Tom Harper's killing of John Talliday on September 19, 1880, in Ramsay's Canyon, near Tombstone, was as cold blooded as murder could get.  Harper owed Talliday 10 dollars and shot him dead when Talliday argued for payment, telling Talliday's companion to run or meet the same fate.  The companion did run -- straight to the authorities, it would seem, who found and arrested Harper in Sonora on September 24.  Thomas Harper's trial on October 16 and execution on July 8, 1881, took place in Tucson, Arizona, not Tombstone (Tombstone was part of Pima county in 1880 and Tucson was the county seat).

While it is true that Harper wrote a letter on the eve of his hanging to Curly Bill Brosius (it was printed in several newspapers), it's not clear when or if that letter was received.  The letter was addressed to “Wm. H. Broscius, care of G. W. Turner, San Simon,” but historian and author Paul Lee Johnson (The McLaurys in Tombstone, Arizona:  An O.K. Corral Obituary) informs us that George W. Turner was killed about six weeks earlier in Mexico.  Nobody told Tom Harper, apparently.

Also in question is the identity of "Wm. H. Broscius."  The Curly Bill who killed Marshal Fred White and was enemy to the Earps was William A. Graham, alias William A. Brosius, not William H.  There are reports of a man named William H. Graham who lived in San Simon at the time and who used the Brosius and Curly Bill aliases himself.  Was this other "Curly Bill" Tom Harper's friend?  Was the "H" a misprinted or misinterpreted "A" of the "real" Curly Bill by newspapers covering the case?  Why would Tom Harper advise a notorious outlaw "never to be provoked into shooting a man" -- did he not know of Marshal White's killing?

The full story of Tom Harper is yet another curious tale in Tombstone's fascinating history.

He was born a slave in 1845 and, having no name of his own, he adopted that of his master. He remained with John Slaughter for over 20 years following his freedom and eventually moved to Tombstone, working in the silver mines to support his family, then later as a janitor in the court house until his mid 80s. When he died in 1945, he was buried with military honors, including a rifle salute, as one of Tombstone's true pioneers.

On July 24, 1880, Tom Waters found himself the brunt of good-natured gibes from several men in Tombstone over the new black and blue plaid shirt he was wearing.  After awhile of drinking in Corrigan's Saloon, Tom no longer found the jokes funny.  "I'll knock down any man who opens his mouth about my shirt again!" Tom reportedly said, just as his friend E. L. Bradshaw entered the saloon and felt obligated to comment on the colorful, new shirt.  Tom knocked him down as promised, and left Corrigan's with an unconscious Bradshaw on the floor.

 A bruised, bandaged, angry and armed Bradshaw later met Waters outside Vogan's Alley and asked, "Why did you hit me?"  Tom, quite drunk and abusive from a day of shirt jokes, responded with a severe verbal attack.  Bradshaw, in turn, responded with a severe attack of bullets, striking Waters under the left arm into the heart, a shot to the head and two shots into the back.

Bradshaw stood trial for the shooting but was acquitted.

The hanging of William and Thomas Halderman was famous for its time.  Twice their execution was stayed, once by President McKinley.  Accused of stealing Buck Smith's cattle, they were tracked to the southeast Arizona ranch of J. N. Wilson by Constable Chester Ainsworth, assisted by a local 18-year-old, Teddy Moore.  What began as a peaceful arrest ended in gunfire, with Ainsworth dead and young Teddy mortally wounded, dying at home about four hours later.  The Haldermans fled to New Mexico, where they were captured and extradited to stand trial in Tombstone for murder.  They were convicted, largely by the newspapers, and sentenced to hang.

There was so much angst created against William and Thomas that important factors in the trial appear to have been ignored.  Among the peculiarities, the prosecuting District Attorney was Ainsworth's brother.  A witness had made an affidavit that Moore had threatened the Haldermans before joining the arrest.  Wilson's daughters had sworn an affidavit that one of the arresting party had fired the first shot but their father had ordered the girls to testify to the contrary.  Johnny Wilson, a son, witnessed the whole affair according to William but never appeared in court.  There was no testimony heard to convict Thomas -- the judge ordered they be tried as a group.  One juror admitted the jury did not fully understand the court's instructions.  Buck Smith later came into evidence that Teddy Moore was the one who had killed his cattle and that Moore wanted the brothers to take the blame.  Still, there was no avoiding the hangman.  As William and Thomas stood together on the Tombstone gallows at 12:40 PM November 16, 1900, they said "Good bye" to the gathered crowd, the crowd responded "Good bye," and Boothill said hello to its newest residents.

