This was not like the Beatles crossing Abbey Road.

Gary,

This is a great conversation. I think it is important. You have just done what few do, by making individuals of these ranchers. I found while researching Billy Allen that he never called them by a derogatory group name, such as the "Cowboys". I have since tried to do the same. In doing so, it helps to see when they, as individuals, take a different route in whatever they did in this story.

I do not believe that the McLaurys and the Clantons were connected at the hip. The McLaurys' business dealings were probably no business of the Clantons and vise versa. The younger men probably kept to themselves while their elders dealt with business. So, for Billy Clanton and Billy Claiborne to take an easier and shorter route to their rendezvous seems very possible and very probable to me. Frank McLaury did not need the Billys standing around listening to his business conversations.

The maps made up by hand of Tombstone were done so with the use of articles, directories, advertisements and the Sanborn maps of 1882 and after. We don't know what fencing and walls were put up in the stock and livery yards in 1881. And you can find the Le Van House on most of those 1881 maps, but it opened it Mar 1882.

This was not Abbey Road. In this I mean that the McLaurys, Clantons and Claiborn were not crossing the street in a nice tidy lineup like the Beatles. I don't think Tom was with this group of people crossing Allen Street. I think the possibility that Gary provides might be just what happened.

Billy Allen was not paying attention to the McLaurys, Clantons and Claiborn like Sills and Coleman were. He looked down the street and noticed the stock raisers, but did not concentrate on them. He was not part of the "Chicken Little" crowd. By the time he testified, he knew who had been in the vacant lot and I believe his testimony includes his knowledge, not what he really saw. I think he saw them all later in the lot and assumed they were all accounted for as they crossed Allen Street earlier.

Billy Allen "thought" he had seen Tom McLaury among the ranchers crossing Allen Street. From his testimony we can tell that he did not see Bill Clanton, but named him just the same. I think the men crossing Allen Street were not stretched out and easy to identify, especially if you weren't paying good attention. "I think Frank was leading a horse, or Billy Clanton, one of the two was leading a horse.", said Allen. Billy C. was on horseback, so was it Claiborn that Allen saw walking close to Frank? Billy Claiborne probably passed Frank as Billy Clanton, sitting atop his horse, passed Frank just before Billy talked to Coleman and that was who he saw.

Maybe you can help me out here as I can't find where Billy Claiborne mentioned Tom McLaury on Allen Street. The same goes for one of Coleman's testimonies (Turner). Coleman said there were two Clantons and two McLaurys (not mentioning Claiborne). He mentions Billy Clanton on horseback and Frank pulling his horse and Ike fetching up the rear. Why didn't Coleman mention Tom?

Claiborne said that he and Billy had a 15 minute conversation going on before Behan walked away from them. This, to me, sounds like Billy Clanton and Billy Claiborne arrived at the lot before the rest of their group and Behan.

I am a firm believer that there were two horses in the vicinity, but only one horse at the small gunfight area. I guess I am one of the few to believe this, but, oh well. There is no way, so far, of knowing where Billy Clanton may have tied his horse up... if I am correct.

The timing in these testimonies is very interesting.

Fun stuff,

Robin