The Final Meeting of Earp and Holiday

 

DID YOU KNOW the final meeting between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday took place in LoDo! 

According to Gary L. Roberts, author of the novel ‘Doc Holliday: The Life & Legend,’ the final meeting between these two occurred in the lobby of Denver’s Windsor Hotel at 18th & Larimer. 

In the spring of 1885 Wyatt and Josephine Earp were staying at the Windsor as part of a business trip. In May 1885 Wyatt became a partner in the Fashion Saloon in Aspen, Colorado. Doc had learned that Wyatt was staying at the Windsor and took the opportunity to see his old friend once more.

Josephine Earp recalled sitting in the lobby when a familiar form appeared: “There, coming toward us, was Doc Holliday, a thinner, more delicate-appearing Doc Holliday even than he had been in Tombstone. I have never seen a man exhibit more pleasure at meeting a mere friend than did Doc. He had heard that Wyatt was in town, he said, and had immediately looked him up. “When I heard you were in Denver, Wyatt, I wanted to see you once more,” he said, “for I can’t last much longer. You can see that.”

“Doc came over and chatted with us for a few minutes, and then he and Wyatt walked away to speak privately, Doc on visibly unsteady legs.” They sat down at a little distance from us and talked at some length, though poor Doc’s almost continuous coughing made it difficult for him to say anything. Wyatt repeated their conversation to me later.”

“Doc told Wyatt how ill he had been, scarcely able to be out of bed much of the time.” Wyatt was touched. He remembered how Doc had once saved his life…in Dodge City....My husband has been criticized even by his friends, for being associated with a man who had such a reputation as Doc Holliday’s. But who, with a shred of appreciation, could have done otherwise? Besides my husband always maintained that the greater part of the crimes that were attributed to Doc were but fictions created by the woman with whom he lived at times when she was seeking solace in liquor for the wounds to her pride inflicted during one of their violent disputes.” This obviously is a reference to Big Nose Kate.

“The old friends laughed and cried together and Wyatt thanked Doc again for saving his life back in Dodge City. Doc had a persistent cough and was unsteady on his feet as he gamely walked away, frail, grey and gaunt.”

“Wyatt’s sense of loyalty and gratitude was such that the world had been all against Doc, but that he should have stood by him out of appreciation for saving his life.” “Isn’t it strange,” Wyatt remarked to Doc that day in Denver, “that if it were not for you, I wouldn’t be alive today, yet you must go first.”

“My husband was deeply affected by this parting from the man who, like an ailing child, had clung to him as though to derive strength from him. There were tears in Wyatt’s eyes when at last they took leave of each other. Doc threw his arm across Wyatt’s shoulder. “Good-by old friend,” Doc said. “It will be a long time before we meet again.”

“He turned and walked away as fast as his feeble strength would permit. Only a short time after this we heard that he had died.”

[Source: Doc Holliday: The Life & Legend by Gary L. Roberts]

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