b'B Y B O B B O Z E B E L LIm chief, A Shirt to Die ForIm boss. Ill knock the first son of aTom Watersvs E.L. Bradshawbitch down that says anything aboutJuly 23, 1880my shirt again. Tom Waters is flush with cash. The Tombstone Daily Epitaph reports Tom Waters he has recently won considerable money and has been drinking heavily in the back room of Corrigans saloon. Perhaps to celebrate his windfall, Tom has purchased a brand new blue and black plaid shirt and is wearing it proudly.Like rough men are prone to do, his drinking mates start kidding Waters about his taste in clothing. Good intentioned or not, as the day wears on, the playful ribbing strikes Waters as obnoxious, and he begins to show an ugly resentment to the comments. Or, as the Epitaph put it, After a few more drinks, Waters bellows, Now, if anyone dont like what Ive said let him get up, God damn him, Im chief, Im boss. Ill knock the first son of a bitch down that says anything about my shirt again.His barmates take the hint and declare a moratorium on the loud shirt topic, but, E.L. Bradshaw, Waters close friend and former cabin mate, comes into the saloon, sees the shirt for the first time and immediately makes a commentabout it. Waters leaps at his friend and smashes his fist into Bradshaws face, decking him.Bradshaw leaves to attend to the bleeding of his eye, but he returns armed and asks his former roommate, Why did you do that?Waters, even drunker than before, grunts something and turns away.The usually reserved and peaceable Bradshaw raises his pistol and pulls the trigger, shredding the black and blue plaid shirt with four bullet holes.ON SALE NOWLearn even more about Tombstones A coroners inquest was held and a defensemost famous gunfighters. Pick up motion for bail (for Bradshaw) was denied. His caseyour copy of Classic Gunfights, Vol. II was transferred to Tucson to await the action of aand True West Magazines February- grand jury. According to author Bill ShillingebergMarch, 2022 issue.in his fine book, Tombstone A.T. Wyatt Earp served 32 subpoenas in the case. According to MarkORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!Boardman, Bradshaw was no-billed in September and he went free, likely on self-defense grounds. Meanwhile, back in Tombstone, Tom WatersTrueWestMagazine.comfuneral procession was quite large and many prominent citizens turned out. E.L. Bradshaw14 May 2022'