Tale
Of The Gun!
For
Creative
Writing
On-Line
Dr.
Sharman Russell
I am a Colt .32. I was manufactured 1871 and patented on September 19,1871. There were two more patents after the first they were on July 2. 1872 and January 19, 1875. My patent number is 232903. I was manufactured in Hartford, Connecticut. Why is all this important you may ask? It is important so that you understand how old I am and how I was a genuine part of the history of Grant County.
My first owner was Deputy Marshall Herbert James McGrath. He gave me a very eventful life as the service revolver of a lawman. The one case that really stands out in my memory is when we went hunting the Gates Brothers. These two men were very dangerous and sneaky. They were wanted in several territories and the state of California. They were wanted for train robbery, hold-ups of a variety of business, as well as armed robbery of people.
We started looking for these outlaws after they held up Gem Saloon at Lordsburg, New Mexico. For those of you who don’t know, Lordsburg is in the southwest corner of New Mexico, about 25 miles from the Arizona state line. We found them at the home of John Weems in Separ, New Mexico, which is located east of Lordsburg, about 10 miles. Deputy McGrath along with Joe Olney and “Rube” Gannon, both of these men were officers under Deputy McGrath, caught a freight train to Separ after receiving word that the men were there. Since the train was headed east it was the fastest way the officers could make it to Separ, the trip took just under an hour.
Mr. Weems informed “Herb” that the men had arrived from the south around 4:00 pm, ate dinner and left word to be notified when the eastbound passenger train arrived. Deputy McGrath prevailed upon Mr. Weems to go to the men’s room and inform them that their train had arrived. Once Weems had advised the men the train had arrived McGrath and his officers entered the room. All had guns drawn. Me I stayed in the holster and let my friend the shotgun work today. This was the safest place to be, from this vantage point I was able to see all that transpired.
The men were ordered to put up their hands, which they did not do. One of the men had his arms folded behind his head. While the other had his arms folded across his chest. Deputy McGrath suspected that something was amiss when the men would not obey his orders. He gave the men a total of three chances but neither would comply.
As the men moved their hands Deputy McGrath thought that the men were going to comply, which did not happen. Just as the men moved their hands under the covers Deputy McGrath opened fire. He fired two shots with the shotgun, which was loaded with buckshot. Mr. Olney fired only one shot. When the covers of the men were thrown back it was discovered that the men had indeed reached for their weapons. One had in his right hand on a rapid fire Colt, while in the left he held a forty-five. The other man had a Smith and Wesson hammerless 38 in his right hand. His left had not yet reached his other gun, (which the type is unknown). The men also had four other guns, bringing the total number of guns to eight. Thus bringing to end the terror and murderous ways of these two most deadly outlaws, who have been causing residents from California to New Mexico, and into Mexico to be ever watchful.
Here is some background on the Gates Brothers. They have held up banks, railroads, hotels, saloons, as well as people. One of the men is believed to have said to the customers and employees of a Lordsburg saloon “Gentlemen, I have to ask you to go into the front room. I must ask you first to hold up your hands and keep them up. Go quietly and arrange yourselves against the wall; and face the wall for there may be doings you will not like to look at. Now hurry, and remember that the first man who turns or who tries to take his hands down will be shot.”
As fate would have it the owner of the establishment was one Mr. Hardin who was a friend of Justice of the Peace M. W. McGrath. Mr. Hardin slipped out the back door after the men had left. He immediately went to Justice of the Peace McGrath, to notify him of what had just occurred in his establishment. The Justice notified his son deputy sheriff H. J. McGrath, who is credited with finding the men.
Another interesting day in my life was the day I was used to protect my owner. This was the day that I had to kill Murdoch R. Ballou. You see Mr. Ballou and some companions were having some amusement with a couple of unknown characters about town. After a time the fun became a little more rough and resulted in the two men being bound together with a trace chain securely pad-locked. They were led up Broadway in this shape when one of the victims of the sport became tired of the game and called night watchman Price B. Heather, to secure their release. Mr. Ballou was with the two men at this time. Mr. Heather spoke to Mr. Ballou, stating that the matter had gone far enough, that the amusement had been had and that the affair was causing some disturbance. Mr. Ballou seemed to resent the interference on the part of the officer. He left the street for a few moments, went to his room in the Palace Hotel (yes this is still standing today), I suppose to secure his gun. He returned to the group shortly thereafter. Mr. Ballou and Mr. Heather exchanged words and Mr. Ballou made a move, which Mr. Heather believed was towards a gun, yet at this point no gun was drawn. Mr. Ballou proceeded up the street. Mr. Heather feeling that the situation maybe worsening he summoned Deputy Sheriff James Dickinson, who in turn notified Sheriff McGrath. Sheriff McGrath responded immediately, being met down town by the officers, who explained what had happened. Upon inquiry it was found that Mr. Ballou had taken the men over to Hudson Street. The Sheriff then told the Messrs. Heather and Dickinson to remain, saying that he could easily adjust matters and proceeded alone to follow Mr. Ballou.
