What Famous People Attended Wyatt Earps Funeral? Josephine Earp: The Truth About Wyatt Earp's Wife - Grunge [71]:117 Other researchers and writers aren't even sure she was in town that day. According to Edward C. Meyers Mattie: Wyatt Earps Second Wife, Blaylock was the youngest of three children and her familys second daughter. After Earp left Tombstone and Blaylock, she waited in Colton, California to hear from him, but he never contacted her. Wyatt Earp enthusiasts have made the gravesite the most visited in that Jewish cemetery and once even stole the tombstone. The O.K. He struggled to make a living in New York City and read about the growing city of San Francisco. They had an estimated $80,000, a relative fortune (equivalent to about $2,610,000 today). The Tombstone Epitaph reported on November 11, 1881 that "S. Mansfield" from San Francisco had passed Colton, California (where Wyatt Earp's parents lived) en route to Arizona, a few days before Wyatt's testimony at the Spicer hearing. The coroners report stated that she died of supposed suicide by opium poisoning., Related read: Im Your Huckleberry: the Real Meaning of Doc Hollidays Famous Line. They traveled West, thinking they would find some work. [26]:52, In early 1883, Josephineor Sadie as Wyatt called herand Wyatt left San Francisco for Gunnison, Colorado, where Earp ran a Faro bank until he received a request in April for assistance from Luke Short in Dodge City. Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp (1860 - December 19, 1944) was the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a famed Old West lawman and gambler. She also told the Earp cousins that Pauline Markham had a maid named Julia. [26]:11 In November 1874, a woman named Sadie Mansfield took a stagecoach from San Francisco to Prescott along with several prostitutes working for Madame Hattie Wells. Josephine is quoted in I Married Wyatt Earp as saying that on October 26, 1881, the day of the shootout at the O.K. Earp developed a reputation as a sportsman as well as a gambler. Wyatt is generally tied to three women: Urilla Sutherland, Cecilia Ann "Mattie" Blaylock, and Josephine Marcus. Mattie was considered Earps common-law wife and in the 1880 census, the 30-year-old was listed as Mattie Earp, wife of Wyatt Earp. Earp's anger at Holliday's ethnic slur may indicate that his feelings for Josephine was more serious at the time than is commonly known. He wrote (in her voice), "Hattie and I attended the McCarthy Dancing Academy for children on Howard Street (Polk and Pacific). The memory of it has been a source of humiliation and regret to me in all the years since that time and I have never until now disclosed it to anyone besides my husband (Wyatt). The Wives of Wyatt Earp, from Aurilla Sutherland to Sadie Marcus Descendants of Josie's half-sister Rebecca allowed a Southern California group in 199899 to erect the stone currently in place. [109]:259, Grace Welsh Spolidora, Welsh's daughter, spent a lot of time with the Earps. She was the third of six children born to parents Henry and Elizabeth Blaylock. Earp and partner Charles E. Hoxie built the Dexter Saloon, the largest in Nome. "[32], Men in Tombstone outnumbered women nine to one, and the miners were eager to pay substantial fees to women who would cook their meals, provide rooms, wash their clothes, and provide sexual services. Researchers have found that the two names share extremely similar characteristics and circumstances. [66], A letter written by former New Mexico Territory Governor Miguel Otero appears to indicate that Earp had strong feelings for Josephine shortly after leaving Tombstone in April 1882. He was named after his father's commanding officer in the Mexican-American War, Captain Wyatt Berry Stapp, of the 2nd Company Illinois Mounted Volunteers. [6] Henry Marcus initially made enough money to send Josephine and her sister Hattie to music and dance classes at McCarty's Dancing Academy, a family-owned business on Eddy St. that taught both children and adults. I finally finished reading this book about the life and times of Wyatt Earp. No documentation proves they were married, but they claimed their wedding took place in Iowa or Nebraska. Living and working together, Mattie utilized the last name of Earp and by the time they moved on to Tombstone, Arizona in 1879, she would have been considered his common-law wife. ), you were probably thrilled when, When Josephine Marcus Earp died in Los Angeles on December 19, 1944, her small memorial attracted little attention, The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, Im Your Huckleberry: the Real Meaning of Doc Hollidays Famous Line, Tombstone vs. Wyatt Earp: 7 Differences in the Dueling Movies, 10 Fascinating Facts About Jack Swilling, the Founder of Phoenix, 8 Interesting Facts About the Arizona Rangers, 15 Native American Ruins in Arizona that Offer a Historic Glimpse into the Past, 8 Famous (and Infamous) Sheriffs of the Old West, Blood Brothers: The Unlikely Friendship of Tom Jeffords and Cochise, 8 Things You Might Not Know About Morgan Earp, Wyatts Favorite Bro, 9 Fascinating Facts About Virgil Earp, Noble Lawman of the West, Mrs. Earp: The Wives And Lovers Of The Earp Brothers, A Wyatt Earp Anthology: Long May His Story Be Told, I Married Wyatt Earp: The Recollections of Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp. [32] Sadie was an attractive woman, with thick, dark hair, vivid black eyes, and