Ben Sippy

Ben Sippy was City Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona Territory, from November 12, 1880, to June 6, 1881. He beat out Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp for the office but left under a cloud of financial impropriety.

Before arriving in Arizona, Sippy had been indicted for theft in Parker County, Texas. He fled the state without facing the charges. On January 4, 1881, Sippy stood for election as the permanent City Marshal and beat challenger Howard Lee.

On February 28, 1881, at the Oriental Hotel, gamblers Luke Short and Charlie Storms had a verbal altercation which was temporarily defused by Bat Masterson, who was an acquaintance of Storms as well. Storms later returned to the scene and yanked Short off the sidewalk as he and Masterson left the gambling hall. Storms pulled his cut-off Colt .45 pistol, but Short was quicker. Short shot Storms twice before he hit the ground; the first shot fired was so close that it set fire to Storms' shirt. Short was alleged to have then turned to Bat Masterson and stated: "You sure pick some of the damnedest friends, Bat." Sippy arrested Short, but the shooting was determined to have been made in self-defense.

But by June 1881 Sippy was in trouble. On June 6, 1881, he asked the city for a two-week leave of absence and Virgil Earp was appointed as acting city marshal.