Thank you.

Everyone in the area was ask about what the cowboys did with their hands. Bourland's testimony was considered along with all the rest.

I had an interest in this for a specific reason. When I started the simulation I didn't know which story was correct, the lawman story or the cowboy story. I wasn't going to maintain two simulations so I had to figure out a way to deal with it in a single simulation, and eventually lead to a kind of ah-ah moment. About the only difference between the lawman and cowboy story is what the cowboys do with their hands. A few other odds and ends differ, but not that much. So the solution was easy, just leave everyone's hands at their sides until after the first shots. The idea was that maybe after enough of the fight came together it would reflect back to the initial encounter. And eventually it did.

So what did the cowboys do with their hands just prior to the first two shots. This is my take on it.

Claiborne:
All though not a cowboy he was in the vacant lot.
According to Wyatt he threw up his left hand.
I'm good with that.

Ike:
The lawmen said he threw his hand to his chest in a manner that looked like he was reaching for his pretend gun. This is beyond silly. It would be suicidal and that is when the shooting would start.
If Ike raised one hand chest high then he raised both.

Tom:
The lawmen said he's hand went to his hip as if (again) reaching for his pretend gun. Same as with Ike, silly and suicidal.
Tom pulled his coat open by the lapels.
So technically, Tom did not raise his hands.

Frank:
The lawmen said he drew his gun. If Frank had as much as touched his gun as the lawmen approached, that is when the shooting would have started. As I've heard it termed before, "he wouldn't have cleared leather."
Frank is holding the reins of his horse in his left hand. So probably doesn't do much with is left hand. What does he do with his right. Not many people seem to be able see Frank. Their view is blocked. So maybe he raised his hand a little, or maybe he raises his hand a lot. I don't know. But what ever he does, he doesn't touch his gun.

Billy:
The lawmen said he drew his gun and fired at Wyatt. That didn't happen. If it had, Billy wouldn't make it to the corner of the little house with a bullet proof vest and a speed loader.
Enough witnesses see him with his hands raised that I'm good with that. I expect the defense choose Billy to fire the first shot because he was the deepest into the vacant lot, making him the hardest to see.

And now to Addie Bourland.
Addie Bourland is a thirty-something year old divorcee that lives alone on the outskirts of one of the roughest town in the America. She watched four men walk up and start shooting four other men. Addie only lives a block and a half from three of them and maybe across the street from the other. Addie's in a pickle. I expect Addie wished she hadn't opened her big mouth and told someone that she saw the start of the fight. And I think the nature of Addie's testimony reflects this. Most of her answers can be summerized with one line, "I don't know."
An abbreviated version of some of her questions and answers:
Who did you see raise there hands - no one.
Which party fired first? - I don't know.
Who were you looking at - not at anyone in particular.
Did you hear any conversation - I did not.
About how many shots were fired - I could not tell.
Were all the parties shooting at each other - Looked to me like it.
See any of the parties fall - I saw no parties fall.

And from Addie's testimony, speaking of Judge Spicer, "he went to see the witness at her house and talked with her about what she might further know about the case, and that he, of his own motion, says that he believed she knew more than she had testified to on her examination". Yup, Addie had a front row seat. I kind of admire Addie for this. Try as they might, Addie's not talking. And for good reason. Addie takes a look around the court room. Cowboys on her left, lawmen on her right. Addie asks herself which group does she want to piss off today. I think Addie makes the best choice, neither.

So what might Addie have actually seen.
I think Hatch puts to words quite well what the others imply.
Q. Who of the persons engaged in this difficulty fired the first shot?.
A. I cannot tell. The Earp party and Holliday were standing in front of me close together. I could not see the other parties at that time.
Q. State whether or not you saw any hostile demonstrations on the part of Wm. Clanton, Tom or Frank McLowry, made by them at the time Virgil Earp said, "we have come to arrest you," etc.
A. The Earp party were standing between me and the Clantons and I could not see them.

And that's why Behan only see's Tom, Coleman only sees Billy, and Allen only notices Tom and Billy. Everyone is bunched up blocking the view.
And Addie has the same problem.
Frank's left side is towards Addie. Franks holding the rein's of his horse in his left hand. She might see what he did with his right.
Tom's on the other side of Frank. And doesn't actually raise his hands.
Billy is on the far side of all of them. Highly likely his view is blocked.
Addie not seeing Ike or Claiborne raise their hands is questionable.

I think it's curious that Addie was willing to extend herself enough to implicate Doc Holliday. Seems to be out of character as compared to the rest of her testimony.

And that's my take on Addie, hands, and the start of the fight.


Happy trails,


Jones