The 30 Minute Rule begins May 21 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By May 21 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
Legendary Tombstone lawman and gambler (1848–1929) famed for his involvement in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Partly-printed DS, endorsed “W. S. Earp, Const.,” one page, 7.75 x 4.75, February 28, 1870. Subpoena issued in Barton County, Missouri, for the appearance of Thomas G. Harvey "to testify on the trial of a case wherein the state of Missouri, plaintiff, and Thomas Brown is defendant, on the part of the Defendant and of this you are not to fail at your peril." Signed at the conclusion in ink by a justice, "M. Pyle," and boldly endorsed on the reverse in ink by Earp as constable of Lamar, Missouri: "I have served the within summons upon the within named Thomas G. Harvey by reading the same to him, this Feb. 28, 1870." In fine condition, with a light stain touching the end of the signature.
This 1870 subpoena, endorsed by Wyatt Earp during his brief tenure as constable in Lamar, Missouri, captures the 21-year-old lawman at the very outset of his career. Earp stepped into the role after the resignation of his father, Nicholas Earp, who had previously served as constable, highlighting the familial and community-based nature of such appointments in small Midwestern towns. His duties at this time were largely routine—serving legal papers and executing warrants to support the local justice system—offering a revealing glimpse into the administrative side of frontier justice rather than the gunfights that would define his later legend. Earp's endorsement represents one of the earliest known examples of his signature in an official law enforcement capacity, capturing him at the threshold of a career that would become synonymous with the mythology of the American West.
The Western Americana auction of Jochen Zeitz.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$250.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
