LOT OF ITEMS SEIZED FROM JAMES GANG OUTLAW CLELL MILLER AT THE NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA BANK ROBBERY.

Revised: 3/10/2007

LOT OF ITEMS SEIZED FROM JAMES GANG OUTLAW CLELL MILLER AT THE NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA BANK ROBBERY. This lot consists of a Smith & Wesson Second Model American revolver, an early half seat saddle with bent wood stirrups and a pair of brass spurs. These items were the property of Clell Miller, a member of the James/Younger Gang which attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, MN on Sept. 7, 1876. The gang entered the town in three different groups with Jesse & Frank James and Bob Younger entering the bank, while Cole Younger & Clell Miller acted as guards in the street with the remaining three members of the gang guarding the escape route over the bridge leading out of town. When the Northfield citizens became aroused and starting shooting at the gang and Frank & Jesse couldn’t force the teller, Joseph Haywood, to open the safe, they decided to abandon the robbery and attempted to escape. In the meantime a young medical student, Henry M. Wheeler, at home in Northfield on vacation, who had just been turned away from the bank by Clell Miller, raced to the hotel where he knew there was an old Civil War carbine and some ammunition. He grabbed the carbine and the only three cartridges available and took a position in an upstairs window where he killed Clell Miller and wounded Bob Younger in the elbow. Another outlaw, Bill Chadwell, was also killed by a Mr. Manning. The remainder of the gang managed to escape even though they were all wounded, some severely. Once the shooting had stopped Mr. Wheeler returned to the street where he removed the revolver & spurs from Miller’s body and took possession of Miller’s horse & saddle which, according to family history, he rode for many years until the horse died. The two dead outlaws were summarily buried in Northfield but Mr. Wheeler, knowing that his medical school was in need of cadavers for dissection & study, disinterred the two bodies, packed them in barrels of water labeled “FRESH PAINT” and shipped them back to his medical school. The family of Clell Miller, learning of the situation, demanded return of his body which was allowed before any dissection took place. The other outlaw, Bill Chadwell, was not claimed and so was dissected & studied at the medical school. Family history & some newspaper accounts report that Dr. Wheeler then cleaned Chadwell’s skeleton, reassembled it and maintained it in his medical office for many years, pointing out to any interested visitor the bullet lodged in the skeleton’s spine. The revolver, as previously noted, is a Smith & Wesson 2nd Model American, caliber 44 American, SN 18550, with 8” keyhole bbl, half moon front sight and 2-pc wood grips. Butt strap has a plugged lanyard stud hole and it has traces of orig nickel finish. Backstrap is engraved in period script “This pistol removed from the body of Clel (sic) Miller a member of the James Gang killed by H.M. Wheeler Northfield Min. Sept. 7. 1876”. Accompanied by a notarized letter dated 8 September 1965 and signed Floyd Wheeler, Rome Hiway, Kingston, GA. In the letter Mr. Wheeler states that H.M. Wheeler was his great-grandfather and relates the story of Mr. Wheeler killing Clell Miller and taking Miller’s revolver, spurs & saddle, also Miller’s horse which he rode form many years. Floyd Wheeler states in the letter that he is trading “the pistol, spurs and saddle to Robert Patterson owner of Pattersons Hardware Rome, Georgia, for two Model 42 Winchesters and a Parker shotgun.” Also accompanying is another notarized letter dated Nov. 13, 2006 signed Everett Mealor, stating that he had heard that Robert had traded for “an outlaw’s gun, saddle and spurs.” and that 35 years later he was able to acquire all the above items. CONDITION: The revolver is used & worn, maintaining a mottled, dark brown patina with traces of orig nickel and light surface pitting. Grips are heavily worn with replaced screw & escutcheon. Mechanics are a little loose but functional, strong pitted bore. Spurs are Civil War style with small rowells with one side of one shank broken away with a rusted replacement rowell and rivet. The other rowell has several broken points and overall are both a dark coffee colored patina. Saddle is dry with some crackling in seat and on front leathers but reasonably intact. Of all the famous outlaw items to come to market in recent years, this is the only grouping with iron clad authentication. It is from one of, if not, the most famous or infamous incidents in Western outlaw history. 8-76199 (75,000-125,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2007

