Oliver Milton Lee – New Mexico Rancher and Gunman
Oliver Milton Lee, a figure etched in the annals of New Mexico history, was a man of multifaceted roles. He navigated the rugged landscape as a rancher, enforced the law as an officer, shaped policy as a state legislator, and engaged in commerce as a businessman. However, his legacy is also shadowed by allegations of outlawry, most notably his suspected involvement in the unsolved murders of Albert Jennings Fountain and his young son in the 1890s.
Born on November 8, 1865, in Buffalo Gap, Texas, Oliver Milton Lee’s early life was shaped by the pioneering spirit of his parents. His father, a "49’er" who had sought fortune in the California Gold Rush, hailed from New York. His mother, Mary Fletcher Hendrix Lee, instilled in him the values of resilience and determination. Tragedy struck when Lee was just 12 years old, leaving him fatherless. At the age of 19, he demonstrated remarkable leadership, guiding his widowed mother and the rest of his family to the promise of New Mexico’s Tularosa Valley, alongside his older half-brother, Perry Altman.
The Tularosa Valley, a vast expanse of desert and mountain terrain in southern New Mexico, presented both challenges and opportunities. For the first few years, Oliver Milton Lee and his half-brother worked diligently on local ranches, diligently saving their earnings. Their ambition and entrepreneurial spirit led them to purchase land in 1893 in a place known as Dog Canyon. This location proved to be strategically advantageous for ranching. The canyon’s steep, narrow confines provided natural shelter, and a flowing stream ensured a reliable water source for their livestock.
Oliver Milton Lee initially focused on raising horses, gradually expanding his operation to include cattle. His reputation as a skilled marksman and a knowledgeable cattleman quickly spread throughout southern New Mexico. At the young age of 22, he demonstrated his organizational abilities by establishing the Sacramento Cattle Company in the southern reaches of the Tularosa Basin. This venture marked a significant step in his burgeoning career as a prominent figure in the region’s cattle industry.
Despite his apparent success, Oliver Milton Lee’s path was not without obstacles. A conflict arose with John Good, a well-established local rancher, setting the stage for a bitter and violent feud. The initial spark was the disappearance of George McDonald, one of Lee’s ranch hands and a close friend. McDonald had been sent into Dog Canyon to gather stray cattle but never returned. His body was later discovered in the canyon, the victim of a fatal gunshot. Lee, deeply affected by the loss of his friend, retrieved one of the bullets that had claimed McDonald’s life, carrying it on a watch chain as a constant reminder and a symbol of his resolve.
Fueled by grief and a thirst for justice, Oliver Milton Lee believed that Walter Good, John Good’s son, was responsible for McDonald’s death. In a brazen act of retribution, Lee and three other men ambushed and captured Walter Good in mid-August 1888. They fatally shot him twice in the head with his own pistol, leaving his body in the unforgiving desert. This act of vigilante justice ignited a long and bloody range war that would define Lee’s early years in New Mexico.
The discovery of Walter Good’s body two weeks later by John Good and a group of 15 relatives and employees marked a turning point in the escalating conflict. After leaving two men to guard the remains, Good and five others rode towards Las Cruces. During their journey, they encountered Oliver Milton Lee, Perry Altman, and two other men. The two groups immediately confronted each other, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Lee’s group sought cover in a ditch and opened fire as Good’s party approached within 150 yards. Good and his men retreated into a cornfield. The ensuing shootout involved over 100 rounds, miraculously resulting in no human casualties, although two horses were killed.
The animosity between the Lee and Good families continued to escalate, culminating in Lee’s alleged act of shooting at the Good family during their son’s funeral. These incidents solidified the Lee-Good range war, a period marked by frequent and often deadly gunfights. The conflict underscored the lawlessness and violence that characterized the Wild West era in New Mexico.
Oliver Lee was among four men charged with Walter Good’s death. He was arrested but subsequently released due to a lack of witnesses willing to testify against him. The release from custody allowed Oliver Milton Lee to further expand his ranching enterprise. Within a year, Good had suffered significant losses and decided to leave the Tularosa Basin, effectively ending the range war.
At some point during this tumultuous period, Oliver Lee married Winnie P. Rhodes of Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The couple went on to have nine children, establishing a family amidst the challenges and uncertainties of life on the frontier.
In a surprising turn of events, Oliver Milton Lee secured appointments as a deputy sheriff and U.S. Deputy Marshal, positions that placed him on the other side of the law. However, his past continued to haunt him, and he increasingly became a suspect in the mysterious disappearance and presumed murders of Albert Jennings Fountain, a prominent lawyer and politician, and his eight-year-old son, Henry, in 1896.
The gravity of the Fountain case prompted Governor William T. Thornton to enlist the services of Pat Garrett, the legendary lawman famous for killing Billy the Kid. Garrett was tasked with solving the perplexing mystery. The governor also hired Pinkerton detectives to assist Garrett, and local friends of the Fountains hired their own detectives.
A posse led by Pat Garrett tracked Lee and James Gilliland, another suspect in the Fountain murders. On July 13, 1898, the posse surprised the two fugitives south of Alamogordo, New Mexico. In a fierce gunfight, Lee and Gilliland demonstrated their superior marksmanship and tactical skills, forcing the posse to withdraw. Despite their initial success, Lee and Gilliland eventually surrendered.
Despite the widespread belief in the territory that Oliver Milton Lee was responsible for the Fountain murders, the evidence against him was largely circumstantial. The sensational murder trial of Oliver Lee and James Gilliland took place in the small mining town of Hillsboro, New Mexico. Reporters from national newspapers covered the proceedings. After an 18-day trial featuring testimony from 75 witnesses, the jury acquitted both men. The disappearance of Albert Fountain and his son remains one of the Southwest’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
Following the trial, Lee returned to his Dog Canyon Ranch. In 1914, he sold his ranch to a group of businessmen but remained on as manager. Later in life, he was twice elected to the state legislature and served as an officer and director of numerous business organizations. Oliver Milton Lee died of a stroke in 1941, leaving behind a complex and controversial legacy as a New Mexico rancher and gunman.