Doc. having trouble making a living as a dentist turned to gambling. and was quite good. The cards always seemed to fall his way luck or skill it didn't matter, Doc. was a natural. January,1875 he had his first brush with the law according to the Dallas Herald. Doc and a saloon keeper by the name of Austin went at it with there guns. Neither of the men were hit although several shots were fired. Both men were arrested and later released with no charges being filed.The people thought that it was funny that no one was hit in the fight. Doc. was said to have put two slugs in a prominent citizen two days later killing him, but it was only rumors.
The story of the citizen being shot has never been proven. Why could no one come up with a name if he was that well known? Well, there's a lot of stories that have been told true or not that's what makes the old west so interesting, right?
From here until Doc gets to Fort Griffin things are more rumor than truth. Its said that he went to a cow town called Jacksboro near an army post in Jacks County where he got a job dealing cards. Here he is supposed to have been involved in three gunfights leaving one man dead. No action was taken against him for the killing.
Hitting the trail again in 1876 after killing a soldier from Fort Richardson with the US Army, Texas Rangers and anyone else that was man enough to claim the bounty on his tail it is said that he headed for Colorado through apache territory. No one knows for sure where Doc went, but its said that he was in Pueblo, Leadville, Georgetown and Central City somewhere along the way killing three more unlucky soles that got in his way. Doc wound up in Denver using the Alias Tom Mackey and got a job dealing faro at the Babbit's House. A few days later he was said to have gotten in a fight with a barroom bully named Bud Ryan and slit his throat almost cutting his head off, but not killing him. Again Doc was on the move.
Doc headed for Fort Griffin where he worked dealing cards at Shannsey's Saloon. The owner was a friend of a fellow named Watt Earp, this is where Doc and Wyatt met and struck up a friendship that would last the rest of Doc's life. Doc also met a prostitute by the name of Big Nose Kate."Sounds like some of my woman friends" Kate was known to be pretty tough herself. She would remain with Doc most of his life leaving, every once and awhile to ply her trade when the whim hit her but She always came back to Doc. or showed up where he was.
Doc by this time had a pretty bad reputation, but it didn't seem to bother a town gambler named Ed Bailey who had sat down for a card game with Holliday. Bailey kept picking up the discards and looking through them. Seemed Bailey was trying Doc's patience and see how far he could go. Doc warned him two times but was ignored. The third time Bailey picked up the cards Doc raked in the pot without showing Bailey his hand. Bailey went for his gun but Doc had a knife and went to work on his gut before he could fire. Baily fell dead and Doc was arrested for the killing. Kate later that night sat fire to the back of the hotel where Holliday was being held and helped him escape. Both left for Dodge City.
The Long Branch Saloon in Dodge was Doc's next job dealing cards. This is where its said that Doc saved Wyatt Earps life.
Kate and Doc were at it again having one of their many fights. Doc. saddled his horse and headed for Trnidad Colorado there he ran up on a young gambler, gunfighter named Kid Colton wanting to make a name for himself. The kid kept badgering Doc till a gunfight erupted, Doc's gun roared two times and another man bit the dust. Doc didn't hang around and headed for New Mexico where he got into an argument with a local gunman who was rather well liked around town called Mike Gorden. Doc. not one to mince words politely invited him to start shooting and proceeded to put three bullets in his belly. Well, it seems the citizens decided to decorate a tree and it not being Christmas Doc. eased out of town and headed back to Dodge City before he became the decoration. Doc. knew that he would be safe in Dodge with his friend Wyatt being there but when he arrived Wyatt had left for Tombstone. No reason to hang around Dodge, Doc. headed out after Wyatt to Tombstone..... |
