Following a horse race, a crowd gathered at the store of Sperling Brothers & Taylor in the Luna Valley near Springerville, Arizona, where they were drinking and playing cards. A man named Pitman and Billy Smith got into a wrangle, and Pitman drew a six-shooter on Smith. Smith, unarmed, opened his coat and told Pitman to shoot. When Pitman learned Smith had no weapon, he told him to go arm himself. Smith retrieved his pistol from inside the store, but friends intervened and prevented him from returning outside.
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Double Murder Near Springerville in Luna Valley (1888)
A double murder occurred near Springerville, Arizona, in the Luna Valley in 1888, triggered by a dispute that began after a horse race.
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