SANTA FE, N.M. — On June 20, the first evening of the 36th annual Old West & Native American Art Show hosted by Old West Events, Morphy Auctions conducted a 515-lot auction of items aligned with the weekend’s billing. Headlining the auction was a Manhattan Arms Navy Series IV Single Action Percussion Revolver with ownership attributed to the outlaw Jesse James. Reportedly used by James at the robbery of the Southern Bank of Kentucky in Russellville, Ken., the revolver came with a letter from James’ son and daughter-in-law that corroborated that fact and stated that they gave the gun to Carl W. Breihan, a Western scholar who identified “the faker J. Frank Dalton,” who claimed to be Jesse James. A second letter signed by Breihan confirmed the story, and a third from the NRA Museums director indicated the provenance is credible, representing “a high level of confidence in outlaw-related firearms, as most guns of that type have apocryphal provenance.” At the close of the sale, the gun had been bid to an in-estimate result of $100,860, including buyer’s premium. Further highlights from the auction will be featured in an upcoming issue.
