Featured in this lot are various items taken from Tom Horns body after his controversial arrest and hanging in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1903. Tom Horn was a famed but controversial figure in the American Old West, known for his roles as a scout, cowboy, Pinkerton investigator, and hired gunman. Horn was born on November 21, 1860, in Scotland County, Missouri, to a big family. He left home at a young age and eventually found work as a scout and translator during the Apache Wars. His tracking and marksmanship abilities made him essential to the United States Army and, later, the Pinkerton Detective Agency, despite his brutal and violent techniques. Horn gained notoriety as a range investigator in Wyoming and Colorado during violent clashes between huge cattle barons and smaller homesteaders convicted of rustling. Horn's most controversial phase occurred in 1901, when he was accused of murdering 14-year-old Willie Nickell, the son of a sheepherder near Iron Mountain, Wyoming. The incident was a result of rising tensions between cattlemen and sheep herders. Horn allegedly confessed to the murder while chatting with a deputy, but the confession's legality and authenticity were widely questioned, particularly given that it was taken without legal counsel and presumably when Horn was intoxicated. Many saw Horn as a scapegoat for strong cattle interests seeking to distance themselves from vigilante violence. His trial was brief and spectacular, and despite serious uncertainties about the evidence, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Tom Horn was hanged on November 20, 1903, one day before his 43rd birthday, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His execution remains one of the most debated in Western history, with some arguing he was wrongfully convicted, while others maintain he was a cold-blooded killer who finally paid the price for a long list of alleged killings, including rustlers and outlaws. Horn was buried in Columbia Cemetery in Boulder, Colorado. After his hanging, items he had in his pockets were retrieved which included two silver dollars, 1878 (CC) & 1879 (S), as well as a rare Wells Fargo & Company key. This key supposedly would open ANY Wells Fargo office. It is marked reading, "WF & CO 31 / C3623F". Also included with the items found on Tom Horn are two reproduction photographs of Tom Horn. The smaller one shows Tom Horn as a young to middle aged man and is a side profile portrait. The larger one shows his childhood home and some of his family members. He is a child in this photo and can be seen riding in the wagon on the right hand side of the photo. The pieces in this collection show good condition overall with little wear present and no signs of damage noted. The silver dollars measures 1 1/2" L x 1 1/2" W, the key measures 2 3/8" L x 1 1/8" W, and the photos measure 3" L x 2 1/4" W (small) and 4 1/4" L x 7 1/2" W (large). They have a collective weight of 4 ounces. Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. T162 / 693