WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO FAMOUS OUTLAW CHEROKEE BILL.

WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO FAMOUS OUTLAW CHEROKEE BILL. Cal. 38-56. SN 15416. Cherokee Bill (Crawford Goldsby) was born Feb 8, 1876 at Fort Concho, TX. He was of mixed heritage, being part Cherokee, part Sioux, part Negro, part Mexican and white. According to legend, and some history, Cherokee Bill was a wild young man, who by the age of 20 was reputed to have killed thirteen men. In Jan 1895 he was captured & tried for murder in Judge Parker’s Fort Smith, AR, courtroom, convicted and sentenced to hang. Apparently his Winchester rifle was seized at his capture and held in the jail office. Reportedly one of the jailers traded Cherokee Bill a weekly ration of whisky for his rifle and, in turn, traded it to local gunsmith Will Wirsing who had a gunsmith shop in Fort Smith near the courthouse. On March 17, 1896 Cherokee Bill was hanged. The rifle remained on display in Wirsing’s gun shop window after Mr. Wirsing had painted “CHEROKEE BILL RIFLE” on the right side of the buttstock. Mr. Wirsing passed away in 1938 and bequeathed the rifle to his son Chris. In 1973, Chris Wirsing sold the rifle to Mr. Preston Rose, who later sold it to Mr. Bruce Bartlett. Most of this information is included in a large packet of letters, articles, and photographs which accompanies this rifle. Also accompanied by a small rnd metal item 3-1/4” long x ¾” diam. with a hole in each end and a 1/8” slot the full length. The remainder of the circumference has a paper label “WILL WIRSING / GUNSMITH” with an advertisement for his services in Fort Smith, AR. No indication what this item was, but it was probably some sort of a pull-out item such as a tape measure. The rifle is described as a standard grade 86 with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, homemade German silver blade front sight, and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Mounted with very nicely figured, burl, slab sawed, uncheckered, American walnut with straight stock and a crescent buttplate Right side of buttstock is hand painted in white paint, “CHEROKEE BILL” and has the remains of an “R” with some other partial letters which have been worn away. The complete inscription is readily visible in several of the old photographs. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter fully identifying this rifle with shipment April 23, 1888. CONDITION: About good. No orig finish remains being an overall mottled, silver/brown patina with a few spots of light rust. Wood is sound with light nicks & scratches, and retains most of its orig varnish, turned dark, with surface patina. Mechanics are crisp. Worn dark bore that may clean better. 4-60696 (65,000-75,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2006

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
	1054	$0.00	WINCHESTER MODEL 1886 LEVER ACTION RIFLE THAT BELONGED TO FAMOUS OUTLAW CHEROKEE BILL. Cal. 38-56. SN 15416. Cherokee Bill (Crawford Goldsby) was born Feb 8, 1876 at Fort Concho, TX. He was of mixed heritage, being part Cherokee, part Sioux, part Negro, part Mexican and white. According to legend, and some history, Cherokee Bill was a wild young man, who by the age of 20 was reputed to have killed thirteen men. In Jan 1895 he was captured & tried for murder in Judge Parker’s Fort Smith, AR, courtroom, convicted and sentenced to hang. Apparently his Winchester rifle was seized at his capture and held in the jail office. Reportedly one of the jailers traded Cherokee Bill a weekly ration of whisky for his rifle and, in turn, traded it to local gunsmith Will Wirsing who had a gunsmith shop in Fort Smith near the courthouse. On March 17, 1896 Cherokee Bill was hanged. The rifle remained on display in Wirsing’s gun shop window after Mr. Wirsing had painted “CHEROKEE BILL RIFLE” on the right side of the buttstock. Mr. Wirsing passed away in 1938 and bequeathed the rifle to his son Chris. In 1973, Chris Wirsing sold the rifle to Mr. Preston Rose, who later sold it to Mr. Bruce Bartlett. Most of this information is included in a large packet of letters, articles, and photographs which accompanies this rifle. Also accompanied by a small rnd metal item 3-1/4” long x ¾” diam. with a hole in each end and a 1/8” slot the full length. The remainder of the circumference has a paper label “WILL WIRSING / GUNSMITH” with an advertisement for his services in Fort Smith, AR. No indication what this item was, but it was probably some sort of a pull-out item such as a tape measure. The rifle is described as a standard grade 86 with 26″ oct bbl, full magazine, homemade German silver blade front sight, and semi-buckhorn rear sight. Mounted with very nicely figured, burl, slab sawed, uncheckered, American walnut with straight stock and a crescent buttplate Right side of buttstock is hand painted in white paint, “CHEROKEE BILL” and has the remains of an “R” with some other partial letters which have been worn away. The complete inscription is readily visible in several of the old photographs. Also accompanied by a Cody Firearms Museum letter fully identifying this rifle with shipment April 23, 1888. CONDITION: About good. No orig finish remains being an overall mottled, silver/brown patina with a few spots of light rust. Wood is sound with light nicks & scratches, and retains most of its orig varnish, turned dark, with surface patina. Mechanics are crisp. Worn dark bore that may clean better. 4-60696 (65,000-75,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2006 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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