Oliver M. Lee

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Oliver Milton Lee, known simply as Oliver Lee (October 1865 - 15 December 1941) was a part time deputy U.S. marshal, rancher, and gunman. Oliver Milton Lee was born in Texas, and died in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where, a state park is named in his honor.

[edit] Early life

Lee lived an eventful life, spending most of it in southern New Mexico. Little is known about his life prior to his move to New Mexico from Texas with his mother. He was a gunman and worked as a Deputy US Marshal. He was described in the book "Tularosa: Last of the Frontier West" (ISBN 978-0826305619) as being "magnificently muscled, straight as a young pine, catlike in his coordination".

Lee moved into the area from Texas, and quickly became known as being extremely ambitious, moving to acquire any land he thought useful. He employed several not-too well known gunmen during this time to support him.

[edit] Albert Jennings Fountain murder case

Lee, Jim Gililland and William "Billy" McNew[1] were suspected in the 1896 disappearance and presumed murder of Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain and his young son Henry, dubbed the Albert Jennings Fountain disappearance case. They were pursued in relation to that case by lawman Pat Garrett and a posse, and engaged Garrett and his men in a gunbattle near Alamogordo, resulting in the killing of Deputy Sheriff Kurt Kearney. Kearney shot first and then asked Lee and his men to give up. Lee shot back in self defense. Garrett and his men retreated, and Lee was later captured by other lawmen, but was acquitted of involvement with the Albert Jennings Fountain case.

His involvement in the case, however, did go deeper than his acquittal would reflect. Due to his land ownings, Fountain was a powerful rival to land owners Lee and Albert Fall. In their employ were smalltime gunmen and ranch hands Billy McNew and Jim Gililland. Fall was well known to have hated Fountain. Lee's association with Albert B. Fall, who was a practicing attorney, began when Fall assisted him during a criminal case. Lee and Fall were democrats and Fountain was a Republican. The majority party in the area at the time were Republicans.

Fountain, however, showed little fear of the Fall/Lee faction, and challenged them openly in the courts as well as in the political arena. Albert Fall and others defended all three of the men who were eventually charged with the crime of killing Henry Fountain (Albert's young son). No one was ever charged with the murder of Albert Fountain. Charges against McNew were dismissed, while Lee and Gililland were acquitted. The end result of their prosecution, more than anything else, hinged on there being no bodies.

Oliver Lee later held office in the New Mexico Senate and continued operating his ranches until his own death in 1941. He has several descendants still living and ranching in New Mexico.

[edit] Further reading