b'Clanton continued from page 18just east of the border of the Arizona Territory. Aband of Mexicans ambushed the camp, killing all butOld Man Clanton already had a two of Newman Clantons wranglers. Clanton himself was killed. The two to escape were Billy Byers andbuilt-in gang, Ike, Phin, and Billy Harry Ernshaw, according to press reports of the day. For Clanton, there may have been mercy in his death(right), who would follow their father two months before his son Billy and his neighbors faithfully into any venture, larcenous the McNary brothers fell to the bullets of the Earpsand Holliday in the OK Corral gunght. The story or not, and his liberal policies and of the ambush leaves a lot of unanswered questions the know-how he had given his boys to this day.soon attracted many good and not so Shot From AmbushIt appears from most reports that Old Man Clanton,good ranch hands to ride with him.William Lang, Dixie Lee Gray, Charley Snow, and Jim Crane were asleep when the herd became restless. When they went to investigate, a band of Mexicans opened reMotive Unknown The on them. Billy Byers was hit ve times by the witheringWhat prompted the Mexicans to attack the CowboysClanton re of the attackers, but played dead and did not movecamp is unknown. There are plenty of theories. One isBoysa muscle until the raiders had gone. That took a lot ofthat a Mexican wagon train was attacked by AmericansPhin Clanton, Ike Clanton and Billy Clanton courage since some of the shots red into Billy camesouth of the border a week earlier and 12 Mexicans werewere not considered major outlaws of the day. Billy while he lay prone and still on the ground. slaughtered. One Mexican escaped and led the Federalesachieved the most fame by getting shot to death by the to the trail of the attackers, which they followed toEarps and Doc Holliday at the famed shootout near the Byers said the wranglers were camped with the herdGuadalupe Canyon. OK Corral. Phin and Ike left Tombstone after recovering when the cattle began to move. He related that theytheir fathers body in 1882 and burying it on Boot Hill. thought a bear was the cause of the herds movements.Another is that one Mexican soldier from Fronteras wasThe two brothers then moved to Apache County in When they went to investigate, Mexicans hiding behindkilled and another severely wounded by the Cowboys1883 and by July of that year, they were indicted on ve a low row of hills opened up on them, according to hisduring a foray into Mexico and the soldiers that hitcounts of improperly branding calves.eyewitness account. Byers saw three men, who appearedClantons camp were on a revenge mission. Still, another to be in command, standing on the hill and orderingis that the 100 head the Clanton Cowboys were drivingFolks around St. Johns and Springerville did not the Mexicans where to shoot as they rushed the Clantonto tombstone for sale were stolen in Mexico and theseem to appreciate the talents Ike and Phin brought wranglers. Byers said he had no doubt that the MexicansFederales or Rurales tracked them into Guadalupewith them from Tombstone, nor the reputation that who attacked the camp were soldiers stationed atCanyon, killed the Cowboys and drove the herd backfollowed them from the booming mining camp to the Fronteras. Byers took two slugs in the stomach and oneinto Mexico.south. Ike and Phin had acquired 160 acres each in an across the bridge of his nose as he dove for cover tryingarea of Apache county known as Cienega Amarilla. to get out of the line of re. He stripped off all his clothesWhose Cattle? Their sister Mary Elsie and her husband Ebin Stanley and jewelry then remained on the ground, bleeding andThere were reports at the time that the herd belonged tolived nearby in Springerville. Ike Clanton knew the still as a dead man. the Lang ranch and Clanton was driving them to marketsheriff of Apache County and in 1884 he was helping for the Langs. This is somewhat supported by the factthe sheriff arrest a gang of stage robbers when he took When Billy Byers died at the age of 99 he had four of thethat William Lang was riding with Clanton and died ina bullet to the shoulder.bullets from Guadalupe Canyon still in his body, twothe ambush. The problem is researchers have never been red by the Mexicans raiding the camp after he fell justable to pin down what happened to that 100 head of beefIke and Phin were in trouble again briefly the winter of to make sure he was dead. Billy maintained he was theafter the ambush. It has not been established that they1885. They were arrested after being accused of breaking only one that survived the massacre.were driven into Tombstone, that they were driven backinto the Apache County treasurers safe, along with to the Lang ranch, or that they were driven into Mexico.brother-in-law Ebin Stanley and Lee Renfro. They went Harry Ernshaw, who was guarding the herd that night,There is simply no record of what happened to the herd. free after it was found that Treasurer Francisco Baca had saw the Mexican attackers rst. He reportedly rode hardfalsely made up the story of safecracking to cover his some 10 to 12 miles to the Gray Ranch to report theThe remaining Clanton gang members rode out toown embezzlement of $11,166 of the countys money. attack. Researchers have been unable to track ErnshawGuadalupe Canyon the next morning and buried the after that. There were no interviews with him publisheddead where they fell. Ike and Phin Clanton went out laterMore trouble came in 1886. In May, Ike was arrested as to his memories of the massacre. It is possible Byersand dug up their fathers body and took it to Tombstone.after allegations that he was involved in a gunght with was unaware of Ernshaw escaping. Old Clanton familyThere, on Boot Hill, Old Man Clanton rests to this day,one Pablo Romero over a card game. Ike was slightly photos from the period tend to conrm Byers story.a mystery hanging over his remains as to why he and hiswounded in one leg and Romero was shot in the hip. Written on the back of Newman Clantons photo are thewranglers were killed. It is unlikely that at this point inJustice of the Peace Hogue found insufficient evidence words killed by Mexicans.time anyone will nd any evidence of what happenedto recommend a trial and the charges were dropped. On to the 100 head Old Man Clanton was herding whenJune 1, 1887, Ike had his last run-in with the law. Deputy he fell. The fate of that herd would go a long way intoSheriff J.V. Rawhide Jake Brighton and another deputy establishing a motive for Newman Clantons murder androde to the ranches of Phin and Ike to arrest them, even that of his four wranglers. though they had no warrant and the brothers were not wanted for any crime. When Ike saw them coming he tried to run and was instantly gunned down by Brighton. Ike was buried where he fell along Eagle Creek Tombstone attracted Johnny Ringonear Springerville and Phineas was imprisoned. After prison, Phin moved to Globe and began raising goats. and so did Old Man ClantonsIn 1906 he was involved in a wagon accident and his Cowboys. Rustling was one of hisexposure to the weather caused him to get pneumonia games and he most frequently rodefrom which he died.with Ike Clanton. This gunslingerJohnny RingoRingos life was a short one. He was found dead at age lived a wild but short life and his32, sitting in the branches of a tree in Mexico. He had been shot in the head. His boots, coat, and horse were cause of death is still up for debate. missing. Some historians say he committed suicide, others say he was killed by gunghter Buckskin Frank Leslie, still others say Johnny-Behind-the-Duece ORourke did him in. Some others say Wyatt Earp hunted him down and killed him in revenge for the 20 September 2019'