Way of the gun: Sultan relic returns to VIC

It's not the first time the antique Smith & Wesson has managed to find its way home.

The handgun was stolen from the Sultan Visitor Information Center (VIC) last November, after somebody used a rock to smash through the front door. Once inside, the thief shattered the glass of the display case where the fabled gun rested, making off with the weapon. The gun, on loan from former Sultan Mayor C.H. Rowe, was part of a historic display inside the VIC, which contains a hodgepodge of artifacts from Sultan's early days.

It was returned to Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Copple on Friday, Aug. 5, after Sultan Community Service Officer Victoria Forte retrieved it from a person who had requested anonymity.

"We told her that we would totally respect that and never ask, because we're just grateful,GÇ¥ Copple said. "It's a win-win, everybody got what they wanted. C.H. is thrilled that the gun is back.GÇ¥

The firearm has little to no monetary value, but is of great historical significance to the city of Sultan, as it is widely believed to be the same gun that killed Sultan Town Marshal Percy Z. Brewster on March 2, 1927. There is no definitive proof tying the gun to Brewster's death, Copple said, other than local narrative passed along by old-timers. The serial number was scratched off long ago, she said.-á

In fact, an early news story recounting the incident describes the gun as a .380 Savage.

Regardless, it's a tale that has endured.

Brewster was shot and killed shortly after arresting a suspicious individual believed to have been preparing to rob Sultan's Citizens State Bank, where the Sultan VIC resides today. Brewster was alerted by hardware store owner Merton Love, who spotted a Chrysler coupe parked behind the bank. After discovering the car contained two stolen rifles, Brewster confiscated the vehicle, driving it to an impound garage.

Soon after, a man named Edward Sickles arrived at the garage to claim the car.

Brewster placed him under arrest and was about to transport him to the jail, when Sickles insisted he be allowed to grab his overcoat out of the car. Brewster let him.-á -á

"He was too trusting,GÇ¥ Copple said. "He let him, and he had this gun in his coat.GÇ¥

Brewster and Love transported Sickles to the jail, located in the same building that housed the police and fire station. Just as Brewster was about to unlock the holding cell, Sickles brandished the weapon and said "throw "em up,GÇ¥ according to a local news source. Love ran from the scene and Brewster was shot through the left lung. Sickles crashed through a back window at the jail and took off running. Numerous law enforcement officers arrived in Sultan to help with the search, including a bloodhound from the Monroe reformatory.

Sickles was captured later that day.

Sickles was described as a "notorious desperado and ex-convictGÇ¥ in a local media report. He was sentenced to death by hanging and incarcerated in the Snohomish County Jail. In early May, Sickles escaped from jail, just 12 days before he was scheduled to hang. He was described as a "youthful banditGÇ¥ who was "evidently assisted from the outside by clever confederates.GÇ¥

There are no news sources to back up what is believed to have happened to the gun. According to local folklore, Sickles tossed the gun into some bushes after he shot Brewster, where it rested for a period of time until it was discovered by a resident.

"The man who found it used it to kill someone who broke into his home and threatened his family,GÇ¥ Copple said.

The gun's trail vanished after that, until C.H. Rowe came across the weapon while operating a trucking company in Alaska. When the individual who owned the gun learned that Rowe was originally from Sultan, he told him he possessed the gun that had been used to kill Brewster.

According to the legend, every time the gun got traded or sold, the story of Marshal Brewster was passed along, Copple said.

Rowe felt the gun belonged at home in Sultan, so he brought it back from Alaska. It had been on display since shortly after the VIC opened in 2005, until last November's theft.-á -á

It had apparently spent much of the last eight months outdoors, Copple said, because the old weapon was heavily covered in rust when she got it back. At first, she couldn't tell if it was the same gun, so she contacted C.H. Rowe to help her identify it. The two spent some time cleaning it up and were able to positively identify it based on two hash marks scratched onto the surface of the gun just above the grip.

According to legend, the two marks represent how many times the gun was used to kill.

Upon its return, Sultan City Councilmember and firearms enthusiast John Seehuus more closely examined the gun. He told Copple he believes it to be a 1903 .32 Smith & Wesson Long hand ejector revolver, rather than a Smith & Wesson .38 Special as previously believed. The .32 Smith & Wesson Longs were first introduced in 1896, and then updated with a new design in 1903.

The firearm is not functional ' its firing pin has long been removed, Copple said. But the fact that the gun is not operable was not readily apparent to the casual observer, which is something she plans to correct this time around with signage clearly stating the gun doesn't work.-á -á

Nothing else was taken during the burglary, making it clear the gun was the target.

"I think that whoever stole it from us thought that they could use it as a firearm,GÇ¥ Copple said.

She speculated that as soon as they figured out it didn't work, they simply tossed it.

Copple is happy that somebody decided to do the right thing, and that the gun didn't end up washed away in the river, which was her fear. She polished up the old firearm as best she could, but will allow it to remain a bit worse for wear to add to the gun's story. She and Rowe are both grateful the gun will continue to whisper tales of Sultan's history.