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Lillie Woods
He probably bought the set in St. Louis in early Spring when he and his brother went there for supplies and may have dropped the wrapped package off to Lilly when they returned to Cheyenne were they met up with the other groups heading for Custer City, Dakota Territory.” Simpson’s gruesome demise would have left Woods in a precarious situation: unwed with a young child to provide for. Lampe’s research clearly shows that a Lillie/Lilly Wood worked as a prostitute in Cheyenne in the 1880s. He theorizes that she may have returned to visit family in West Virginia and noted that it would have been a relatively easy trip by rail and/or
86 steamboat down the Mississippi River and then up the Ohio River. Given
a Lillie Woods is recorded as working as a prostitute in Butte, Montana, in the 1890s and into the early 20th century, including as a madam, she may have returned to the West after the death of her uncle Robert Woods in 1887. Local papers indicate she was occasionally in trouble with the law in Montana. City directories list her as Lillie Woods in the period, but the newspapers regularly spelled her name as Lilly. It was not uncommon
for women to move from one town to another during the mining booms to follow demand, and some of the madams became very wealthy and influential local businesswomen. While what became of Miss Lillie and her son remains a mystery, the cased derringer remaining together with the
newspaper clipping helped lead to the telling of this fascinating, if tragic, western tale that might have otherwise been lost.
CONDITION: Excellent with 98% plus original nickel plating, the vast majority of the original niter blue, slight handling and storage marks, and generally minimal overall wear. The grips are also excellent with minimal handling marks. Mechanically excellent. The “book” case is very some with mild overall wear. Overall, a very interesting and attractive set. Provenance: The F. “Slim” Kohler Collection;
The Greg Lampe Collection.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000