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Born Alice Ivers, an English-born American gambler, brothel owner, and rancher (1851-1930) who became known for playing poker and faro in the Wild West. Historical Wild West artifacts from the personal collection of Alice Ivers, more famously known as Poker Alice, a legendary cigar-smoking, gun-toting gambler and brothel owner in the American West, which includes her Hopkins & Allen No. 4 Spur Trigger revolver, a present from her then-employer, Jesse James assassin Robert Ford, and her original traveling gambling set, a gift from her second husband, Warren G. Tubbs, both of which were won from Alice in a game of faro by John Logan, a postal inspector from Sturgis, South Dakota, who frequented Alice’s gambling parlor as a youth.
The pistol, a Hopkins & Allen No. 4 Spur Trigger .38 five-shot revolver, Serial No. A676, is of standard configuration with a partly clipped front sight and simple floral engraving throughout. The mother-of-pearl grips are engraved “To Alice Duffeild” [sic] on the left scale, and the right is inscribed, “From Bob Ford.” The top strap is stamped, “Hopkins & Allen Mfg. Co., XL No. 4, Pat. Mar. 23, 1873.” The gun, which is accompanied by its small period leather holster, was given to Alice by Robert Ford circa 1892 when the former was working as a faro dealer in Ford’s famed gambling and dance hall, Ford’s Exchange in Creede, Colorado. Ford gifted Alice the revolver as a show of his appreciation for her fair dealing and honesty. Not much longer after presenting this set to Ivers, Ford, at the age of 30, was shot and killed at his saloon by Edward Capehart O'Kelley on June 8, 1892.
After Ford was shot by Edward O’Kelley, Alice left for Bachelor City and then for Deadwood. In Deadwood, she adopted her trademark cigar and met Warren Tubbs, another dealer and local player whom she eventually married. It was during this time in 1892 that Tubbs presented Alice with the offered traveling gambling set. The set, which features a beautiful rosewood case measuring 15.75˝ x 5.5˝ x 13.25˝, features a small engraved plaque to the underside of the lid, which simply reads, “Alice Tubbs.” The set is well-equipped for a variety of games, and includes a small mirror with a woman's portrait on the rear, a leather dice cup, an autogiro, a set of dominos, numerous decks of cards, chips, a faro box, a celluloid game marker, a Brigaid cardholder, a small leather case filled with dice, an Elgin stopwatch, and various tops. The set was made by Will & Finck, a San Francisco-based company established in 1864, which earned the moniker ‘Tiffany of the West’ due to its reputation for crafting high-quality and exquisite goods.
Towards the end of her life, needing money for medical expenses, Alice turned to selling her old revolver and gambling set to John Logan, a postal inspector who played faro with her. Logan, hard up with a pregnant wife, couldn’t afford such trophies. Instead, he offered to play her for it. Alice accepted, lost, handed over the gun and gambling set, and, not much later, died at the age of 79 on February 27, 1930.
Accompanied by a notarized letter from Cathy Logan-Small, John Logan's daughter, which reads, in part: “My father visited Poker Alice's gambling parlor and whorehouse, when he was very young. Often my father played Faro with Poker Alice, during which he won Poker Alice's gambling set. The gun, Hopkins & Allens XL #4, (serial # A676), was given to Alice Duffield (Poker Alice) by Bob Ford; the man who shot Jesse James. She was a dealer for Ford and knew him well. She told my father many stories about her dealings.” Also included with the lot is a tintype of one of the prostitutes employed by Alice, various ephemera and publications about Alice, which includes an issue of Gun Journal from October 1995, which contains a six-page article on Alice and the story of the gun and gambling set.
The gun is in overall very good condition, and retains the vast majority of the nickel finish with some spotted oxidation and softened engraving from age. Normal Hopkins & Allen markings, engraving on grips is legible but needs to be rolled in light to see completely. Numbers are matching on the interior of the frame and inside of grips. Mechanically fine, bore has strong rifling and some frosting throughout. Holster is good, with stitching broken across the back down to the toe, some crazing, and stains; leather is pliable. The gambling set is also very good, with a bent front clasp, one crack running across the top joint, and contents appropriately showing age-related distress and some evidence of use.