Mrs. Ah Lum, known to all as China Mary, was married to the co-owner of the popular Can-Can Restaurant and was the undisputed ruler of Hoptown, Tombstone's Chinese district.  All Chinese business was routed through China Mary, whether it be the hiring of Chinese laborers, servants or prostitutes, or dealing in the Chinese drug or slave trade.  She also had ownership interests in many Chinese businesses throughout town.  In spite of her sometimes questionable practices, she was known to be fair and generous and was well respected within the Tombstone community.  She freely would lend money to any honest, working person and no injured, sick or hungry individual ever was turned from her door.  It was her wish to be buried in Boothill among her friends, as opposed to honoring the Chinese tradition of having one's bones returned to China.

This grave appears to have been misidentified.

Records show that the only Mrs. Brown who was a hotel proprietress at that time was Caroline Brown, owner of Brown's Hotel, who was very much alive in 1882. More likely, the grave is that of Ruth J. Brown, a respected Tombstone dressmaker, who died of pneumonia on January 26, 1882, and was buried the following day.

From the Tombstone Epitaph, January 28, 1882:

"The funeral of the late Mrs. R.G. Brown took place on yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock from the residence of her son-in-law, Mr. Clauson, on Fourth street. Rev. J.P. McIntyre conducted the burial services at the house and at the grave. A large number of friends of the deceased were present to pay their last tribute of respect, and followed the remains slowly to their long last resting place."

Many thanks to the scholars who volunteered this information.

Historian Anne Collier has been taken by the story of young Hilly's tragedy.  She kindly has supplied us with the following excerpts, quoted verbatim from the Tombstone Daily Epitaph:

March 6 1882  Daily Epitaph

Hilly Hickson, who died this morning, was well and full of life on Saturday.  He was walking on a pair of stilts when he fell over and hurt his back, but at the time not supposed to be seriously.  In the evening he went to bed, and on Sunday at the alarm of fire he got up and went to the window and looked out.  This morning he was taken with a spasm, and in about ten minutes yielded up his young life.  The parents have the heartfelt sympathy of the entire community.

March 7 1882  Daily Epitaph

The funeral of little Hilly Hickson took place from his father's residence at 2 o'clock this afternoon.  All the members of his class at school attending the exercises to pay tribute to their once bright playmate.  Hilly's desk at the school room has been neatly draped in black since his sad death.  Many friends followed the remains with the grief-stricken parents to the grave, and there they left the dear little one at rest.

Bronco Charlie - Shot by Ormsby, Red River Tom - Shot by Ormsby, Ormsby - Shot,

 Stinging Lizard - Shot by Cherokee Hall, Jack King - Shot by Cherokee Hall

These are very interesting graves, to say the least.  Bronco Charlie (Row 8), Red River Tom (Row 5), Ormsby (Row 7), Stinging Lizard (Row 6) and Jack King (Row 8) are the names of fictional characters in the Western novel Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis, published in 1897.  Unless Lewis borrowed the names from actual Tombstone players, the grave markers are jokes, placed on otherwise unidentified, possibly empty plots.  It is not known when the original markers were created, nor by whom, but whoever did so must have been quite familiar with Wolfville as, in the book, Ormsby did shoot Bronco Charlie and Red River Tom and died from a gunshot wound himself, and Stinging Lizard was killed by a character named Cherokee Hall.

Billy Grounds (born William Boucher or Arthur Burtcher) and Zwing Hunt (real name) were very bad men.  Satisfied with their scheme of swindling their own gang out of a fortune in stolen Mexican treasure, they came out of hiding to rob the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company in Charleston, Arizona.  Bursting into the company office, they shot a very innocent M. Robert Peel through the heart.  They fled seconds later when the robbery went awry but left identifying evidence behind.  A posse led by Billy Breakenridge found the pair at their Chandler Ranch hideout and a shootout occurred.  Zwing Hunt killed deputy John Gillespie (also buried in Row 5) with a shot to the head and Breakenridge blasted Grounds in the face and neck.  Hunt took a bullet to the back but survived.  He escaped from a Tombstone hospital with the help of his brother.  The stolen treasure was never found.

