Shootout at the O.K. Corral | Thirty Seconds | 3

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tensions boil over in Tombstone, Arizona as the Earp brothers confront the Clanton and McLaury outlaw gang, resulting in a 30-second shootout that leaves several dead. With the town divided over the Earps' actions, the brothers face an onslaught of assassination attempts as they try to maintain order in the lawless frontier town.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, history buffs, if you can't get enough of the captivating stories we uncover on American
0:04.7	history tellers, you'll love the exclusive experience of Wondry Plus.
0:08.4	Dive even deeper into the past with ad-free episodes, early access to new seasons, and
0:13.0	bonus content that brings history to life like never before.
0:16.2	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcast and embark on an unparalleled journey through America's most pivotal moments.
0:37.2	Imagine it's mid-Octoberober 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona.
0:41.8	You're a telegraph operator, and you're unwinding at a saloon after a long day of work.
0:46.5	You finished your third glass of beer, and then decide to settle up and head home for bed.
0:51.3	But before you can pay, two menacing figures plop down on the stools on either
0:55.6	side of you. One is short and husky, the other tall and gangly. You instantly sober up,
1:01.2	recognizing them as outlaws from a local cowboy gang. The short one leans in and hisses at you.
1:06.9	You're on the telegraph line in town, right? I do. You remember a message a few months ago? Wells Fargo agent in town sent it? Well, he sends a lot of messages. No, this one was special. It was about the Benson stagecoach robbery. You recall that? Well, sure, I recall the incident. Two people died. The driver, the passenger on the roof. Yeah, you've got a good memory. Wells Fargo put up a
1:28.8	handsome reward for catching the perpetrators, $3,600 to be exact, and that's a lot of money.
1:35.2	Yeah, I would agree, it sure is. And from what I hear, the Wells Fargo agent wanted to know whether
1:40.1	the company would pay that reward if the bandits were killed during the apprehension. You remember a message like that?
1:46.3	Ah, well, you know, look, fellas, I send hundreds of messages a week.
1:49.9	It would be, I mean, it's just impossible for me to remember any single one of them.
1:54.4	The lanky cowboy leans in and jabs a pistol in your ribs.
1:58.1	You freeze in horror.
1:59.7	A short cowboy just smiles. Well, suddenly you're
2:02.6	having memory problems. I think you need to think harder. Let me ask you again. You remember a
2:07.6	telegram like that? Yeah, yeah, I probably do. All right. Now, was Wyatt Earb with the Wells Fargo man that
	...

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