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Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys

Sat, Jul 26, 2025 11:00AM EDT
  2025-07-26 11:00:00 2025-07-26 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Auction: The Earp Brothers & Cowboys https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/tombstone-western-heritage-museum-auction-the-earp-brothers-cowboys-20021
Join North American Auction Company on July 26th for a once-in-a-lifetime auction of the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum Collection. This extraordinary sale features the largest private collection of Tombstone history, including rare and historic pieces tied to Wyatt Earp, the Earp Brothers, and the infamous Cochise Cowboys. From original artifacts, outlaw relics, and the largest collection of C.S. Fly photographs, this is a can’t-miss event for collectors of the Old West’s most legendary chapter.
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Lot 129

Ford County, Kansas "Dirty Dave" Reudabaugh Ruling

Estimate: $3,500 - $6,500
Starting Bid
$1,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Featured in this lot is this rare Ford County, Kansas ruling on court case Dave Reudabaugh vs. S. Galland circa 1879; Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. This is a rare example (maybe the only recorded example) of legal documents naming "Dirty Dave" Reudabaugh in it. David Rudabaugh (July 14, 1854 – February 18, 1886) was a cowboy, outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" because of his alleged aversion to water, though no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime. The outlaw career of Dave Rudabaugh began in earnest in Arkansas in the early 1870s. He was part of a band of outlaws who robbed and participated in cattle rustling along with Milton Yarberry and Mysterious Dave Mather. The three were suspected in the death of a rancher and fled the state. By some accounts all three went to Decatur, Texas, but other accounts have Rudabaugh heading to the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he became a stagecoach robber. Rudabaugh's gang attempted their first train robbery, on January 22, 1878, near Kinsley, Kansas. The next day, a posse led by Bat Masterson, including John Joshua Webb, captured Rudabaugh and fellow gang member Ed West. The remaining members of the gang were captured shortly thereafter. Rudabaugh took a deal for immunity offered by the prosecuting attorney, and testified against his former gang members. During this time he became a very close associate of John Joshua Webb, whom he had met during his earlier arrest. After the railroad wars, he and Webb traveled to the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, where they became important members of the Dodge City Gang. This gang was a band of ruffians and gamblers who were dominating the political and economic life of the growing community. He fled to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where he eventually joined a gang, one of whose members was Billy the Kid. At Stinking Springs (near present-day Taiban, New Mexico), On December 23, 1880 a posse led by Pat Garrett captured Rudabaugh, Billy the Kid, Billy Wilson, and other members of the gang. They were taken to Las Vegas, but the danger of a lynch mob prompted the officers to move them to Santa Fe. In February 1881, while in court, Rudabaugh pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison for several counts of mail robbery. He was then found guilty for the murder of Las Vegas deputy Lino Valdez and was sentenced to death by hanging. Rudabaugh was reunited with Webb in jail. After a botched escape attempt in which a fellow prisoner named Thomas Duffy died, he and Webb broke out. Rudabaugh fled to Arizona where he joined the Clanton faction in their feud against the Earps. He may have participated in the murder of Morgan Earp and the attempted murder of Virgil Earp and may also have been present at the gunfight at Iron Springs in which Curly Bill Brocius was killed. The document comes complete with museum paperwork with an overview of Reudabaugh. The documents come complete with an original museum tag that reads as follows: 35. - Transcript - Dec. 5, 1879 - in the case of David "Dirty Dave" Reudabaugh vs. S. Galland (Dodge City Doctor.) One of only a few known documents to exist naming Reudabaugh - one of the old west's most ruthless outlaws. The condition of this Ford County court document is well preserved with no obvious signs of damage and slight browning to the pages consistent with age but otherwise shows a well preserved condition. The measurements of this document is 12 1/2" x 8". LO161

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