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
	1244	$46,000.00	Revised: 3/10/2007 LOT OF ITEMS SEIZED FROM JAMES GANG OUTLAW CLELL MILLER AT THE NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA BANK ROBBERY. This lot consists of a Smith & Wesson Second Model American revolver, an early half seat saddle with bent wood stirrups and a pair of brass spurs. These items were the property of Clell Miller, a member of the James/Younger Gang which attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, MN on Sept. 7, 1876. The gang entered the town in three different groups with Jesse & Frank James and Bob Younger entering the bank, while Cole Younger & Clell Miller acted as guards in the street with the remaining three members of the gang guarding the escape route over the bridge leading out of town. When the Northfield citizens became aroused and starting shooting at the gang and Frank & Jesse couldn’t force the teller, Joseph Haywood, to open the safe, they decided to abandon the robbery and attempted to escape. In the meantime a young medical student, Henry M. Wheeler, at home in Northfield on vacation, who had just been turned away from the bank by Clell Miller, raced to the hotel where he knew there was an old Civil War carbine and some ammunition. He grabbed the carbine and the only three cartridges available and took a position in an upstairs window where he killed Clell Miller and wounded Bob Younger in the elbow. Another outlaw, Bill Chadwell, was also killed by a Mr. Manning. The remainder of the gang managed to escape even though they were all wounded, some severely. Once the shooting had stopped Mr. Wheeler returned to the street where he removed the revolver & spurs from Miller’s body and took possession of Miller’s horse & saddle which, according to family history, he rode for many years until the horse died. The two dead outlaws were summarily buried in Northfield but Mr. Wheeler, knowing that his medical school was in need of cadavers for dissection & study, disinterred the two bodies, packed them in barrels of water labeled “FRESH PAINT” and shipped them back to his medical school. The family of Clell Miller, learning of the situation, demanded return of his body which was allowed before any dissection took place. The other outlaw, Bill Chadwell, was not claimed and so was dissected & studied at the medical school. Family history & some newspaper accounts report that Dr. Wheeler then cleaned Chadwell’s skeleton, reassembled it and maintained it in his medical office for many years, pointing out to any interested visitor the bullet lodged in the skeleton’s spine. The revolver, as previously noted, is a Smith & Wesson 2nd Model American, caliber 44 American, SN 18550, with 8” keyhole bbl, half moon front sight and 2-pc wood grips. Butt strap has a plugged lanyard stud hole and it has traces of orig nickel finish. Backstrap is engraved in period script “This pistol removed from the body of Clel (sic) Miller a member of the James Gang killed by H.M. Wheeler Northfield Min. Sept. 7. 1876”. Accompanied by a notarized letter dated 8 September 1965 and signed Floyd Wheeler, Rome Hiway, Kingston, GA. In the letter Mr. Wheeler states that H.M. Wheeler was his great-grandfather and relates the story of Mr. Wheeler killing Clell Miller and taking Miller’s revolver, spurs & saddle, also Miller’s horse which he rode form many years. Floyd Wheeler states in the letter that he is trading “the pistol, spurs and saddle to Robert Patterson owner of Pattersons Hardware Rome, Georgia, for two Model 42 Winchesters and a Parker shotgun.” Also accompanying is another notarized letter dated Nov. 13, 2006 signed Everett Mealor, stating that he had heard that Robert had traded for “an outlaw’s gun, saddle and spurs.” and that 35 years later he was able to acquire all the above items. CONDITION: The revolver is used & worn, maintaining a mottled, dark brown patina with traces of orig nickel and light surface pitting. Grips are heavily worn with replaced screw & escutcheon. Mechanics are a little loose but functional, strong pitted bore. Spurs are Civil War style with small rowells with one side of one shank broken away with a rusted replacement rowell and rivet. The other rowell has several broken points and overall are both a dark coffee colored patina. Saddle is dry with some crackling in seat and on front leathers but reasonably intact. Of all the famous outlaw items to come to market in recent years, this is the only grouping with iron clad authentication. It is from one of, if not, the most famous or infamous incidents in Western outlaw history. 8-76199 (75,000-125,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2007 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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