Tom Pickett (1858 – May 14, 1934) was a 19th-century

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...

professional gambler Advantage gambling, or advantage play, refers to legal methods used to gain an advantage while gambling, in contrast to cheating. The term usually refers to house-banked casino games, but can also refer to games played against other players, su ...

and, as both a lawman and

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...

at various points in his life, was an associate of

Dave Rudabaugh David Rudabaugh (July 14, 1854February 18, 1886) was a cowboy, outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" because of his alleged aversion to water, though no evidence has emerged to show ...

and later

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

Biography

Born in Clarksville,

Red River County, Texas Red River County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,587. Its county seat is Clarksville. The county was created in 1835 and organized in 1837. It is named for the Red River, which forms its ...

, Pickett began rustling cattle as a teenager growing up in Decatur and was eventually arrested for stealing cattle at age 17. His father, then a member of the state legislature and ex-Confederate officer, was forced to mortgage the family home in order to pay his son's fine. While in Kansas City, he would meet outlaw

and traveled with him to the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

after being indicted in Cooke County for cattle rustling in 1879. He served as a

peace officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or police officer or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector or private-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws, protecting life & property, keeping the peace, ...

for the

Dodge City Gang The Dodge City Gang were a group of Kansas gunfighters and gamblers who dominated the political and economic life of Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. This came at a time when Las Vegas was booming and was thought to be the future met ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

until the two were run out of town after Rudabaugh killed a deputy sheriff. He later had a brief stint as town marshal of Golden, New Mexico. However, he was later run out of town by a lynch mob in 1882. Living in Mexico for a time, he was one of several men who were charged with the murders of four Mexicans at Seven Rivers, New Mexico on January 8, 1884, although he managed to avoid arrest. He settled in

Holbrook, Arizona Holbrook () is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 5,053. The city is the county seat of Navajo County. Holbrook was founded in 1881 or 1882, when the railroad was bu ...

and, in 1888, married Catherine Kelly. After his wife and baby died in childbirth the following year, he returned to drifting, working at various times as a bartender, prospector and cowhand, and was a stage driver for the Fort Apache–Holbrook line for several years. Between 1912 and 1914, he was also a deputy

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the U.S. federal judiciary. It is an agency of the U.S. Department of Jus ...

. He eventually had to have his right leg amputated, and he returned to northern Arizona to live out his final years where he was appointed a deputy U.S. marshal, although he resigned on May 16, 1922. He died of

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation ...

at the age of 76 in

Winslow, Arizona Winslow is a city in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of the city is 9,005. It is approximately southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, Flagstaff, west of Albuquerque, New ...

on May 14, 1934.

References

Bibliography

* Neal, Bill. ''Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. * Philip J. Rasch, ''"He Rode With the Kid: The Life of Tom Pickett."'' London. English Westerners' 10th Anniv. Pubn., 1964. * Roth, Mitchel P. ''Historical Dictionary of Law Enforcement''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001.

External links

A Black Sheep: Tom Pickett
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickett, Tom 1858 births 1934 deaths American amputees Outlaws of the American Old West Lawmen of the American Old West Cowboys American cattlemen American gamblers People from Wise County, Texas Deaths from nephritis Gunslingers of the American Old West People from Winslow, Arizona People from Holbrook, Arizona People from Decatur, Texas People from New Mexico Territory People from Arizona Territory