Identity of The Attackers
Rumors surfaced later in 1881 that Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt Earp were responsible for Old Man Clanton's death. This was first reported in a letter from William R. McLaury to his brother-in-law, David D. Appelgate on November 19, 1881. McLaury was an attorney who was passionately convinced the Earps and Doc Holliday had murdered his younger brothers Frank and Tom during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He was a member of the prosecution team which was presenting evidence during the preliminary hearing before Judge Wells Spicer that month. The rumor of the Earps' involvement has been repeated in a number of publications based solely on William McLaury's assertion.
However, Ernshaw, Byers and Dick Gray all said that the attackers were Mexican. The Byers family also received from Ike and Phin a picture of Old Man Clanton on the back of which they had written, "Mr. Clanton killed on Aug 13—81 by Mexicans with 4 other Americans in Guadalupe Canon New Mexico." Both men signed the inscription. Another photograph of Will G. Lang bears a similar inscription: "Will G. Lang killed by Mexicans—Animas Valley New Mexico Aug 13, 1881 together with Gray, Cranton, Clanton and Snow and Byers wounded."
Read more about this topic: Guadalupe Canyon Massacre
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