The Petition Save the Wyatt Earp Museum is fraudulent and developed about a the recent renter who has been arrested and jailed for over $27,000.00 of theft/damage from the Wyatt Earp Birthplace Museum. The petition states that ..." The man who was running the museum knew everything there is to know about Wyatt Earp and everybody liked him. He has done repairs to make the place look better. Since he's been there, there has been over 200 tours from people all over the world."
This information is FALSE. The current owners of the Wyatt Earp Birthplace Museum, owners since 1986 are 85 year-old Melba Matson and her 89 year-old husband, Robert Matson. In August, 2015, they learned that the $5,000.00 furnace was removed and sold, furnace duct work torn out, electrical panel and all wires removed, water heater stolen, refrigerator, stove, air conditioner. The OK Corral which is an adjacent lot that had a fence, building and wagons for OK Corral Re-enactments has all been damaged. The renter has a civil court case on Nov. 3rd at the Warren County Courthouse in Monmouth, IL. His criminal case court appearance is November 12, 2015.
In the petition, the renter implies the owners want to shut it down permanently. That is not true at all. The Board of Trustees of the Wyatt Earp Birthplace Museum has authors that write about Wyatt Earp and the West. The Wyatt Earp Birthplace, Inc is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. People all over the world care about it and the Matson's. A GoFundMe fundraiser is being developed by Western/historical writers & publishers to help repair the $27,000.00 damage the current renter did to the building, museum and adjacent OK Corral lot.
You may contact the Monmouth Police Station, Monmouth, IL and ask for Sgt. Joe Bratcher who was the lead Police Officer. 500 S Main St, Monmouth, IL 61462 (309) 734-8383.
WQAD-TV recently did a news story on this situation with the renter who damaged and stole from the Wyatt Earp Birthplace Museum. The news director is Alan Baker 309-736-3310 or alan.baker@wqad.com. In the interview, that WAQD did not air, the renter asked for $8,000.00 donations for repair and $2,000.00 for operational costs. The renter NEVER repaired anything but STOLE and DAMAGED.
An eviction notice was sent to Kelly on October 15, and he was to vacate on Nov. 26th. The Matson's were notified today he was evicted by police authorities today.
The below statement posted in the petition is false. The Matson's do NOT want to close the Museum.
"....The Matsons want to permanently shut the place down because they don't want to deal with it anymore. "
We request an IMMEDIATE removal of this FRAUDULENT petition about the Wyatt Earp Birthplace Museum. The petition is full of lies.
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