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LOT 3434
Wolf & Klar Co., Fort Worth, Texas, Shipped Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 Fourth Change Double Action Revolver Family Documented as Belonging
to Legendary Western Lawman Wyatt Earp - Serial no. 461852, 38 S&W special cal., 5 inch round bbl., nickel finish, pearl grips. Perhaps no other lawman conjures up
iconic imagery of American frontier style justice more than Wyatt Earp. His exploits have been lionized in dime novels and
period newspapers and later in film and television ever since the first shots to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral rang out. Earp detested the fame, stating “notoriety had been the bane of my
life. I detest it, and I never have put forth any effort to check the tales that have been published in which my brothers and I are supposed to have been the principal participants. Not one of them is correct.” Nevertheless, his status as a cultural icon of law and order has propelled him to mythical status of what an American hero should be that continues to this day. His reputation,
whether historically accurate, fictionalized or a combination of both, has earned him the reputation as “the Old West’s
toughest and deadliest gunman.” Offered here is no ordinary nickel plated, pearl handled S&W .38 Military & Police
Revolver as its ownership traces back to this legendary Western lawman, Wyatt Earp. The revolver has remained with Earp’s descendants until
now. The extraordinary and historic ownership of this revolver is documented in the accompanying notarized statement of provenance signed
by Wyatt Earp descendants Elizabeth Jane Earp Holmes and William Stanley Holmes. The revolver’s history of Earp family ownership is as follows.
According to William S. Holmes, Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) personally gifted this revolver to his grandfather Stanley Maxwell Earp (1890-1967), the son of George Washington
Earp (1864-1960). George Washington Earp was Wyatt Earp’s first cousin. Holmes acquired the revolver from his mother, Elizabeth Jane Earp. Elizabeth was Stanley M. Earp’s
daughter. While in his possession, Stanley M. Earp had his photo taken with this revolver for a local Detroit newspaper. The photograph was used in an article where Stanley
reminisces about his famed frontier lawman relative and his thoughts on the then recent vandalism to Wyatt’s gravesite. In the article this revolver is identified as Wyatt Earp’s “six- gun” with “pearl handles.” A copy of this article (date unknown) is included.
The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver with a 5 inch barrel, nickel finish and checkered walnut square butt grips when it was delivered to famed Fort Worth, Texas, retailer Wolf & Klar Co. (no shipping date is provided). In the letter S&W historian Roy Jinks unfortunately gets the period aftermarket grip material wrong. Nonetheless, his conclusion that the grips are period still stands true. These grips are those fitted to the revolver in the Stanley M. Earp newspaper photo. The back of the right grip panel has a label hand marked in red ink “Edward/Robert/Leach” and “8/18/1925.” Besides the pearl grips, the revolver has standard S&W markings and matching serial numbers on the butt, cylinder, and barrel.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 98% plus bright original nickel plating with a cylinder drag line. 95% original case colors remain on the hammer and trigger. The grips are fine with a couple chips near the bottom, otherwise highly attractive fiery colors. Mechanically excellent. It is not often that we catalog artifacts owned by historic Western figures as documented by family descendants. This is a great opportunity to acquire a family documented piece of the Wyatt Earp legend!
Provenance: Wyatt Earp; Stanley Maxwell Earp; Elizabeth Jane Earp Holmes; William Stanley Holmes.
Estimate: 10,000 - 18,000
LOT 3435
Presentation Elgin Pocket Watch with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Engraved Case and Fob Inscribed for Dodge City, Kansas Mayor James H. Kelly - Established in 1872, Dodge City, Kansas has a reputation for being a true “wild west” town. Like many towns in the American west, Dodge City was established due to the construction of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad being built, which by 1873 passed through the town, leading to its rapid growth. The town was in the heart of buffalo country at the time and remained a very wild piece of frontier, quickly becoming known as a hub for buffalo hunters in the west. The case of this pocket watch is engraved on the back with an image of the a steam engine and the words “ATCHISON-TOPEKA-SANTA-FE/R.R.” There is a fob attached to the chain in the shape of another steam engine,
that on one side is engraved “JAMES H. KELLY/MAYOR/DODGE CITY, KANSAS” and “A Token of Appreciation/Presented by/A.T.S.F.” on the other. Local newspapers of the time indicate that James H. Kelly remained the mayor of the town into the late 1870s, and this watch was likely presented by the railroad due to his cooperation or support for the railroad or establishing a station there. The watch itself was produced c. 1878 and is an Elgin National Watch Co. Model 1, size 18s, grade 13, 11 jewel watch, fitted in a Dueber silverine case with the previously mentioned inscription and a chain with the previously mentioned fob attached along with a key.
CONDITION: Fine, the case showing a slightly, attractively aged, bright patina overall with a few scattered light handling marks, some light wear, and well-defined engraving. The face is very fine with minimal wear, clear numerals, and bright niter blue on the hands. The watch appears to function as it should. The fob shows an attractively aged patina.
Estimate: 1,600 - 2,500
Wyatt Earp
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