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The revolver is also illustrated on page 315 of “Firearms of the American West, 1866-1894” by Garavaglia and Worman, and more recently, the revolver was featured in the January 2017 issue of the NRA’s “America’s 1st Freedom” in the article “Pat Garrett’s Thunderer” and noted as loaned to the NRA by Arnold Duke and on display in the NRA’s galleries in Springfield, Missouri. The “LOAN/to/ NRA” tag accompanies the revolver.
After killing Billy the Kid, Garrett established a ranch near Roswell and then worked as a deputy sheriff and then sheriff in Dona Ana County in 1896-1902. As sheriff, he was famously tasked with solving the case of the disappearance of his old friend A.J. Fountain and Fountain’s 8-year-old son Henry, but their bodies were never found and no one ultimately was convicted of a crime. In 1899, Garrett killed Norman Newman in a gunfight at the San Augustin Ranch during an attempted arrest of Norman for another murder, and Newman is often remembered as the last man killed by Garrett. That shootout was certainly not Garrett’s final fight.
The year this revolver was shipped, 1902, Pat Garrett was serving as the collector of customs at El Paso, Texas. In 1901, he had been appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt. A telegram from Garrett to his wife in Lot 92 is dated December 15, 1901, and states, “Dont worry just left the president am collector of Elpaso. P F Garrett.”The president had an affinity with the West and its tough lawmen and had himself briefly been a deputy sheriff in the the Dakota Territory in the 1880s as well as police commissioner in New York City. In addition to Garrett, Bat Masterson and Ben Daniels were also given controversial presidential appointments, and the three men became known as the White House Gunfighters. Daniels had previously served with Roosevelt in the Rough Riders and was given an appointment as a U.S. Marshal but soon resigned after his past conduct came under scrutiny. Garrett too was a troublesome appointee. He was known for his temper, and, less than a year and a half into his term, Garrett got into a fist fight with employee George Gaither. Other complaints were also sent back to Washington in attempts to get Garrett removed from office. Instead, Roosevelt stood
by Garrett and invited him to attend the Rough Riders reunion in 1905 in San Antonio. Along with Garrett came his friend Tom Powers who for a time had this revolver in his collection. When Roosevelt was informed that Powers was not a cattleman
as Garrett had told him but instead the owner of the notorious Coney Island Saloon, Roosevelt fired Garrett at the beginning of 1906.
Garrett returned to ranching in New Mexico
but struggled with debts and went into default. Further problems awaited. Dudley Poe Garrett, one of Garrett’s sons, had signed a five-year lease with Jesse Wayne Brazel for the Bear Canyon Ranch, but Brazel brought in goats to their horror. Cattlemen and goat and sheep herders had been at war in
the West frequently. Garrett worked to help his son
102 break the lease, but Brazel continued to make the
situation complicated, including offering to agree to cancel the lease if the goats could be sold but then increasing the number of goats needing to be sold after a Carl Adamson had already agreed to purchase the original 1,200. Garrett and Adamson headed together from Las Cruces to meet with Brazel to figure out a solution. Garrett never made it to the ranch. The two men were reportedly met by Brazel on horseback during their journey by wagon together, and Garrett was shot and killed. “The Carlsbad Current and New Mexico Sun” on March 6, 1908, ran the headline “Pat Garrett Killed Dies with His Boots On” with sub-headlines: “Slayer of Bill the Kid Himself Slain as Result of Quarrel With Ranchman Near Las Cruces.” and “Terror
of Outlaws in Old Days in Lincoln County Killed
in a Dispute Over Goats.” The paper and others reported that Garret was shot and killed by Brazel in self-defense after Garrett picked up a shotgun and threatened him and then pointed his revolver at Adamson demanding to be taken to Las Cruces to make a statement. Brazel surrendered himself
to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero who later indicated Brazel confessed to shooting Garrett in self- defense and Adamson corroborated his account. Garrett was laid to rest alongside his daughter Ida in Las Cruces, but exactly how, why, and by whom he was killed remains a matter of debate even with Brazel’s statements and the official coroner’s report stating that Brazel shot and killed Garrett. Brazel was acquitted at trial after being represented
by Albert Fall. Both the judge and prosecuting attorney in the case were Fall’s allies. Many believe Brazel and Adamson had lied about what really happened. Adamson was a shady character involved in trafficking Chinese prostitutes and was the brother-in-law of outlaw “Killer Miller” leading to claims that Miller had actually been hired to kill Garrett by old adversaries. Fall’s old friends Oliver Lee and Bill McNew were also suspected, perhaps in revenge for Garrett’s attempt to get McNew convicted for the disappearance and presumed murders of A.J. Fountain and his son Henry
back in 1896.
CONDITION: Fine. The engraving remains crisp. Approximately 40% gold of the period gold wash remains with smooth gray patina on the balance. The grips are very fine with some traces of gold, mild wear, including some scratches and a few small casting flaws. Mechanically fine. This is
an incredibly well-known and highly desirable western gunfighter’s revolver: the gilt Colt Model 1877 Thunderer presented to Pat Garrett while Customs Collector in El Paso, Texas, in the early 20th century. As a truly special artifact of the American West, it is among the most desirable of all Colt double action revolvers.
Provenance: Pat Garrett; The Pauline Garrett Collection; The Jarvis Garrett Collection; The Robert McNellis Collection; The Dr. Richard C. Marohn Collection; The John Fielder Collection; The Ruidoso River Museum Collection. Estimate: 130,000 - 190,000