October 22-23, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/23/2019
Nickel finish, full front sight, and two line address with caliber marking on left side. Left side of frame has two line three patent dates and rampant Colt. Mounted with fine two piece pearl grips with a large relief carved Mexican eagle on left side. The heel of left grip is chipped with a solid gold well fit apparently contemporary restoration. Serial number was observed in three places on bottom of revolver with last four digits on rear face of cylinder. Revolver is classically engraved by Cuno Helfricht with about 40% coverage foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background. A nearly identically engraved single action is pictured on page 300 of "Colt Engraving", Wilson. Top of back strap, left recoil shield and loading gate are engraved with light sunbursts. Left side of barrel boss on frame and ejector rod housing boss are engraved with hunter stars. Top strap is engraved with snake and dot patterns and the top gullet of ejector rod housing is engraved in a snake pattern. Cylinder is engraved with light arabesque patterns on the lands between the flutes and has a light snake pattern around rear edge. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver as found in .45 Colt with 4-3/4" barrel, nickel finish, pearl stocks and factory engraved, shipped to Stauffer, Eshleman & Co. of New Orleans, Louisiana, c/o: A.J. Anderson Co. of Fort Worth, Texas on August 17th, 1916 in a two gun shipment. Also accompanied by a copy of a hand written note from the previous owner who purchased it from the family of the person who had purchased it new. He states that the revolver was initially purchased by a Mr. Atkinson who worked for the railroad in Waco, Texas and bequeathed it to his daughter of Gatesville, Texas. Her husband's name was Thomas R. McClellan who was a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with a long Texas history dating back to Coryell County, Texas to at least 1864. A bit of genealogy from this family shows that John Bingham Atkinston obtained his law degree from the University of Texas in 1911. He was later Attorney for McLellan County from 1912 to at least 1916 when this gun was made. Is it possible that this was a wedding gift to County Attorney who would no doubt be prosecuting some dangerous types? A few years later, he became an inspector for the IGNR Railroad in Waco, Texas. Atkinson, who was outlived by his father-in-law John Scott Paul, also worked for the Texas & Pacific Railroad at the time this gun was made. The McClellan family were well known in the era of this pistol. James Rufus McClellan, known as "Rufe" was District Attorney and Judge responsible for prosecutions including one of the 1914 murder trial of Texas hitman and psychopath Felix Jones. The jury was initially deadlocked and he was released and on the street in 1916 when this gun was purchased. Jones was not nailed on another murder case until 1918. Once newspaper account concerning Felix Jones states "would have killed his mother for a dime". In 1920, McClellan became a District Judge with a tough reputation of upholding the law. At one point he ordered the destruction of $200 worth of booze during Prohibition that would hardly endear him to the local populace. As a judge, he presided over murder trials including the 1922 trial of a drill master at a local reform school with essentially running a kid to death. This District Attorney and Judge needed protection. PROVENANCE: Atkinson/McClellan Family of Waco and Gatesville, Texas. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine, all matching except two piece grips which are numbered internally (No. 354) and appear to be Colt, though probably were added by the owner in Texas as grips lack the medallion seen on factory guns of this date. Grips do fit quite well and the gold restoration to one toe is extremely well executed and unique. Overall retains about 95-96% strong original nickel finish with light holster wear on left side of barrel and left edge of muzzle with some light wear on front sight, otherwise shows little evidence of having been fired. It will not hold at half-cock and safety notch missing. Bright shiny well defined bore. DB
Caliber/Bore
.45 Long Colt
Paperwork
Factory Letter; Old Description