Last week, I had the privilege of hearing Jack Lasseter speak about the "good guys and the bad guys" of the old Arizona Territory. He started out by telling the story of the hold up of the Benson stage and the shooting of Bud Philpot.
I've read this story before in books on Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. Reading is one thing, but the story, as Jack Lasseter told it, left me spell bound... a fitting beginning for his talk that would recount the stories of a dozen or more lawmen and scoundrels.
Almost everyone knows at least something about the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. But what most people don't know, is that the Bud Philpot story was a significant precursor that lead up to that conflict between the Earps on one side and the Clantons and McLaurys on the other.
For a good accounting of this story, see:
www.tombstonetimes.com/stories/benson.html
Jack Lasseter directs tours of Southwest for Pima Community College, taking participants to "where it happened," as you travel back in time and hear the tales of those who lived and died there. If you ever get a chance to take one of these tours, don't miss it.
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