Way to go George!

[Tee]

Authorities broke a cold case that involves the history of cow town exploits of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, the FBI said Thursday.
A stolen Dodge City police docket ledger for 1878 to 1882 — missing since the 1950s — has been found in Ohio, they reported.

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit in Topeka to take possession of the large historic book. How it disappeared remains a mystery, but court records list recent travels that almost ended in public auction.

The FBI and Ford County Sheriff’s Department worked together to find the ledger worth an estimated $100,000 at such an auction, the FBI said.
According to the sworn court statement by FBI agent Robin Smith:
Brian Lebel of Arizona, who does consignment sales of cowboy collectibles at auction, learned two years ago that James Collins of Ohio had the book. Lebel paid Collins an initial payment of $20,000, and Collins shipped him the ledger for auction.

Lebel then contacted an expert on old western lore to check whether the book was authentic. The expert confirmed its authenticity and posted notice of it on an internet blog.

When George Laughead, president of the Dodge City Historical Society, stumbled across the blog entry, he informed the Ford County Sheriff Department.

The FBI then contacted Lebel, and Lebel got his money back from Collins and returned the book to him.

The FBI talked to a Dodge City expert who was familiar with the book through the work of an author named Stanley Vestal. In the 1950s, Vestal wrote a book on Old West history of Dodge City, which he called “The Wickedest Little City in America.”

The expert had photocopies of Vestal’s notes taken in part from the ledger. When FBI agents compared those details with those in digital photos of pages taken by Lebel, they matched. On April 30, 2009, FBI agents went to Blacklick, Ohio, and spoke to Collins. He told them the ledger was his father’s, which he received after his father died.

Collins said his father got it from his father at an unknown time. He refused to let agents see the ledger.Collins could not be reached for comment Thursday.

On May 1, agents served a search warrant and seized the book. It has since been authenticated as the missing ledger, they said Thursday.

Thanks George!

Now, we need to find out who stole it, why and who knew it was stolen.

[Detector]

Great job George

Big story behind that theft. Not only the ledger was stolen. Lots of other Dodge City history was taken as well. Thanks to this incident, new information has been obtained about some of the other missing historical items.

I'm doing some of my own investigating on where some of the missing guns have been buried.

[eunuch]

Perhaps one of these days we can go after the person who went into the City minute books and cut out all the signatures. This person has been proud of the desecration, showing them off on occasion.

[old timer]

Special thanks to Terry -- he got involved in this right away, stayed on it through out the case, and made sure all others knew he was waiting.

Also thanks to Roger Myers -- he first noted the blog from True West, and to the Ford County Sheriff's office, Sheriff Bush and Investigator Mike Albert.

And, of course, the FBI and their area agent, Robin Smith. They followed up in great form.

Note to world -- don't even try to sell our history.

(Now, I wonder what next -- suggestion to city -- use CFAB funds to purchase state-of-the-art archive storage so tourism can benefit but documents can't be stolen again -- by anyone -- I'll be glad to hold the key. City safe wouldn't be proper storage, by the way. Check with KSHS and Kansas Museum of History on proper storage. Also, time to round up all the other docket books hanging around city hall. Darn, where is that county museum when you need it?!)

[sunshine]

old timer, has there been any interest in getting a ford county museum started? i always took the one in great bend for granted, but then because i am such an antique/old things freak, my husband and i were married in the historical church in great bend, which is just one part of its museum. we went back there this spring and the museum has really grown over the years.
i would be very interested to try to get one going for ford county, but would have no idea where to begin. has this been tried in the past? is there interest for it now?

[Pistol Pete]

<snip>
i would be very interested to try to get one going for ford county, but would have no idea where to begin. has this been tried in the past? is there interest for it now?

Contact the Dodge City Trail of Fame, Inc. if you are interested in helping with this. 620-561-1925

[old timer]

The Ford County Historical Society, by state law, becomes the receiver of permanent ownership -- ie., nothing given to the FCHS can ever be sold or given away -- and if, for any reason, the FCHS would stop existing, then Ford County continues to own whatever has been donanted. The state of Kansas laws on this were created in the 1960s or so.

In fact, anything to be given away or destroyed by the city, county or district court, has to be offered first to the FCHS or the equal group in each county.

And the FCHS has started movement on a county history museum. The trouble in this area is that some are ignorant, and think that a county history museum would hurt, not help, Boot Hill Museum. They are wrong, of course -- more tourists equal more visitors for Boot Hill Museum, but that has stopped the support by certain city manager, etc, for a true broadbased Ford County History Museum. All support was cut out of the Master Tourism Plan for same.

Membership is $10 annual, $50 Life to join: FCHS, PO Box 131, Dodge City, KS 67801.

Note to Ken Strobel -- we need a place to hang the original door of your law firm -- Jim Williams donated it -- just doesn't fit in the Old West section.

[KONQ RADIO]

The best place to have shoe stores is next door to each other; same goes for bars (think: Aggieville), casinos (think: Vegas) and this could also hold true for museums.

BTW, the HutchNews opinionated George.

[old timer]

Thanks to www.hutchnews.com over 28 papers worldwide have picked up the news about the police docket book this week -- including yesterday, the Taiwan News ...