Page 38 - 88-BOOK1

36
The combination of John Ulrich signed factory engraving, factory inscription, special order blue, nickel-plated and casehardened finishes and other special order features make this rifle extremely rare.
Dr. Edwin X. Amoss (1855-1900) was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada, to English born parents and received a doctorate of medicine from the University of Michigan in 1884 and became a leading physician and deputy coroner in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was listed at 703 E. 3rd Street. He was evidently an early collector of fine arms given this rifle and the very rare factory engraved Colt Lightning Express Rifle inscribed “DR. E.X. AMOSS” that is shown on page 273 of “The Book of Colt Engraving” by R.L. Wilson. That rifle was shipped in November of 1887. These two rifles would definitely make quite the pair!
It makes you wonder what other incredible rifles and revolvers were in his
gun room. He married in 1890 and had two sons. He was very popular in the community and was judged the most popular doctor at the St. John’s church fair in 1889, and was a Democratic candidate for the legislature in 1890 and noted as “broad-mined and kindly to a fault” and “the best known man in
the Second Ward,” but, by 1892, he had severe drug and alcohol addiction problems. That August he reportedly fired a revolver to get a servant’s attention when he wanted a glass of water leading to a false story of him attempting to shoot his wife and the servant and then turning the gun on himself. By 1895, he was committed to the Rochester Asylum for liquor and drug addiction and was committed again and adjudged insane in 1899. After being placed in home confinement under police watch in January 1900, he died in August 1900 at age 39.