COLT LATE 3RD MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER THAT REPORTEDLY BELONGED TO THE FAMOUS TEXAS GUNFIGHTER & OUTLAW JOHN WESLEY HARDIN.

COLT LATE 3RD MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER THAT REPORTEDLY BELONGED TO THE FAMOUS TEXAS GUNFIGHTER & OUTLAW JOHN WESLEY HARDIN. SN 82507. Cal. 36. Revolver is usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line Hartford address. Left side of frame has a tiny “COLTS PATENT” and the small guard brass trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip. According to a note from collector/dealer Frank Booth dated 2000, this revolver was purchased from the Estate of Harold Graves who was a Texas Ranger and who also worked for the Texas Prison System. Mr. Graves was purported to have been a relative of John Wesley Hardin and had a large collection of law enforcement & prison artifacts. John Wesley Hardin was born in Bonham, TX in 1853, the son of a Methodist minister. At age 14 Hardin attempted to kill a larger, older boy who was taunting him and at age 15 did kill a black man who refused to yield the road to him. He stayed on the run for the next 10 years receiving food & shelter from relatives & neighbors that entire time. During which time Hardin killed a number of men including a Captain of State Police. On the heels of that fracas, still only 15 years old, Hardin signed on as a trail hand for a herd of cattle bound for Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene Hardin had a minor disagreement with Wild Bill Hickock, which he was able to talk his way out of. Their friendly association however ended when Hardin, who was staying at the American House Hotel, began firing bullets through the bedroom wall to stop the snoring of the stranger next to him. The first shot woke the poor guy up and the second killed him dead. Hardin jumped out of the hotel window to escape Hickock and four deputies, spent the night in a haystack, stole a horse and left town the next morning and returned to Texas. In 1871 Hardin married his longtime sweetheart who bore him two children. On the night of his 21st birthday, May 26, 1874, in Comanche, Texas, after his race horses had won about $3,000.00, 50 head of cattle and 15 saddle horses, Hardin was celebrating when he got wind that a Deputy Sheriff from a nearby county was in town to kill him. They met in a saloon and the Deputy invited Hardin to have a drink, which he agreed to. As they turned toward the bar, the Deputy drew his gun to shoot Hardin in the back but somebody warned Hardin who wheeled, drew his gun and killed the Deputy, his 39th killing. After that he left Texas and went to Florida under an assumed name, where he killed another man helping local law officers round up criminals. After two years hiding in Florida Hardin was discovered by the Pinkertons which induced him to head for Mexico. The law intercepted him near the Florida line and in the ensuing gun battle Hardin killed two of the lawmen, escaped and took up residence in Alabama. The last two men he killed occurred after a poker game in Mobile. He remained at large in Alabama until Texas Rangers learned of his whereabouts and on July 23, 1877 arrested him while en route back to his Alabama home from another poker game. Hardin was tried in Austin for killing the Deputy Sheriff, found guilty of 2nd degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in jail. He was released in 1894 after serving 15 years and shortly after his wife had died he received a pardon from the Governor of Texas. While in prison he had studied law, theology & algebra and upon being released opened a law office in El Paso, but did little law practice, spending most of his time in saloons. His current paramour was arrested for carrying a pistol and Hardin was overheard making threats against the arresting officer, an El Paso policeman named John Selman. On Aug. 19, 1895 Hardin was shaking dice at the bar of the Acme Saloon when Selman walked up behind him, fired four shots of which only three connected but one hit Hardin in the back of the head and exited at the corner of his left eye, killing him instantly, the other two bullets having hit him in the right arm and right edge of his chest. The morgue photo of John Wesley Hardin exhibits his bullet wounds and became very famous throughout gunfighter history. John Selman was exonerated for the killing but himself was killed only a few months later. John Wesley was credited for having killed 44 men in his 27 year career as a bad man. This lot is accompanied by a small tintype photograph of John Wesley Hardin and his son, which has scratched into the lacquer on the back “John W. Hardin” and “Papa”. The tin type depicts Hardin seated, probably in a bar or a hotel with a young man standing beside him with his right arm draped over Hardin’s left shoulder. Also accompanying is a small red fiber poker chip, gold embossed on one side “ACME” and “R.B. STEVENS / PROP.” On the other there is another known and identified photograph of John Wesley Hardin which sold at auction from the estate of the late Dr. R.C. Marohn Collection in Oct. 1996. It is a cased ambrotype depicting a young Hardin in coat & tie with checked vest holding an 1851 Colt Navy in his left hand. The Colt in the picture appears to have a small trigger guard. PROVENANCE: Fred B. McDonald Estate Collection. CONDITION: Revolver is fair to good, all matching except wedge, grip was not checked. No orig finish remains being an overall medium brown patina with cleaned areas and areas of moderate pitting. Trigger guard & back strap retain mostly a blackish brass patina. Grip has chipped toes and is heavily worn. Mechanics are fine, worn very dark bore. Tin type & poker chip are very fine. 4-42145 JR237 (3,500-5,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2299A	$2,875.00	COLT LATE 3RD MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER THAT REPORTEDLY BELONGED TO THE FAMOUS TEXAS GUNFIGHTER & OUTLAW JOHN WESLEY HARDIN. SN 82507. Cal. 36. Revolver is usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line Hartford address. Left side of frame has a tiny “COLTS PATENT” and the small guard brass trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip. According to a note from collector/dealer Frank Booth dated 2000, this revolver was purchased from the Estate of Harold Graves who was a Texas Ranger and who also worked for the Texas Prison System. Mr. Graves was purported to have been a relative of John Wesley Hardin and had a large collection of law enforcement & prison artifacts. John Wesley Hardin was born in Bonham, TX in 1853, the son of a Methodist minister. At age 14 Hardin attempted to kill a larger, older boy who was taunting him and at age 15 did kill a black man who refused to yield the road to him. He stayed on the run for the next 10 years receiving food & shelter from relatives & neighbors that entire time. During which time Hardin killed a number of men including a Captain of State Police. On the heels of that fracas, still only 15 years old, Hardin signed on as a trail hand for a herd of cattle bound for Abilene, Kansas. In Abilene Hardin had a minor disagreement with Wild Bill Hickock, which he was able to talk his way out of. Their friendly association however ended when Hardin, who was staying at the American House Hotel, began firing bullets through the bedroom wall to stop the snoring of the stranger next to him. The first shot woke the poor guy up and the second killed him dead. Hardin jumped out of the hotel window to escape Hickock and four deputies, spent the night in a haystack, stole a horse and left town the next morning and returned to Texas. In 1871 Hardin married his longtime sweetheart who bore him two children. On the night of his 21st birthday, May 26, 1874, in Comanche, Texas, after his race horses had won about $3,000.00, 50 head of cattle and 15 saddle horses, Hardin was celebrating when he got wind that a Deputy Sheriff from a nearby county was in town to kill him. They met in a saloon and the Deputy invited Hardin to have a drink, which he agreed to. As they turned toward the bar, the Deputy drew his gun to shoot Hardin in the back but somebody warned Hardin who wheeled, drew his gun and killed the Deputy, his 39th killing. After that he left Texas and went to Florida under an assumed name, where he killed another man helping local law officers round up criminals. After two years hiding in Florida Hardin was discovered by the Pinkertons which induced him to head for Mexico. The law intercepted him near the Florida line and in the ensuing gun battle Hardin killed two of the lawmen, escaped and took up residence in Alabama. The last two men he killed occurred after a poker game in Mobile. He remained at large in Alabama until Texas Rangers learned of his whereabouts and on July 23, 1877 arrested him while en route back to his Alabama home from another poker game. Hardin was tried in Austin for killing the Deputy Sheriff, found guilty of 2nd degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in jail. He was released in 1894 after serving 15 years and shortly after his wife had died he received a pardon from the Governor of Texas. While in prison he had studied law, theology & algebra and upon being released opened a law office in El Paso, but did little law practice, spending most of his time in saloons. His current paramour was arrested for carrying a pistol and Hardin was overheard making threats against the arresting officer, an El Paso policeman named John Selman. On Aug. 19, 1895 Hardin was shaking dice at the bar of the Acme Saloon when Selman walked up behind him, fired four shots of which only three connected but one hit Hardin in the back of the head and exited at the corner of his left eye, killing him instantly, the other two bullets having hit him in the right arm and right edge of his chest. The morgue photo of John Wesley Hardin exhibits his bullet wounds and became very famous throughout gunfighter history. John Selman was exonerated for the killing but himself was killed only a few months later. John Wesley was credited for having killed 44 men in his 27 year career as a bad man. This lot is accompanied by a small tintype photograph of John Wesley Hardin and his son, which has scratched into the lacquer on the back “John W. Hardin” and “Papa”. The tin type depicts Hardin seated, probably in a bar or a hotel with a young man standing beside him with his right arm draped over Hardin’s left shoulder. Also accompanying is a small red fiber poker chip, gold embossed on one side “ACME” and “R.B. STEVENS / PROP.” On the other there is another known and identified photograph of John Wesley Hardin which sold at auction from the estate of the late Dr. R.C. Marohn Collection in Oct. 1996. It is a cased ambrotype depicting a young Hardin in coat & tie with checked vest holding an 1851 Colt Navy in his left hand. The Colt in the picture appears to have a small trigger guard. PROVENANCE: Fred B. McDonald Estate Collection. CONDITION: Revolver is fair to good, all matching except wedge, grip was not checked. No orig finish remains being an overall medium brown patina with cleaned areas and areas of moderate pitting. Trigger guard & back strap retain mostly a blackish brass patina. Grip has chipped toes and is heavily worn. Mechanics are fine, worn very dark bore. Tin type & poker chip are very fine. 4-42145 JR237 (3,500-5,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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