Description:

JOSEPHINE "JOSIE" EARP
(ca. 1861 - 1944) American actress and professional dancer, best known as the wife of Western lawman and gambler Wyatt Earp. Josie's first romance in Tombstone was with Wyatt's arch enemy, Sheriff Johnny Behan, whom she left when she discovered his philandering ways. By 1882, she had adopted the name of "Josephine Earp", although no official record of their marriage exists, and she was on the scene following the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Although their marriage was contentious, they shared a life of mining, operating saloons, and even worked as a gambling team. Rare A.L.S. "Josephine E," with holograph envelop also signed with her husband's name "W. Earp", 11pp. 8vo., Oakland, July 28, 1924 to the Earp's business secretary and friend, John Flood. Mrs. Earp is angered at a story about her husband that has run in a Hearst newspaper, and vents to Flood. In part: "...Mr. E. is getting along fine...there was another write up in one of the Hearst papers about Mr. E....write a personal letter to Mr. W. Hearst and tell him that W[yatt] feels very much grieved at the article...who ever wrote the article lied every word of it and must have been in with the Cav Boys...ask him please to retract...say that in the early days his father George Hearst came to W. and his brother Virgil asking for protection from some of the toughs in Tombstone as he was going out to look at a mine and W. took him out on horseback and stayed with him 2 days...sent W. a nice watch for being so nice to him...I just feel awful about it. It just seems like they cannot leave him alone. And always a pack of lies...just when things are dying out some miserable mean man who knows nothing writes up such terrible things - this time we will fight them all...best of all they think he is dead otherwise they would not say such things...will go for them this time...W feels very badly too...". Folds, very good. Of course, the Hearst papers were especially known for their sensational journalism.

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March 30, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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