Anderson Auction #211

Lot #1356:

Tom Ward for Sheriff

Here's what is special about Tom Ward, shown on this rare 7/8 inch celluloid made when he ran for sheriff of Portland, Oregon, in 1904. Ward was a leader of the vigilante group that ended the reign of the notorious bandit Soapy Smith gang in Skagway, Alaska, during the gold rush. He won the election and later worked for the Department of Justice.