I recently had the opportunity to pick up a well documented old M1926 Wolf & Klar. The gun (sn 341xx) was shipped to W&K in February 1930.

It was carried by a gentleman who served as the Chief of Police in both Sherman Texas and Kerrville Texas. I received the gun and other documentation from his daughter. The package included his gun, his holster, several photos showing the officer with the specific gun, and old newspaper clippings . The photos are from the Sherman PD in 1933-34. and the newspaper clipping is from Kerrville TX in 1949.

Chief Grady Thompson began his law enforcement career in 1930 in Sherman. He became Chief of that department in 1940 and served in that role until 1947. He then moved his family to Kerrville and joined the Kerrville PD. He was named chief of that department in 1949 and held that office until his death in 1952.

When Thompson began his LEO career in 1930, he had no sidearm so a Texas Ranger gave him this "Pawn Shop" engraved Smith with the pearl steer head grips.

Some of you may have the book about Texas Ranger M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas. In it there are some very interesting chapters dealing with Sherman during that period. In 1930 there was a trial of a black man who was charged with the rape of a white woman. There was much civic unrest before the trial so four Rangers were sent to protect the prisoner. The Rangers were Captain Frank Hamer (who later led the ambush on Bonnie and Clyde), Sergeant J. B. Wheatley and two privates. The National Guard was also mobilized from Dallas, but Governor Dan Moody had instructed the Rangers and the Guardsmen not to shoot. A lynch mob attacked the Court House and set it on fire. The prisoner, George Hughes was killed in his prison cell. Additional infantry was sent along with four more Rangers, Captain Tom R. Hickman, Sergeant M. T. Gonzaullas, and Privates W. H. Kirby and R. G. Goss. All of this happened in May, 1930. I don't know exactly when Grady Thompson began his career but it was that year and it is altogether possible that one of these Rangers was the one that gifted the S&W to him. He carried the gun his entire career and it was one of his proudest possessions.

Rarely do we get the opportunity to have an old gun tell it's story like this one.

Bob