We arranged to meet them in Kansas City that night to look at the items. Tara started by showing us the book Colts from Texas and The Old West by Jerry R. Hemphill which featured several of her father’s Colts including the US Marshal Henry Parnell’s Colt and holster which was pictured on the book’s dust jacket.
It would be an understatement to say that what we saw when we made our way to her basement to view the other stored items had us shocked and amazed. These were the items her dad had spent years collecting, many from his home town of Dodge City. As we looked through the items it was clear Gary had kept impeccable records of almost all of the history and/or provenance associated with each item she showed us. One such record is the subject of this article.
Our visit ran late into the night. We talked about ideas, made suggestions and accepted several consignments for the South Dakota store. The visit revealed one very important thing, Tara was feeling a huge weight on her shoulders and a grave sense of responsibility to do her Dad proud in dispersing the items he had spent years collecting, and giving the collection the justice it deserved. We spoke for hours about his love of collecting historically significant Old West items.
As we left that night, arrangements were made to return after a few weeks to pick up some of the items she was ready to part with. She gave us a copy of the Colts from Texas and The Old West which she inscribed to “Rick and Margi – Keep your powder dry”. a quote her dad often used and one I’ve never forgotten. Later Tara decided not to sell the collection but asked to keep in touch from time to time with Margi. Periodically I’d pull the book out of our library and wonder what happened to her and all those wonderful guns?
ready to part with. She gave us a copy of the Colts from Texas and The Old West which she inscribed to “Rick and Margi – Keep your powder dry”, a quote her dad often used and one I’ve never forgotten.
Fast forward to the future; late last summer the ‘phone rang at 9:00 pm one Sunday evening. It was Beverly sadly informing us of Tara’s untimely death and to invite us to the local area auction where all of Gary’s remaining items would be sold. Many of the items we had seen all those years earlier were purchased days later as we rummaged through box lots, books, etc. trying to piece together the provenance that once accompanied each item, now scattered throughout the sale, a stark reminder for all of us to make certain our collections have been kept safe and in order. We still have provenance and letters pertaining to items that may have been sold before the sale on that day. Several of the items sold at that little auction including the US Marshal Henry Purnell Colt will be sold again at auction, April 28, 2018 by Dakota Plains Auction Co.
The account reproduced below was written by the late Gary Helin, we believe some time in the 1980’s. As well as being an account of how he acquired the subject revolver, it is also a report on the events in which the revolver’s original owner, a U.S. Marshal, was caught up during a tumultuous time in the history of Texas. This account is reproduced verbatim in its entirety, with no effort being made to correct errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar; it remains in the voice of Mr. Helin.
[Editor’s note: I have taken the liberty of inserting images germane to the story into the body of this account; it is my opinion that these images help bring a little more life into the story.]