Wells Spicer

Wells W. Spicer (1831–1885 or 1887) was an American journalist, prospector, politician, lawyer and judge whose legal career immersed him in two significant events in frontier history: the Mountain Meadows massacre in the Utah Territory in 1857; and the 1881 shootout commonly known as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. After he left Tombstone, he returned to prospecting. He disappeared in 1885 or 1887.

Early life

Spicer was born in Chemung, New York to William and Seba Spicer, both farmers of Presbyterian faith. He had two siblings: an older brother, George; and a younger sister, also named Seba. The family relocated to Tipton, Iowa when Wells was about nine years old. As a young man, Spicer worked as a clerk for Samuel Augustus Bissell, a respected lawyer and judge. Under Bissell's tutelage, Spicer was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1853. In the same year, Spicer and his associates began publishing the Cedar County Advertiser; who initiated a second trial and populated the jury with Mormons who would "exonerate Mormon authorities of complicity in the massacre". Charges against other church leaders were dropped. Despite defense claims that prosecution witnesses were also willing participants in the massacre as well as glaring inconsistencies in their testimonies, Lee was found guilty in September 1876 and sentenced to death.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

A coroner's inquest was held the day after the gun fight of October 26, 1881. The coroner's jury only stated the facts of the gunfight and not whether the shootings were justifiable or criminal. Ike Clanton filed first degree murder charges on November 1 against Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, and John H. "Doc" Holliday. at her home after she presented confusing testimony and to recall her to the stand to answer his questions, much to the dismay and objections of the prosecution. In her second visit to Spicer's courtroom, she testified that she did not see any of the Cowboy faction raise their hands to surrender, testimony which contradicted the testimony of prosecution witnesses Ike Clanton, Wes Fuller and Billy Claiborne.

I have been reviled and slandered beyond measure, and that every vile epithet that a foul mouth could utter has been spoken of me... that of corruption and bribery. It is but just to myself that I should hereby assert that neither directly or indirectly was I ever approached in the interest of the defendants, nor have I received a favor of any kind from them or for them. There is a rabble in our city who would like to be thugs if they had courage; would be proud to be called cow-boys , if people gave them that distinction; but as they can be neither, they do the best they can to show how vile they are, and slander, abuse, and threaten everybody they date to. In conclusion, I will say that I will be here just where they can find me if they want me. An article 3 months later in the Daily Star stated that shortly before his disappearance while en route to Covered Wells, Spicer visited a man named Bill Haynes and tried to commit suicide twice while there.

One theory is that Spicer, who had a history of evading creditors, planned his "suicide" by pretending to be despondent while at Haynes' cabin and then quietly made his way to Mexico (possibly Ures) where he spent the rest of his days.

Portrayals in film/television John Lawlor in Wyatt Earp (1994) imdb.com James Seay in The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp (Episode titled "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", 1961) imdb.com William Schallert (as Judge Herman Spicer) in Hour of the Gun (1967) imdb.com