Join us August 24, 2024, at 4:00 PM at the Hillsboro Community Center in Hillsboro, NM, for TWO exciting events hosted by Friends of Pat Garrett, a Las Cruces-based organization dedicated to preserving the history of Southern New Mexico.
SING THE LEGEND. A live musical presentation by Dan Crow and Karla Steen of original western songs echoing the essence of the Wild West.
COLONEL ALBERT J. FOUNTAIN MURDER TRIAL. Step back in time and witness the riveting dramatic reenactment of the criminal trial of the person charged with killing Colonel Fountain and his eight-year-old son.
The abduction and apparent murder of Colonel Albert J. and Henry Fountain on February 1, 1896, shocked and outraged the citizens of New Mexico. It was not the killing of Colonel Fountain, a Union Civil War veteran and a prominent New Mexico attorney, which roused the physical disgust of the citizenry – after all, it was not unknown for distinguished men to be killed. It was the cold-blooded murder of his eight-year-old son which provoked the public outcry and revulsion.
The evidence indicated that although Colonel Albert J. Fountain was killed during the ambush, his son was taken alive, and only killed the next day.
The three-week trial was held in Hillsboro’s Sierra County Courthouse. It involved some of the most well-known men in New Mexico history. The trial judge was Frank W. Parker, who would later become Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
A prosecution attorney was Thomas Catron of Santa Fe, and a defense lawyer was Albert Bacon Fall of Las Cruces. These two men became New Mexico’s first two Senators in 1912. Fall was later named Secretary of the Interior and the Teapot Dome Scandal resulted in him being the first Cabinet member ever sent to prison.
Pat Garrett, the sheriff who killed Billy the Kid, was a prosecution witness. The defendant in this reenactment was rancher Oliver Lee, who later became a State Senator and whose Dog Canyon home is now the Oliver Lee Memorial State Park near Alamogordo.
Experience the intrigue and mystery surrounding this infamous case as actors bring to life the events that unfolded in the courtroom. Hear the testimony, see the evidence, and decide for yourself what really happened on that fateful day.
“This reenactment is a must-see for history buffs and true crime enthusiasts alike,” says David G. Thomas, one of the event organizers.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a piece of New Mexico’s history. Entry is by recommended donation, with $10 for adults and $5 for youth.
For more information, please contact David G. Thomas at doc@doc45.com.
Content for this article was provided by the Hillsboro Community Center and by Friends of Pat Garrett.