Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Cowboys and were not indicted. Wyatt Earp, newly appointed as Deputy U.S. Marshal in Cochise County, then took matters into his own hands in a personal vendetta. He was pursued by county sheriff Johnny Behan, who had received a warrant from Tucson for Wyatt's shooting of Frank Stilwell. Tombstone, near the Mexican border, was founded in March 1879. After silver was discovered in the area, Tombstone grew rapidly into a frontier mining boomtown. At its founding, it had a population of just 100, and only two years later, in late 1881, the population was more than 7,000 (excluding Chinese, Mexicans,
James Riley (gunman) James Riley (gunman) James Riley (1853-?) was a young man from Kansas who, on August 19, 1871 was the deciding factor in a little-known but deadly gunfight, which became known as the Gunfight at Hide Park, that took place in Newton, Kansas. The gunfight, despite being lesser known than either the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral or the Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight, resulted in more dead. Where Kinch 'James' Riley came from is unknown. It is believed that he was born in Kansas, but as to where in Kansas is unknown. He first surfaced in Newton around 1869.