From the information reported in the Tombstone Daily Epitaph and  Tombstone Nugget newspapers, it appears that the loss Delia Williams suffered on Friday, June 24, 1881, was too much for her to bear.  Eleven weeks after the fire took Delia's possessions, money and dreams, she sold all of what little she had regained to one Madame Brosse and placed a public notice in the Daily Epitaph.  Delia Williams took a fatal dose of laudanum or arsenic the same day the notice appeared, Friday, September 9, 1881.  We thank historian Anne Collier for providing us the following excerpts:

June 24 1881 Daily Epitaph

FIRE - A colored woman by the name of Delia Williams, had just rented a house between Sixth and Seventh streets and fitted it up for a restaurant, and had $1700 in greenbacks stowed away somewhere on the premises which went the way of all the rest.

September 9 1881 Daily Epitaph

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC - I hereby sell, convey and make over unto Madame Brosse all of my personal effects in this home for the sum of one hundred and twenty-three ($123) dollars, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged.  The goods are in the house at the present occupied by me on Tough Nut street, just below Fourth.  Delia Williams "her X mark"

[Though Delia could not write, as evidenced by the amount of money she had stashed when her home went up in flames on June 24, she was a shrewd businesswoman - who lost everything in that fire]

September 13 1881 Daily Epitaph

Four or five days ago a colored woman named Delia Williams, took a dose of laudanum with suicidal intent, from the effects of which she died at 12 o'clock Sunday night.  At the inquest a verdict was returned in accordance with the above facts.

September 13 1881 Nugget

A Bruce of Suicides - Delia Williams, who kept a boarding house on Toughnut near the corner of Fourth street, took arsenic last Friday with the intention of committing suicide.  It was thought at that time that by the immediate administering of antidotes she would recover, and it was so reported, but the poison was too thoroughly diffused through her system, and she died yesterday at the hospital.

Bronco Charlie - Shot by Ormsby, Red River Tom - Shot by Ormsby, Ormsby - Shot,

 Stinging Lizard - Shot by Cherokee Hall, Jack King - Shot by Cherokee Hall

These are very interesting graves, to say the least.  Bronco Charlie (Row 8), Red River Tom (Row 5), Ormsby (Row 7), Stinging Lizard (Row 6) and Jack King (Row 8) are the names of fictional characters in the Western novel Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis, published in 1897.  Unless Lewis borrowed the names from actual Tombstone players, the grave markers are jokes, placed on otherwise unidentified, possibly empty plots.  It is not known when the original markers were created, nor by whom, but whoever did so must have been quite familiar with Wolfville as, in the book, Ormsby did shoot Bronco Charlie and Red River Tom and died from a gunshot wound himself, and Stinging Lizard was killed by a character named Cherokee Hall.

Visiting law enforcement officers often place money on the grave as a sign of respect for a fallen colleague.

Lester Moore worked at a Wells Fargo office in Naco, Arizona, along the Mexican border. Hank Dunston arrived one day to claim a package. The package was damaged and Dunston disapproved, letting the lead fly at Lester. Les took four shots to the chest but, as he fell, managed his own special delivery to Dunston. The Wells Fargo clerk ended up with the most famous epitaph on Boothill. Nobody knows where the disgruntled Hank Dunston is buried.

Jesse "3-Fingered Jack" Dunlap was one of the leaders of the High Five gang. He and Wells Fargo agent Jeff Milton played cat and mouse for some time, often wounding each other at their encounters. The end came for Jesse at a railway station in Fairbank, near Tombstone, when Milton got the better shot. Dunlap died from his wounds several days later in a Tombstone hospital, reportedly naming his accomplices before he expired.

Mike Killeen was a jealous man. Even though he was separated from his wife Mary, he threatened to shoot any man who touched her. Buckskin Frank Leslie turned out to be that man, keeping frequent company with the lovely lady. Mike Killeen was killed by Leslie while attempting to keep his promise and Frank and Mary wed soon afterward. Years later, Mary left Frank, largely due to his womanizing ways.

