b'THE OLD STORYTELLERJohn Henry Doc Holliday D.D.S. ShootistBy Hank Sheffer,The Old StorytellerI n my travels around Arizona,found 15 ounces of gold nuggets in his pockets, I am rarely surprised by whatvalued at roughly $525 bucks. The story interesting experiences theWilliams eventually told about his experiences people, places, and experiencesin the Superstition range became extremely I happen upon have allowedcontroversial. The largest gold nugget he me to share. Unfortunately, my travels these days havehad was one about the size of a walnut and been curtailed greatly having been skewed or skeweredit weighed close to 3.4 ounces. Williams (depending on your point of view) by the COVID-19later claimed there were at least twenty more pandemic and I simply have not been allowed to get out andpounds of nuggets still on the floor in his cave about as before. up in the mountain.And now with the Christmas and New Years celebrationsWell, for a short time Charlie Williamsall tucked snuggly away for another year, I found myselfbecame a real celebrity. Imagine making a desperately searching for something to write about for myfind like that during the Depression-era. The ever-patiently awaiting editor. I found myself in that samenewspapers had turned Charlie into a national circumstance where (as so often Ive related to others) Ihero. Unfortunately, all of that came to a needed to remind myself to keep the faith; things will workscreeching halt when it was learned the United themselves outthey always do. Sure enough, they wereStates Department of Justice had indicted about to do just that. Charlie for the possession of more than five ounces of refined gold.In recent publications here at Arizona Real Country, I have offered stories about the gunfight at OK Corral, early cattleWilliams told his own story this way, I was ranchers in the East Valley, Indian Wars, and even one storyfollowing the clues of an old map I had in the about a famous doctor and his gold mine. On one occasionSuperstition range when I just plumb got lost. I spoke about a hapless prospector named Charlie WilliamsI came up over a ridge and in the distance, I on a video episode on Mysteries of the Superstitionsaw a small cave near the base of a pointed Mountains. He had supposedly found and, of course, lostpeak. Tired and in need of rest I made my one of the infamous Caves of Gold up in the Superstitionway toward that cave. Once inside the cave, Mountains. But now I didnt have the faintest idea of what II cleared a spot to rest and this is when I was going to write about for the next issue of the magazine. discovered the floor was covered with goldLeft to right, back row: Kate Horony, Doc Holliday,nuggets. In a delightful sort of frenzy, I beganWilhemina Horony, Crowley P. Drake Okay, so here I am back in the present. It turns out atto gather the nuggets. I stuffed them in myLeft to right, front row: Wyatt Earp, Alvira Earpthe top of my itinerary for January 5th was a dentistpockets. I ran out of the cave, turned around to run back Photo from P.W. Butler Collectionappointment. You just know that was at the top of my funin and I hit my head on the roof of the cave knocking myself things-to-do list. Well, I arrived at the dentists office atsenseless. Eventually, I found myself resting on a rock outSo here I was still in the chair. Doctor Pam seemed to enjoy the appointed time that morning, and in less time thannear Weavers Needle when I realized where I was andthe story. I finally managed to arrive at the end of Charlies what seemed to be a New York minute I was on my backwhat had happened in the cave. I reached in my pocketsmisadventures, which, by now had gotten increasingly in the chair, shot full of Novocain with the whole lowerand but only a few of the nuggets remained due to a holemore difficult to convey as both lips and gums seemed to part of my face turning to blubber. It was then, of course,in my pocket. While I was still there, I looked for the cavebe directly attached to my nose. Thankfully, the doctor had that it dawned on me to ask the dentist about my questionsfor a few days. I had no luck and finally just gave up. I thena question of her own for me. Out of the clear blue, Doctor concerning Charlie Williams dental gold. My first questionwalked toward the Apache Trail where the Sheriffs deputiesPam asked me specifically about one of the participants to Doctor Pam was how much does dental gold costfound me. involved at the OK Corral shootout. Considering my these days? It was at this point that, as best as my rapidlypresent situation and subject matter and, if for no other degrading speech articulation would allow, I wound upCharles Williams story made front-page news for a whilereason than he was a dentist, I figured she could only be trying to relate to her the Charlie Williams saga. Here inbut that didnt deter the United States Treasury Department.talking about Doc Holliday. Her question was "What do shortened form is how that went. On November 15, 1935, the G-Men seized all of theyou know about Doc Holliday?"Williams gold. They claimed it was refined gold and not Charlie Williams prospected the Superstition range outnatural gold. It was sent to a metallurgist who also identifiedI had to admit, much like the rest of the planet, I knew he there east of Apache Junction in the years following Worldthe gold as refined dental gold and poor ole Charliewas quite good at the gambling tradeI was aware of his War I. Times were really bad for most people during theWilliams was arrested and re-indicted. This time Charliekilling prowess with a knife and I certainly knew about his Great Depression. Like so many others, Charlie Williamswas fined $5,000the government kept his gold to coverreputation as a fearless, ill-tempered pistolero who would was a dreamer always hoping to find that rich gold strike.the fine. Never-the-less, the treasury department continuednot waste a second thought should the need arise to shoot Soon enough the time came when Charlie disappeared oneto hound him for several years. Charlie insisted all he hadan adversary. Of course, the OK Corral shootout down in day. It was on January 2nd, 1935. The next time anybodywas what he had stuffed in his pocketshe didnt knowTombstone, on that chilly October afternoon in 1881 was knew anything about Charlie was from the front page of thewhere the cave was. no stranger to me.Arizona Republic. The headlines read, "Williams Lost in the Superstition Mountains." Well, now, having researched the Charlie Williams story, IShe followed up with, "well did you know that John Henry was aware of the 1933 act and the following 1934 addendum\'Doc\' Holliday was also an extremely talented dentist in There was an intense search for four daysmost everyonewhich raised the value of gold from $20.67 to $35, so Ihis day?" "Not really," I said. I explained that I did know by believed Charlie was dead but miraculously in the earlyknew the government could have assessed a fine as high asthe time he arrived in Tombstone he had been enduring morning hours, four days after they quit searching,$10,000 plus jail time. But even so, to me, $5000 still seemedtuberculosis for so long that gambling and bad manners Williams stumbled into a prospectors camp northeastpretty excessive, even by Uncle Sams standards. None ofhad replaced any glimmer of love he had for being a dentist. of Apache Junction. When the sheriff found him he wasthat would change the way I would tell my version of theI also believed the good doctor attended the Baltimore extremely disorientated. He had no idea where he had beenCharlie Williams legend, but questions stuck in my mindDental College in my home town. Well, I soon learned a lot or what he was doing. On the up-side, though, authoritiesabout the gold valuesthat dental gold was the key. of new stuff that filled up many of the blank spaces in my knowledge concerning Doc Holliday.8 February 2021'