18. Wyatt Earp testified in favor of Curly Bill at trial
When Curly Bill Brocius stood trial in Tucson his attorney introduced evidence that the gun used to shoot Fred White was defective, and the weapon had been fired accidentally. Brocius claimed that he had dropped the pistol as ordered by White, which discharged when the hammer struck the ground. On the stand, Wyatt corroborated the testimony, stating that when he arrived at the scene Brocius’ pistol was lying in the street. The court accepted the testimony and released Brocius, finding that White’s demise was accidental. Despite the testimony friendly to Brocius (and hence to the Cowboys), Brocius nursed a grudge against Earp and his brothers as a result of his pistol-whipping and arrest.
