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was traced by Raymond W. Thorp, westein<br />
historian and firearms collector, some 25<br />
years ago. It then belonged to Ivan M. Jen-<br />
kins of Wyoming. A letter from Jcnkins was<br />
published in Raymond Thorpe's gun depart-<br />
ment in "Sports & Hobbies" and traced the<br />
history of this gun directly. It had belonged<br />
to his wife's grandfather, William Burroughs,<br />
who had failed to find gold in the Black Hills<br />
in 1876 and was headed for his homestead in<br />
Nebraska when he entered Deadwood Gulch<br />
a few days after Wild Bill had been killed.<br />
IIickok's two guns were being raffled off at<br />
25 cents a chance and William Burroughs<br />
was lucky enough to win one.<br />
He returned on foot to Nebraska and this<br />
gun was his only protection from Indians or<br />
bandits. The gun and its story became a<br />
cherished part of the Jenkins family history.<br />
It was described as "a .44 caliber Colt's cap-<br />
and-ball revolver, No. 204,672. There is some<br />
engraving on the gun, but now is very dim,<br />
and has genuine ivory handles, and is in the<br />
original holster."<br />
It is pointed out that their ancestor, Bur-<br />
roughs, was very low in funds when he passed<br />
through Deadwood and could not have bought<br />
a gun outright, and it was always considered<br />
an act of Providence which supplied him<br />
with a good weapon when he needed one so<br />
desperately.<br />
The present whereabouts of this gun is<br />
not known, but by co-incidence, another well<br />
authenticated Wild Bill weapon is also now<br />
owned by a collector, by the name of Jen-<br />
kins-this rare item belongs to R. C. Jcnkins<br />
of Indiana. It is a Colt .45, No. 139,345, and<br />
engraved "Wild Bill" on the handle. Mrs.<br />
Jenkins acquired it from Fred E. Sutton of<br />
Kansas City, an ex- U. S. Deputy Marshal<br />
in old Indian Territory. He had owned it<br />
since 1902 when it was given to him by his<br />
friend the famous southwestern manhunter,<br />
Pat Garrett.<br />
I have seen a copy of the letter written by<br />
Pat Garrett to Fred Sutton at the time he<br />
gave him this gun, and it states Garrett had<br />
received it from Wild Bill's sister, Mrs. Lydia<br />
M. Barnes of Oberlin, Kansas, a short time<br />
after Wild Bill was killed. It was the gun he<br />
wore when he was assassinated. Garrett also<br />
mentions this was the gun he used when he<br />
shot Billy The Kid at the Pete Maxwell<br />
Ranch in 1882.<br />
One line in the letter is very significant,<br />
"I am sending you the 'Wild Bill' six gun<br />
you have wanted so long," Pat Garrett writes,<br />
which proves there was something very spe-<br />
cial about this s articular weapon. In order<br />
to be sure of its safe arrival, their mutual<br />
friend and well known law officer, Billy<br />
Tilghman, ~ersonally brought the gun to<br />
Fred Sutton.<br />
Another which is claimed to be a Wild<br />
Bill gun is in the Union Pacific Museum at<br />
Omaha. This is a Smith & Wesson of about<br />
44 caliber, serial No. 8441.<br />
These and a few other mementos of the<br />
Old West's top triggerman are all that remain<br />
of the Wild Bill saga. When the peerless<br />
Wild Bill, descendent of long riflemen<br />
American Revolution, gasped his last<br />
floor of a frontier saloon on Wednesday, Aug.<br />
2, 1876, in Deadwood, the cry "Wild Bill is<br />
dead!" spread like a prairie fire up and down<br />
the gulch. But they were only partly right-<br />
Wild Bill will never die; his deeds have won<br />
Know<br />
before<br />
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