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"I came
here to die,
not make a
speech"
- Spoken by Crawford "Cherokee Bill" Goldsby at his execution
LOT 3121
Historic Colt Single Action Army Revolver and Muskogee Indian Territory Marked Rig Attributed
to Outlaw Cherokee Bill - Serial no. 69772, 45 long Colt cal., 4-3/4 inch round
bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This black powder frame Single Action Army revolver was manufactured in 1881 and is attributed as having once belonged to one of the most ruthless outlaws in Indian Territory history: Crawford “Cherokee Bill” Goldsby (1876-1896). In included handwritten letters from 2007, William D. Anthony indicates the revolver and gun belt had been in his family for about 70 years and that he bought
it from his great uncle in 1967 along with a Oliver saddle. His uncle is identified as having been a local sheriff in Seymour, Texas, in the 1930s, and he indicates he received the revolver and rig in relation to helping get a man released from the Texas prison system. The man’s father, “an old broke cowboy”“probably Ike Rogers,” reportedly told the story of helping capture Cherokee Bill in 1895 and said the revolver and gun belt were his reward for aiding in the capture.
Cherokee Bill was born Crawford Goldsby in San Angelo, Texas, to George and Ellen (Beck) Goldsby and was of black, white, Indian, and Mexican ancestry. His father fled the Confederacy and served in the Union Army and became one of the famous “Buffalo Soldiers” after the Civil War as a sergeant in Company D of the 10th U.S. Cavalry and left his family when his son was very young. From a young age, the future “Cherokee Bill” was rebellious and had lived with multiple family members. When he was just 18 years old, he real life of crime began with the shooting of Jake Lewis at a dance. He shot Jake Lewis twice for beating up his younger brother while attending
a dance at Fort Gibson, Texas, Lewis lived, but Goldsby thought he was dead and fled. Shortly after, he met up with the part Cherokee brothers and outlaws Jim and Bill Cook. They got into
a shootout with a posse let by Sheriff Rattling Gourd in June 1894 in which Deputy Sequoyah Houston was left dead and Jim Cook was injured. Effie Crittenden told the authorities Goldsby was Cherokee Bill giving him the nickname. The Cook Gang subsequently went on a string of robberies in which several men were killed, including unarmed bystanders. He also shot and killed his brother-in-law. The authorities killed many of the members of the Cook Gang. Cherokee Bill was
captured on January 31, 1895, by Ike Rogers and Clint Scales and taken to Fort Smith, Arkansas. Goldsby attempted to break out of jail with a revolver snuck into him and shot guard Lawrence Keating twice in the process. “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker characterized Cherokee Bill as a “bloodthirsty mad dog who killed for the love of killing” and as “the most vicious” of all outlaws in the Oklahoma Territory. On March 17, 1896, some 4 weeks after his 20th birthday, Cherokee Bill was hung for his crimes. On the way to the gallows,
Bill was reported to have remarked, “This is about as good a day to die as any”. His last reported comment was “I came here to die, not make a speech.” Ike Rogers was shot and killed on April 20, 1897, by Clarence Goldsby, Cherokee Bill’s brother, so he could not have been the one who gave the gun to Anthony’s uncle in the 1930s.
The revolver has the standard blade front sight which has been filed down and “V” notch rear sight. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line address, the left barrel side is correctly unmarked, the left side of the frame is marked with the three-line, three patent date marking, and the left side front of the trigger guard bow
is marked “45 CAL”. The frame and trigger guard numbers match, the back strap is numbered “82832,” and the cylinder is numbered “0950.” The revolver is complete with a leather cartridge belt and Mexican loop holster marked “S.B. SEVERS/ MAKER/MUSKOGEE I.T.” on the front at the top.
The belt, which measures 37 inches, is unmarked and has 35 cartridge loops. There are 8 rounds of U.M.C. and Peters 45 Colt rounds on the belt. S.B. Severs was a manufacturer and dealer of saddles and other leather goods in Muskogee, Indian Territory, in the same period as Cherokee Bill. CONDITION: Good as assembled during period
of usage. The metal surfaces have a gray patina with some areas of very minor pitting, mostly on the cylinder and frame ahead of the cylinder. The replacement grips are worn with gouges mainly on the left grip. The belt and holster are good
with a portion of the fastening strap missing,
and the remaining portion is brittle. The stitching has come loose at the buckle; otherwise, the stitching is tight. Overall, the belt and holster have moderate age cracking, and there is a small area of heavy wear at the bottom of the holster where the muzzle of the barrel rests. If this gun could talk, it might have some gruesome stories to tell. Further investigation into this piece may prove rewarding. Estimate: 8,000 - 17,000
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