will you write me an answer to the following questions, which I prefer with a statement of things that make clear exactly what I have to know.
In the first place, there have been printed about you the same sort of things that were printed about Bat -- for example that Bat had drilled thirty men when the truth is that he did in fear. I want to be absolutely certain about your own career. As I have it now, there are the following:
Hoyt, In Dodge City,
The Two McLowerys and one Clanton in the street fight
One half-breed, Florentine at Pete Spences Ranch,
Frank Stillwell, at Tucson
Curly Bill at Iron Springs
(Note probably made by Stuart lake in the margin)
"One of these by Doc Holliday, One by Morg" (Morgan Earp).
Were there ever any others? Either before Tombstone or later, in San Francisco, Alaska, Neveda or Colorado days? Of course, I have seen various stories printed which I knew are far from the facts, that one of Bob Edgren's for instance. But, in checking over our present record , it seemed to me that I recalled from conversations with Bat that there were more than I have listed above. I may be mistaken, but must be sure for the simple reason that if there were others and I do not include them then there will be many people who do recall them and say that my whole book is in error because I have not told the whole story. They will discredit our whole effort in the same way in the same way that those who know the story of Tombstone are discrediting Burns, and the ones who will do it will be those who will be seeking every loophole in our array of facts.
So, will you sit down and write me about this question? If there no others, well and good, but, if there were, please tell me who and when and why as fully as you care to. Then, we can take up the necessary details later. They will be of small importance, but must be mentioned, however briefly, and I want the information for the first chapter of the book.
And as I said, anything else that occurs to you will be welcome.
Also do yoy recall any killings which were charged against you for which you were not responsible? (Added note by Stuart Lake) Sincerely
Stuart N. Lake
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Wyatts Response
4004 West Seventeenth St Los Angeles, California, September 13, 1928.
Mr. Stuart N. Lake
San Diego, California
Dear Mr. Lake:
This letter should have been written you some days ago; the delay, however, has been due to a search through trunks and other containers which have been in storage. I regret to tell you that, the results have been very disappointing as there were no picture or data of any kind discovered. The photographs, letters etc. which you will find inclosed hererwith are those which were gathered together from around the house here.
You might be able to obtain other information, from Mr. William J. Eunsacker, Rowen building. Los Angeles; S. Israel, 511 Western Mutual Life Building, Los Angeles; Mr. John P. Clum 1956 West Seventy-Fourth, Los Angeles, these are the addresses that I promised you.
Other information you inquired for; Mr. George Hurst (Father of William Randolph Hurst) was in Tombstone sometime during the fall of 1880, and it was at that time that I accompanied him in making an examination of some mining properties.
I do not remember the name of the Millner who witnessed the street fight in Tombstone. In that affair, Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry had four or five bullet holes in their bodies, and of course it would be impossible to declare who was responsible for the shots. I was responsible for none of the others only those names which I already have given you.
The Lawrence affair in San Francisco, I do not consider as of sufficient personal contact to be written into the story. You also inquired about Edgegreens account; Of this I have told you all; I have withheld nothing.
So far as the affair at Prescott was concerned, my brother Virgil could not have been responsible personally for the death of any individual as all the members of the posse were firing at the same time. I believe I explained to you that a valuable collection of pictures, newspaper clippings and other data, the property of Virgil's wife, was destroyed in a hotel fire in Oklahoma some years ago, this was confirmed by Virgil's widow, whom Mrs. Earp called several days ago.
I have written to Tucson for copies of the magazine containing articles under the caption of "Tombstone's Yesterday." These, I will forward to you as soon as received.
There is nothing further I know of at the moment to write you. I might suggest that you communicate with Mr. Hunsacker without delay as he called to see me last week and informed me that he is leaving for a trip to New Zealand within a week or so; he will be gone for several months.
My eyes are turning in the direction of the desert again and I already am planning on a return. If there is other information you are in doubt about, let me know so that all this may be completed before I leave Los Angeles. The accompanying inclosures, I hope, will fill in the gaps for you.
I trust you are well and feeling fine. Mrs. Earp joins me in regards to Mrs. Lake and yourself.
Sincerely yours,
Wyatt S. Earp
(Wyatt S. Earp.)
