Warren Earp
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Warren Baxter Earp (March 9th, 1855-July 6th, 1900) was the younger brother of Old West lawman Wyatt Earp and Morgan Earp, as well as the brother of Civil War veterans and lawmen Virgil Earp and James Earp, and Civil War veteran Newton Earp.
[edit] Early life, lawman career, Earp Vendetta Ride
Warren Earp was born in Pella, Iowa. Little is known about his early life. Like Wyatt and Morgan, he was too young to take part in the Civil War, as his older brothers James, Newton and Virgil did. He joined his brothers in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881, and worked as a deputy for Virgil during the months that followed. His older brothers had already established a profitable gambling business, and were well established in the law enforcement duties of Tombstone by that time. He did not take part in the Gunfight at the OK Corral, and it has been disputed as to whether he was even in town when it occurred. However, following the March 18th, 1882 murder of his older brother Morgan, and the earlier assassination attempt on Virgil, he joined Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and their comrades in the now famous Earp Vendetta Ride, and was involved in the March 20th 1882 killing of Frank Stilwell, for which he was indicted but never convicted. [1] The members of the Earp Vendetta Ride are known with confirmation to have killed four men, including Stilwell, and were rumored to have killed others, but are doubted to have done so.
[edit] Later life and murder
Following the vendetta ride, Warren left Arizona for a time. He returned in 1891, and worked as a mail stage driver on the route between Willcox and Fort Grant. He is also believed to have worked as a range detective during this time, for rancher Henry Hooker. Contrary to many films and writings that always portray Warren Earp as being slightly naive, and always depicted as youthful, he had a reputation as being a bully in his later years.
On July 6th, 1900, he became involved in an argument with Hooker's range boss, Johnnie Boyett, inside Brown's Saloon, in Willcox, Arizona. Boyett and Warren had been involved in verbal disputes prior to that night, and rumor was that the two disliked one another due to their mutual affections for the same woman, possibly a local prostitute.
Late that night, the two men, both drunk, began arguing. Warren Earp is alleged to have said "Boyett get your gun and we'll settle this right here. I've got mine, go and get yours". [2] Boyett left the bar, returning shortly thereafter with two .45 caliber colt handguns. Boyett called out for Earp, who walked in from another doorway. Immediately upon seeing Earp, Boyett fired two rounds, but missed with both.
Earp, displaying a trait of calm under pressure that seemed to be common with all the Earp brothers, stepped calmly outside of the saloon onto the street without ever producing a weapon, just as Boyett fired two more rounds, missing again with both. It is alleged that Earp, possibly hoping to avoid a further confrontation, removed his weapons while outside, but that is conjecture and not confirmed. Earp then entered again. As Earp walked in, he stated as he opened his coat and vest "I have not got arm. You have a good deal the best of this". Earp continued walking toward Boyett, talking the entire time, as Boyett warned him several times to halt, Boyett appearing slightly frightened but angry. When Earp did not stop, Boyett fired a fifth round, this time striking Earp in the chest, killing him almost instantly. Boyett claimed that he feared for his life, and that by allowing Warren Earp to get too close, he believed his life would be in danger. Warren Earp was found to have in fact been unarmed. However, no arrest was made.[3]
Virgil Earp came to Willcox following the murder, under an assumed name. He did his own independent investigation, determining that even if Warren had been intoxicated and talking too much, he had still been murdered in cold blood. Boyett was not arrested at any stage for the shooting, and sought the protection of the local Sheriff, fearing retribution from the Earp brothers. He returned to work on Hooker's ranch, staying out of Willcox for a long period of time. Wyatt did not get involved in the incident, nor did James. It was later reported, falsely, that the Earps avenged Warren's death by killing Boyett. However, they did not, and he eventually retired from his work as a ranch hand, moving to Redlands, California. He later died in Texas. [4]
Warren Earp was buried in Willcox, at the Pioneer Cemetery.