was well-endowed. [71][86][29]:78, They boarded the steamship Rosalie for Nome, Alaska on September 21. Free shipping for many products! The symptoms of St. Vitus Dance and meningitis are somewhat different, but both can be contracted from the same strain of bacteria through saliva. )[43] On October 20, 1875, the Arizona Weekly Miner of Prescott, Arizona noted that among the passengers en route from San Francisco were "Miss Saddie [sic] Mansfield and Mrs. Julia Barton, a servant. Grace, her sisters, Alma, and her mother brought in meals. [5][9] In early 1880, Henry was living with his son-in-law Aaron, who was employed as a bookkeeper. [8] She had been using laudanum and alcohol to excess for some time. Born Celia Ann Blaylock in 1850 in Johnson County, Iowa, she was raised on a small farm near the town of Fairfax. Celia Ann Mattie Blaylock (Earp) - tombstonetraveltips.com [42]:275298 In December 1883, they visited Galveston, Texas, and in March 1884 they were in Salt Lake City. Pinafore in San Francisco. She wanted him to look like a church-going saint and blow things up. They recorded events in her life but found Josephine was evasive about her early life in Tombstone. He had a "relationship with" Sadie Mansfield, likely the same girl who had traveled with Hattie Wells' prostitutes from San Francisco. [6][26] Ray says that Josephine didn't have a friend named Dora Hirsch. Historians have stated that earlier in her life, Mattie began consuming laudanum for headaches and was known to abuse alcohol. It was located for sale in a flea market. [43], Sadie, traveling as either Mrs. J. C. Earp or Mrs. Wyatt Earp, left Tombstone for her family in San Francisco via Los Angeles on March 24, 1882. For the fictional character, see. But the collision of Jewish and cowboy cultures that epitomized their union goes on. [39] Josephine said she left the acting troupe in February 1880, just after the Markham troupe ended its initial run of performances in Prescott. If Josephine, as she said, left San Francisco at age 18, it's unclear why she would still be attending school upon her return two years later. Both of Behan's children, Henrietta and Albert, were ill with meningitis around 1877, and in July of that year, Henrietta died from the disease. I developed St. Vitus Dance and was unable to attend school very much again. [40], During the 1880 census in Tip Top, Behan's occupation was given as saloon keeper. [112] Josephine died at age 83 on December 19, 1944, in the same bungalow she and Wyatt shared at 4004 W. 17th Street in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. His first was Urilla Sutherland who died early in his marriage. Josephine Earp - Wikipedia Is Tombstone a True Story? Is the 1993 Movie Based on Real Life? The name Sadie Mansfield was also recorded in Tombstone. Corral, Ike Clanton filed murder charges against the Earps and Doc Holliday. [26]:49, On June 2, 1880, the U.S. census had recorded Sadie Mansfield, whose occupation was "courtesan", as living in Tip Top. Wyatt Earp along with his brothers and their wives move to Tombstone to start a new life putting his life as a lawman and gunslinger behind him. "[26] Prostitution wasn't illegal in the territory as long as the women paid their licensing fees. She passed away on July 3, 1888, at about the age of 38. On November 25, 1899, the Seattle Star reported Earp's arrival. She often appeared on stage and in publicity photos wearing a corset and pink tights: shocking attire for the 1870s. Blaylock left Tombstone with other Earp family members for Colton, California. [70]:59 The next month, in July 1881, Josephine Behan was reported to be leaving Tombstone by stage. On December 19, 1944, Josephine Marcus Earp died, 15 years after the passing of her legendary husband, the gunfighter, gambler and lawman Wyatt Earp. While Sarah would turn back within months after life on the road proved difficult, Blaylock forged ahead and adopted the name Mattie.. Earp was apparently heavily affected by his first wife's death and started acting out. Corral on October 26, 1881. [107] The San Francisco Examiner ran a series of stories over three days describing Earp's life in exaggerated detail that ridiculed him. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tombstone (DVD, 2002, 2-Disc Set, Vista Series Directors Cut) COMPLETE with Map at the best online prices at eBay! Josephine left Behan in 1881, before the Gunfight at the O.K. [34] Josephine always sought excitement in her life. He opened a small business catering to miners and joined a few posses pursuing bandits. [18]:93, Behan and his wife were divorced in less than a month, in June 1875. To feed her gambling habit, Josephine would pawn the jewelry to millionaire Lucky Baldwin, but Wyatt would later buy the jewelry back. After a time however I very much improved in health so that within two years after my experience I was once more a normal healthy girl." In 1879 the Pauline Markham Theater Company came to town, and Josephine slipped away with the troupe. Later in life Josephine described her first years in Arizona as "a bad dream". Celia Ann Mattie Blaylock was a prostitute and the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp, a western frontiersman famous for his participation in the 1881 gunfight at the O.K. The United States Census confirmed her as his common-law wife by 1880. Actor Hugh O'Brianbecame a household name and earned Emmy nominations for his portrayal