The Sheriff met the party on Hudson Street at a point nearly opposite the Wellington Corral (this is about where the visitors center is now). He engaged Mr. Ballou in conversation, telling him that he understood he was armed and asked him in a friendly manner to give up his gun and let the men go. Mr. Ballou at this time had a hammer in his possession with which he intended to use to break the locks. This the Sheriff obtained, but he refused to turn over his weapon, saying that no one could disarm him. A conversation of several moments ensued during all of which time the Sheriff used every argument within his power to persuade Mr. Ballou to comply with his request without trouble. Two or three men were standing near and overheard the conversation. Noticing this Mr. Ballou requested the sheriff to step behind an adjoining building and talk in private. Both men then walked around the corner where the talk was resumed. This continued for several minutes along the same lines. Sheriff McGrath saying that it was his duty to get the gun, that he was a friend and that tomorrow Mr. Ballou would be glad he had done this. During the early part of the conversation Mr. Ballou took a pocketknife from his pocket, which he held in his left hand. The knife, however, was unopened. Seeing this the Sheriff caught his left hand and held it, still trying to persuade him to surrender his gun. A few moments later Mr. Ballou drew his gun with his right hand, saying: “Get it if you can.” The Sheriff saw the move and waited until the gun was in plain sight and was being raised. Then loosing his hold of Mr. Ballou’s left hand he jumped back a few steps, drew his own gun (this being me) and fired three shots in quick succession. Before Mr. Ballou drew his gun, however, he had become very angry. Mr. Ballou staggered back toward the side of the building and sank to the ground. The Sheriff rushed to a nearby telephone and summoned medical aid.
It was determined that I was fired in self-defense. As the side arm of a lawman it is expected that I will have to be used. I do not enjoy taking the life of anyone, but it is part of my job, as well as the reason I was manufactured.
One not so enjoyable event in my duty was that of locating the killer(s) of my owner’s good friend Thomas (Shorty) Lyons. Mr. Lyons was not killed in Grant County; he was killed in El Paso, Texas. Yet Mr. McGrath was asked by the widow of Mr. Lyons to help find the person responsible for her husband’s death. This search took sometime, yet in the end the man responsible one Mr. Felix Jones, was captured and returned to El Paso to stand trial.
The search involved the states of New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana; it also went down into Mexico, due to the proximity of El Paso to that country. The search ended in Beaumont, Texas, which was the hometown of Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones was found in the company of a doctor. It is unknown why he was with the doctor. Mr. Jones was arrested without incidence and returned to El Paso, Texas to stand trial for murder.
In or about 1914 I was sent to Columbus, New Mexico with one Olivette Connor for her protection. You see the families of Miss Connor were good friends of my owner. The family had been trying to talk her out of going to Columbus to teach school. Yet they had no such luck in talking her out of her choice. Her response for going to Columbus was, “I have to pay for my education. Therefore I must go.” They therefore prevailed upon Mr. McGrath to try and talk her out of her choice. Being unable to accomplish this Sheriff McGrath told her that if she was going to go she should take me with her. She did agree to do this, however she was not happy about it.
While in the care of Miss Connor, she was forced to use me for her own protection. You see Miss Connor and her roommates had gone to the movies, when on the way home they were approached by a young Buffalo Soldier (these are soldiers of color) who would not take “no” for an answer. After arriving home the women were readying for bed, when they heard a noise at the front of the house. The women retrieving their weapons went to the front room, seeing the young man in the house, they ordered him to leave. He did argue with them for a bit, until seeing me in the hand of Miss Connor. He did leave, however after a brief struggle, several shots were fired one coming from me. The women did not know if any of them had injured the man.
The next morning however the young man was found about 100 yards from the house in a ditch, he had one shot to the back, this shot was not fatal, the young soldier died from exposure and loss of blood. It was determined that this shot came from me, this being determined after a coroner’s inquest. Understandably the women were all very upset with the outcome, but were all very glad that none of them were injured during the unfortunate events of the previous evening.
I have been involved in one fire under the care of Miss Connor, who became the wife of one Mr. Fred Prevost of White Signal, New Mexico. This fire was at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Prevost. I was badly damaged during the fire, my barrel is very misshapen, and my pearl handles were melted off. I have been restored to some degree, but hopefully will be fully restored at some point in the future.
I am now in the company of my original owners family as Mrs. Prevost son Fred is the father-in-law of one Megan McGrath. Fred is the one that related the most recent history of my life to the author of this paper. I am very thankful that I have come full circle so to speak in my life.