DOC HOLLIDAY: BIOGRAPHY - ARTE - 2025

John Henry “Doc” Holliday (1851-1887) was an American dentist, gunman, and casino gambler, also known for his relationship with Wyatt Earp. Although his profession had no affinity for weapons, he was equally skilled with the trigger. He was fond of drinking, which affected his health.

He was arrested several times on charges of murder and illegally possessing gambling material. He did not marry or have children, he was only known in a relationship with Mary Katherine Horony-Cummings, better known as Big Nose Kate. Many films have been produced around his figure, as well as folk songs and novels.

Doc Holliday. Source: See page for author

Biography

Early years

Doc Holliday was born in Griffin, Georgia, on August 14, 1851. His father was Major Henry Burroughs Holliday and his mother Alice Jane Holliday. Commander Henry actively participated in the Civil War and the Mexican-American War.

His mother died of tuberculosis when Doc was 15 years old. His father remarried and they went to live in Valdosta, where he attended the Valdosta Institute. There he had an iron secondary education in mathematics, history, languages, grammar and rhetoric.

He had an adoptive brother named Francisco, who also died of tuberculosis. The second marriage of her father was not to the liking of Holliday, question for which at the age of 19 she chose to leave the parental home and begin her studies at a dental school.

In 1872 he obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. Only until the age of 21 was he able to practice his profession.

First trips

Doc Holliday traveled to Dallas, Texas, in 1873, with the intention of opening a dental office. However, he later became fond of gambling and discovered that it was an easy way to earn money.

As early as 1875 he was arrested for participating in a shooting in a salon. Upon being later found guilty, he decided to leave Dallas. A reckless spirit arose in him, thinking that dying stabbed or shot was preferable to dying of tuberculosis. His health also deteriorated because he tried to control his cough with liquor.

Dodge city

He decided to travel across the western mining frontier, where it was more lucrative to gamble. He went to Denver, Cheyenne and Deadwood in 1876. In 1877 he went to Fort Griffin, Texas, where he met Wyatt Earp and the prostitute girl who became his lifelong lover, Big Nose Kate.

In 1878 he strengthened his friendship with Earp in Dodge City by betting money with some cowboys. At the same time, he continued with his dental office, although that year he decided to leave it. He later told a newspaper that he had only been a dentist for five years.

Saving Wyatt Earp

There was an incident in 1878 when Earp, as an officer in Dodge City, was surrounded by armed men in a room. Doc owned a bar and abandoned it to help his friend, recklessly reaching out to threaten the cowboys around him.

Although Earp later said that his friend saved him, some police reports deny many shootings Holliday was involved in, as he spent a lot of time drunk.

Shooting with Webb

In 1879 he was involved in a shooting in Las Vegas, New Mexico, with a gunman named John Joshua Webb. The altercation started because John had yelled at one of the girls in the room where they were both.

Doc then followed behind Webb as he left the compound. Webb shot him but missed the shot and then Holliday attacked and killed him. At the trial he was fortunate because he was acquitted of the crime.

Get to Tombstone

Thanks to his friendship with the other brothers - Earp, Morgan and Virgil - Holliday arrived in Tombstone in 1880. Later he quickly became involved in local politics and certain events that ended with the famous OK Corral shooting in 1881.

The troubles with the Cowboy faction escalated after a robbery and murder of a stagecoach in Benson, Arizona, in which Doc was involved. His friend Earp tried to bribe Ike Clanton to clear Doc, but on the other hand the sheriff Behan made Big Nose Kate testify against her. Holliday was brought to trial, although his sentence was unsuccessful as Kate retracted.

Shooting at OK Corral

It appears that the OK Corral shooting started after a big argument one night between Holliday and Ike Clanton. It all happened in an empty parking lot, very close to where Doc had a room.

Professional gunman

The shooting was started by Holliday according to some witnesses who saw a blast of smoke, although the city marshal, Virgil Earp, wanted to disarm the cowboys before everything was unleashed and ended badly.

Doc would have apparently led Virgil to fight. Holliday had a long coat so she hid her gun before the fight. For her part, Virgil carried a cane so as not to unleash the panic of the citizens.

The strategy failed because Holliday ended up murdering Tom McLaury. It was even speculated that the tubercular little Holliday held a pistol in one hand and a double-barreled shotgun in the other, like a professional gunman.

Virgil Earp murdered

Subsequent investigations determined that the OK Corral shooting was not a criminal act perpetrated by Doc Holliday and the Earp brothers. The inhabitants of Tombstone were left in great distress due to the violence unleashed.

Later Virgil was ambushed and in 1882 Morgan Earp was assassinated. They later began a revenge by the Earps against the cowboys who allegedly murdered Morgan.

Death

Doc had differences with his friend Earp and left town, moving to Pueblo, Colorado. In 1882 he was arrested in Denver for having killed Frank Stilwell. The influences of Earp came to rescue him again, who freed him. In Colorado he took several baths in the waters of a spring in the hope that his tuberculosis would cure.

In 1887 he went to the Glenwood Hotel where he spent his last days dying. They say that while in this state, he continued asking the nurses to bring him whiskey. Before dying he said: "Damn, this is fun." He died on November 8, 1887, at the age of 36.

His remains were taken to the Linwood Cemetery.

References

1. Editors, TheFamousPeople.com (2018). Doc Holliday. Biography. Recovered from thefamouspeople.com
2. History.com Editors (2009). Doc Holliday Dies of Tuberculosis. Recovered from history.com
3. Legends of America (nd). Doc Holliday. Deadly Doctor of the American West. Recovered from legendsofamerica.com
4. New World Encyclopedia (2017). Doc Holliday. Recovered from newworldencyclopedia.org
5. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018). Doc Holliday. Recovered from britannica.com