2020 September Premier, Volume I

Historic Winchester 1876 Rifle Attributed to One of the West's Most Successful Lawmen
The John Fox Collection
118
LOT 99
Winchester Model 1876
“Centennial” Lever
Action Rifle Attributed
to U.S. Deputy Marshal
Henry “Heck” Thomas
with Factory Letter -
Serial no. 15924, 45-60
WCF cal., 28 inch octagon
bbl., blue finish, walnut
stock. An included letter
sent to Bill Isaacs of Ely,
Nevada, lists this rifle
by serial number and
indicates that it had a
tag on it noting it was
“traded from Dep. Marshal Henry (Heck) Thomas, Lawton, Okla., 1901 (from George Sr. collection. George Sr. &
Heck Thomas served under command of Gen. Ed. ? Thomas, 35th Georgia Volunteers, as youngsters...[sic]” and
became part of the writer’s father’s estate and were left to Isaacs in his will. Also includes a binder of information
on Thomas. Henry Andrew “Heck” Thomas (1850-1912) was born in Georgia and served as a courier for the
Confederacy during the Civil War and even escorted Union General Philip Kearny’s horse and gear through the
lines under orders from General Robert E. Lee when Kearny was killed at the Battle of Chantilly. He moved to
Texas in his mid-20s and worked as a railroad guard and detective. He and a posse tracked down and killed Texas
outlaws Jim and Pink Lee of the Lee Gang in 1885. He was then appointed as a U.S. Deputy Marshal first in 1886
to 1892 under Judge Isaac C. Parker, popularly remembered as “The Hanging Judge.” While judge of the United
States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas based in Fort Smith, Parker sentenced 160 people to
death, and 79 were executed, mostly by hanging despite Parker’s personal dislike of the death penalty. One
of the secondary sources in the binder notes that 65 of Parker’s deputies died fighting outlaws while he was
a judge in 1875-1896. Thomas and fellow deputies Chris Madsen and Bill Tilghman were known as “The Three
Guardsmen” and became famous for their efforts to bring law and order to Indian Territory. The three men tracked
down hundreds of outlaws, killed several in shootouts, and helped bring down the Wild Bunch and the Dalton
Gang. The National Park Service indicates Thomas “captured and killed several members of both gangs.” The
“Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography” calls Thomas “one of the great lawmen of the southwest” and indicates he
“invariably picked the most dangerous desperadoes” to track down in part they had the largest bounties and also
indicates he was wounded at least six times in gunfights. Depending on the source, Thomas either personally
wounded or killed Bill Doolin of the Wild Bunch when he led a posse to track Doolin down before he could flee
the country. Thomas claimed credit for the fatal shot in a letter to Tilgham. The latter had previously captured
Doolin, but he managed to escape before he was executed. In 1902, Thomas became chief of police in Lawton.
He reprised his role as a lawman for the silver screen in the early short film “The Bank Robbery” from 1908 which
was directed by another of his former “Guardsmen”, Tilghman, who also served with Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
The rifle dates to 1881 and is a late Second Model with a German silver blade front sight, notch and folding
ladder rear sight, the two-line address and patent marking ahead of the rear sight, “CAL.
45-60” on top at the breech, “45-60” on the elevator, screw fastened guide rail, dust cover with
serrations at the tail and no thumb piece, “Model. 1876.” on the upper tang, the serial number in script on the
lower tang, and smooth stock and forearm. The accompanying factory letter lists this rifle with an octagon barrel
in .45-60 and plain trigger when received in the warehouse on August 19, 1881 and shipped the next day.
CONDITION: Fine with 40% original blue finish remaining (strongest on the barrel), smooth gray and brown patina
on the balance, some minor oxidation/pitting, general mild scratches and marks from use, and distinct markings.
The stock and forearm are also fine. The former has mild wear from handling and use including some small dents
and scratches. The latter is slightly undersized and has some small chips and slivers absent from the edges of the
wrist, general minor scratches and dings, and mostly smooth oiled finish. Mechanically fine. This is an attractive
antique Winchester attributed to one of the West’s most successful lawmen “U.S. Deputy Marshall Henry “Heck”
Thomas, one of the adversaries of the infamous Doolin Gang and the Wild Bunch and a contemporary of some of
the West’s most famous characters.
Estimate: 18000 - 30000