Phineas Fay Clanton (1843 - 1906)

Born Dec 1843 in Callaway County, Missouri, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Laura Jane (Neal) Tomerlin — married about 14 Oct 1902 (to about 1905) in Arizona

Died 5 Jan 1906 at age 62 in Webster Springs, Gila, Arizona, USA

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Note

This biography is unfinished. More work needs to be done to bio. Cheryl

Biography

Phineas Fay Clanton also known as Phin or Fin Clanton, was born in December of 1843 at Callaway County, Missouri. He was the son of Newman Haynes Clanton and his wife Mariah Sexton (Kelso) Clanton.

Phin and his family moved several times during his life from Missouri to Texas, Arizona, California, and then back to Arizona. In 1877 Phin obtained work as a freight driver, but it seems he and his father, along with brothers Ike and Billy Clanton were also involved in several illegal activities during their lives.

Newman Clanton, Phin's father, employed a group of men on his ranch who were unabashed law breakers. They became known as "Cowboys" and the Clanton father, known as "Old Man Clanton" along with his sons were leaders of these men. They had the reputation of being cattle rustlers, stealing cattle from Mexico and later from neighboring ranchers and they were also known to hold up stagecoaches, stealing strongboxes and valuables from passengers.

The Clanton's had ongoing conflicts with Deputy U. S. Marshall Virgil Earp, brother of the infamous, Wyatt Earp. Angry feelings developed - in colloquial terminology, there was "bad blood" between the Earp's and the Clanton's.

Phin Clanton was not in Tombstone or at the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral on October 26, 1881 when his brother Billy was shot dead, and his other brother Ike ran off, unharmed. But In December of 1881, it seems they attempted retribution for their brother Billy. Phin and his brother Ike were accused of attempted murder of Virgil Earp, an action which left Virgil unable to use his left arm. Two months latter, Morgan Earp, another of the Earp brothers, was assassinated. The Clanton's were accused but acquitted because their "Cowboy" friends vouched that they were in a town twelve miles away at that time.

Phin and his brother Ike moved to northern Arizona. There they were accused of stealing livestock along with their brother-in-law Eben Stanley. The grand jury indicted them and Phin served one year and five months of a ten year prison term at Yuma Arizona State Prison. He was pardoned and released on March 24, 1889 after it was discovered that the primary witness against Phin had lied on the stand so he could collect the $250.00 reward. While Phin was known as an "outlaw" in the old west, and indicted several times, it was only this one time when he was actually convicted then pardoned.

He married late in life, at the age of 58 years, on October 15, 1902. His wife was Laura Jane (Neal) Bohme, who had been married several times previously. Four years following his marriage on January 5, 1906 he was in a wagon accident. He was exposed to cold winter weather and contracted pneumonia. He died in Webster Springs, Gila County, Arizona at the age of 61 years and was buried in the Globe Cemetery, Globe, Gila County, Arizona.

Sources

• "Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia" for Phineas Clanton.see at Wikipedia

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZQ-CB2 : 9 November 2014), Joseph J Clanton in household of John M Kelso, Callaway county, Callaway, Missouri, United States; citing family 443, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Phineas Clanton (1846 Missouri) United States Census, 1860 Precinct 6, Dallas, Texas https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFN-FZS https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BSZ-997V?cc=1473181&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMXFN-FZ3

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2H-S6N : 12 August 2017), Phineas F Clanton in household of N H Clanton, Charleston Village, Pima, Arizona, United States; citing enumeration district ED 2, sheet 190A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0036; FHL microfilm 1,254,036.

• "Find A Grave" for Phin Clanton. Record added June 5, 1998, Memorial #3023. photo on Find A Grave.link

• Joyce Aros, "The Cochise County Cowboys: Who Were These Men?" Published by Goose Flats Publishing, Tombstone, AZ. 2011. Chapter 6, page 35.link to googlebooks

Acknowledgements

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. Clanton-185 was created by Beryl Jacobs through the import of Barker Family Tree.ged on Apr 10, 2015.