of the O.K. "[2][26]:46 If as Josephine stated she traveled with Markham's troupe from San Francisco in December 1879, there are no contemporary accounts of the trip being interrupted by Indians. She took the unusual step of asserting in her divorce petition that Behan "at divers times and places openly and notoriously visited houses of ill-fame and prostitution at said town of Prescott. [57], In retelling her life story, Josephine Marcus retold many elements of her experience that corroborated facts in Sadie Mansfield's history. Mattie waited for Wyatts telegraph that she should return to Tombstone, but it never arrived. With his more violent years behind. It is unclear why the pair decided to leave home but historians have speculated the sisters did not enjoy life on their parents farm in Iowa and decided to embark on a different path. [18]:36 Josephine worked hard to conceal Wyatt's prior relationship to his common-law wife and former prostitute Mattie Blaylock, with whom Wyatt was living when Josephine first met him in 1880. Blaylock's relationship with Earp was rediscovered by Earp researcher John Gilchriese and author Frank Waters in the 1950s, when they uncovered a coroner's report for "Mattie Earp", and a deathbed conversation in which she told someone, "Wyatt Earp had ruined my life. She asked Wyatt for a divorce, but Wyatt didn't believe in divorce and refused. #wyattearp #oldwest #history #sanbernardino . [26] He was furious about her gambling habit, during which she lost considerable sums of money. They stayed for about four years, living most of the time in the Brooklyn Hotel. Meet Mattie Blaylock, The Abandoned Common-Law Wife Of Wyatt Earp. In the midst of all this conflict, Wyatt is dealing with the fact that his wife, Mattie, has become addicted to Laudanum, a mixture of opium and morphine. Her real name was Leah Hirschberg, whose mother was a music teacher. "[38] She said that at the age of 18, she ran away with two friends, Dora Hirsch, daughter of her music teacher, and a girl named Agnes, who had a role in Pauline Markham troupe's production of H.M.S. Mattie eventually returned to Arizona where she spent her remaining years working as a prostitute. Earp did mezuzah when entering the house." [2], As an adult, Josephine claimed her father was German and ran a prosperous mercantile business. In 1998, reporters and scholars found that Boyer could not document many of the facts he wrote about Josephine's time in Tombstone. Around the age of 16, she left home with her younger sister, Sarah, and moved west. She was buried in the Pinal Cemetery in Pinal, Arizona. Grace recalled that Josie, who had never had many domestic skills, did very little housekeeping or cooking for Wyatt. C. S. Fly/Wikimedia Commons A portrait of Wyatt Earp's wife, Josephine Earp, in 1881, the year they met. [43], While there are no records that her father sent her money, researchers have located records of money orders totaling $50 sent by Josephine to her family in San Francisco. She earned a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and a certificate in antiques, collectibles, and appraising from Asheford Institute of Antiques. Earp developed a reputation as a sportsman as well as a gambler. In the summer of 1879 he moved back to Prescott, the territorial capital. Both made a stagecoach journey from San Francisco to Prescott, Arizona Territory; both traveled with a black woman named Julia; both were sexual partners with Behan; both were 19 years old, born in New York City, and had parents from Germany. They rented a cabin from Rex Beach for $100 a month and spent the winter of 18981899 there. [3], Wyatt and Holliday had been fast friends since Holliday saved Earp's life in Dodge City during 1878. [19] The Yuma Arizona Sentinel reported on October 25, 1879, "Tuesday arrived a Pinafore Company for Tucson, composed of Misses Pauline Markham, Mary Bell, Belle Howard, and Mrs. Pring, and Messrs. Borabeck and McMahon. Wyatt began a relationship with Josephine "Sadie" Marcus, who had during 1880-81 been in a relationship with Johnny Behan in Tombstone. [18] Behan claimed their daughter Henrietta wasn't his, and a request for support for Henrietta was stricken from the divorce petition. After her death, historians have conflicting views of how Earp spent his time. At the age of 22, he entered the law enforcement profession by beating his half-brother Newton in a race for constable of Lamar Township, thirty-five miles north of Joplin, Missouri. [3][1][4][5] Sophie was a widow with a 3-year-old daughter, Rebecca Levy, when she married Marcuse, who was eight years younger than she. "[25], In addition to Josephine's concealing Wyatt's past relationship with Blaylock, modern researchers think she may also have been concealing her own past as a "sporting lady" or prostitute. [42]:p275-198[77], After the Coeur d'Alene mining venture died out, Earp and Josie briefly went to El Paso, Texas before moving in 1887 to San Diego where the railroad was about to arrive and a real estate boom was underway. [11], Throughout her later life, Josephine worked hard to manage what the press and public knew about her and Wyatt's life in Arizona. Raymond Nez wrote that his grandparents witnessed their marriage off the California coast. [43][57] The only difference noted in the 1880 census is their occupation: Sadie in San Francisco is listed as "At home", while Sadie in Tip Top is recorded as a "Courtesan".