Tom “McLaury” McLaury (1853-1881)

Old West Figure. Born in Kortright, New York the tenth of eleven children of attorney Robert Houston and Margaret Rowland McClaughry. In 1855 the family moved to Belle Plaine, Iowa where the siblings attended a local common school. In 1878, he and his brother Frank moved to Hereford, Arizona, where they built an adobe and settled down. The 1880 US Census, Pima County, listed the brothers as Frank, age 31, head of the house, with the occupation of "Stock Raiser." Tom, age 27, also listed as "Stock Raiser." Rumors arose that indicated at least some of their stock was stolen. It was at this time that the brothers became friends and associates of the Clanton family. On October 25th, 1881 Tom, with Ike Clanton rode into Tombstone, Clanton began drinking heavily, while the pair played poker with Johnny Behan and Virgil Earp. When the game folded, Clanton was advised to sleep it off by Earp, but he continued drinking, spreading the word around town that his cowboys were gunning for the Earps. The two groups ran into conflict the following day behind the OK Corral. After an exchange of gunfire, three men were dead. The coroner's verdict concerning events of that day stated: "William Clanton, Frank and Thomas McLowery, came to their deaths in the town of Tombstone on October 26, 1881, from the effects of pistol and gunshot wounds inflicted by Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Wyatt Earp and one - Holliday, commonly called "Doc" Holliday." A funeral procession began late in the afternoon of the following day with a brass band in the lead. Two hearses carried Clanton and the McLaury brothers to the cemetery. They were accompanied by about 300 people on foot, about 25 carriages and buggies and one four-horse stage. The McLaury brothers were interred together.

Bio by: Iola