Mar 302011
April 1881 : Bob Paul, former Wells Fargo agent, becomes Pima County Sheriff after a protracted challenge over the November 1880 election results.
April 1881: Tombstone's city council reorganized the City Marshal's office as a police department, and established a Chief of Police for the city of 4,000.
April 9, 1885: The Tombstone Amateur Dramatic Club presented "The Toodles." The play netted about $120 for the cemetery fund.
April 13, 1888: Upon discovery of his fiancé's unfaithfulness, George Daves grabbed a pistol and chased Cleopatra Edmunds across the street. He fired at her four times, wounding her twice. Thinking he murdered the only woman he ever loved, George then placed the gun to his temple and killed himself. This provides the basis for one of Tombstone's most famous ghost stories.
April 16, 1881: Bat Masterson arrived once again in Dodge City, Kansas. While in Tombstone, he had received an anonymous telegram that stated two men had planned to kill his brother Jim, who was the city marshal. Having just stepped from the train, Bat became immediately involved in a gunfight later known as The Battle of the Plaza. Curiously, the two men named as the potential assassins of his brother were at the train station, and they were armed. During the gunfight, one of them – Al Updegraff – was shot through his right lung. He survived his injuries, claiming to be wounded by "parties" other than Bat. Bat was fined $8 and court costs for unlawfully discharging a pistol in the city.
April 17, 1881: Johnny "Behind-the-Deuce" O'Rourke, imprisoned for killing Harry Schneider on January 14th in Charleston, escaped from the Tucson jail and was never apprehended.
April 19, 1881: Tombstone's city council passed an ordinance to provide against the carrying of deadly weapons.