4255 COLT SAA REVOLVER OF POLICE CHIEF W. M. PETERSON.

Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 2,000.00 USD
Estimated at 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Cal. 38 Special. S# 336877. W. (Waino) M. Peterson (1884–1955) was appointed Police Marshall of Lake Bluff, Illinois, on November 5th, 1907. From 1913 to 1945, he served as Police Chief of Winnetka, Illinois, on Chicago's suburban "gold coast." As Police Chief, he was known for cleaning up "vice conditions" in the village and was considered a valuable and efficient officer by community leaders. Chief Peterson carried this historic revolver during his law enforcement career. Bbl: shortened at breech end to 4" length with blade sight. Six shots of fluted cyl. The top of the bbl., ejector housing, backstrap, trigger guard, and screw heads have been added with geometric pattern hand engraving. Cyl. has simple line engraving. Blue and case-colored finish. Two-piece checkered hard rubber rampant colt grips. The revolver was mfg. 1918. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: Chief Peterson's Winnetka police badge (no. 5). The holster is a hand-toulled Mexican double loop style carried on a V.L. & A. Chicago leather cartridge belt. A copy of the summer 2014 "Rampant Colt Magazine" features an article about Chief Peterson titled "A Lawman at the Crossroads in Prohibition Chicago." The article pictures this revolver and talks of Peterson's prohibition service and association with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Special Agent Melvin Purvis. A hard-bound copy of "Jake Lingle, Chicago on the Spot" is signed by author John Boettiger with the following inscription: "To Police Chief W. M. Peterson, who lived through and knows this tale as intimately as the writer. With sincere wishes, John Boettiger, June 1932". Two display boxes contain medals and police association ribbons. A framed certificate from the International Association of Chiefs of Police dated March 1st, 1929 certifies W. M. Peterson as a member. A large binder full of letters and correspondence addressed to Mr. Peterson from the Chicago area and national organizations. The binder includes many pages of newspaper clippings from prohibition-era Chicago talking about crime and criminals, including Al Capone. A second thick binder contains numerous photographs and correspondences from Chief Peterson's storied career and also includes a bill of sale when his son sold this revolver to a California resident after his father's death. Also included is a rolled bundle containing many photographs. CONDITION: bbl., cyl., and grip straps retain 60% thinning blue showing edge and carry wear. The frame retains 60% of the darkly visible case colors. Grips show light wear. Action is sound with four notches on the hammer. Very good bore. (23-5446/DS). CURIO. $4,000-6,000.