Of all the shots fired, the final confrontation between Frank McLaury and Doc
Holliday was clearly the most commented on by eyewitnesses.
Bob Hatch: 'Saw Doc Holliday and ....Frank McLaury near the middle of Fremont
Street, probably ten or twelve feet apart. McLaury made a remark like this:
"I've got you this time!" McLaury seemed to be retreating across the
street...as he got near....an adobe builing....he stopped and stood with a
pistol across his arm, in the act of shooting."
"The NUGGET (with the Epitaph, another Tombstone newspaper of the day) also
described the scene 'As he (McLaury) started across the street, however he
pulled his gun down on Holliday saying, "I've got you now!" "Blaze away!
You're a daisy if you have," replied Doc."
Doc's penchant for slang is highlighted under the following sidebar:
"THE DAISY BUSINESS
'You're a daisy if you do."--Doc Holliday
'Doc Holliday had a way with slang. Where did the daisy business come from?
'When a new slang phrase is wafted to this country via New York, the warmth
of its reception is somewhat startling. "Paralyze" has had its run and "you
paralyze me" is an exclamation that is going quietly down to its grave. But
the "daisy" business is undergoing a painful revival, for we believe it
hasmore venerable origin than the other. Last night on the Oakland nboat we
heard a young man, a clerk of some kind, remark to a companion, "she's a
daisy" and a third time the vealy youth unctuously ejaculated, "They are
daisies, every one of them." A few moments afterwards a grave and severe
looking gentleman evidentally a minister of the gospel, confided in a loud
tone to another grave looking party, possibly a deacon, "I assure you it was
a daisy sermon." On the other side of the deck a stock dealer was assuring a
friend that "it was a daisy mine" while on the upper deck a group of fiar
girls were "daisying" everything at such a rate that the commonplace ferry
boat seemed like a flower garden. We should like to be informed by some
professor of slang, the true meaning of the adjective. It is certainly the
most accomodating one in the language, for it applies to everything."
---June 10, 1881 The San Francisco Exchange'.
Lisa
The Illustrated Life and Times of Doc Holliday has this to say about Doc and
his use of slang:
"YOU'RE A DAISY IF YOU DO"