Bronco Charlie - Shot by Ormsby, Red River Tom - Shot by Ormsby, Ormsby - Shot,

 Stinging Lizard - Shot by Cherokee Hall, Jack King - Shot by Cherokee Hall

These are very interesting graves, to say the least.  Bronco Charlie (Row 8), Red River Tom (Row 5), Ormsby (Row 7), Stinging Lizard (Row 6) and Jack King (Row 8) are the names of fictional characters in the Western novel Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis, published in 1897.  Unless Lewis borrowed the names from actual Tombstone players, the grave markers are jokes, placed on otherwise unidentified, possibly empty plots.  It is not known when the original markers were created, nor by whom, but whoever did so must have been quite familiar with Wolfville as, in the book, Ormsby did shoot Bronco Charlie and Red River Tom and died from a gunshot wound himself, and Stinging Lizard was killed by a character named Cherokee Hall.

Bronco Charlie - Shot by Ormsby, Red River Tom - Shot by Ormsby, Ormsby - Shot,

 Stinging Lizard - Shot by Cherokee Hall, Jack King - Shot by Cherokee Hall

These are very interesting graves, to say the least.  Bronco Charlie (Row 8), Red River Tom (Row 5), Ormsby (Row 7), Stinging Lizard (Row 6) and Jack King (Row 8) are the names of fictional characters in the Western novel Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis, published in 1897.  Unless Lewis borrowed the names from actual Tombstone players, the grave markers are jokes, placed on otherwise unidentified, possibly empty plots.  It is not known when the original markers were created, nor by whom, but whoever did so must have been quite familiar with Wolfville as, in the book, Ormsby did shoot Bronco Charlie and Red River Tom and died from a gunshot wound himself, and Stinging Lizard was killed by a character named Cherokee Hall.

Bronco Charlie - Shot by Ormsby, Red River Tom - Shot by Ormsby, Ormsby - Shot,

 Stinging Lizard - Shot by Cherokee Hall, Jack King - Shot by Cherokee Hall

These are very interesting graves, to say the least.  Bronco Charlie (Row 8), Red River Tom (Row 5), Ormsby (Row 7), Stinging Lizard (Row 6) and Jack King (Row 8) are the names of fictional characters in the Western novel Wolfville by Alfred Henry Lewis, published in 1897.  Unless Lewis borrowed the names from actual Tombstone players, the grave markers are jokes, placed on otherwise unidentified, possibly empty plots.  It is not known when the original markers were created, nor by whom, but whoever did so must have been quite familiar with Wolfville as, in the book, Ormsby did shoot Bronco Charlie and Red River Tom and died from a gunshot wound himself, and Stinging Lizard was killed by a character named Cherokee Hall.

Suicide or accidental death?  The two Tombstone newspapers, the  Daily Epitaph and the Nugget, reported the death of Mrs. Pring differently.  We thank historian Anne Collier for providing us the following excerpts:

September 13 1881 Daily Epitaph

Mrs. Pring died at 4 o'clock yesterday morning from the effects of an overdose of medicine.  It appears that the unfortunate lady had for some time past been severely afflicted with cramps, for which the attending physician prescribed a powerful opiate.  On Sunday morning last, just as she was preparing breakfast, a violent attack seized her and, in a frenzy of agony, she made for the medicine and swallowed much more than her regular allowance.  Almost instantly she realized her mistake and sent for a doctor, but too late, for notwithstanding every effort possible was made in her behalf, she expired at the hour above named.  The funeral took place at 5 o'clock last evening, and was largely attended by friends and acquaintances of the deceased.

September 13 1881 Nugget

A Bruce of Suicides - At about 9 o'clock Sunday night Mrs. Pring, who resides on Toughnut street nearly opposite the Vizina office, took a large dose of hydrate chloral, evidently with suicidal intent, as a short time afterward she sent for a physician, but by the time one had arrived she was past all human relief, and at about 1 o'clock in the morning she died.  Her husband is at present in Chicago disposing of some mining property which he holds in this district.

This is how the grave of Hop Lung (Row 10) appeared during my Boothill visit in 2016.  If you look closely, very closely, you almost can see the grave marker in the mid-upper center of the picture.  I'm all for letting Mother Nature be herself, but even she can use a haircut now and then.