Billy Wilson & Tom Pickett: Clearing Their Names

It’s a commonly repeated tale that in January of 1884, Billy Wilson and Tom Pickett, two former members of Billy the Kid’s gang, showed up at Seven Rivers in Lincoln County, New Mexico, as part of a gang of rustlers, including Pony Williams and Yank Beale, and shot down four Mexican ditch-diggers working on an irrigation project just below Seven Rivers.

Tom Pickett

Newspapers reported that Wilson, Pickett, and the other rustlers were drinking heavily at Griffith’s saloon. Pony Williams, standing outside, noticed the nine Mexican workers approaching and suggested that some fun be had at the unsuspecting men’s expense. The rustlers exited the saloon and opened fire on the nine men, killing four of them.

It was reported that a posse took off in pursuit of the gang, but nobody was apprehended.

After the shooting, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that Governor Sheldon issued a reward offer for their apprehension, later adding that the reward totaled $2,000 ($500 for each man who was killed).

At the time the incident was reported, the Las Vegas Gazette remarked that the event seemed “too heathenish to be true,” and on January 17, the writers at the White Oaks Golden Era felt the tale was “a report which we are forced to give reluctant credence.”

This story of Wilson and Pickett being party to a cold-blooded murder of four innocent men in the middle of a street in broad daylight has been repeated in many works throughout the years.

But it didn’t happen.

The White Oaks Golden Era, which on January 17 had reluctantly published the story, seemed pleased to announce on January 24 that the story was not true, publishing the following letter from Sheriff John W. Poe:

“Do me the favor to fully and completely contradict the outrageously false report which appeared in the Gazette of the 11th, in regard to the killing of four Mexicans at Seven Rivers. It is absurdly untrue. Only one drunken Mexican was killed. Neither Billy Wilson nor Tom Pickett has been in this country for three years. Such statements left uncontroverted will ruin our country.”

Alleged Photo of Billy Wilson (as David L. Anderson)

Still feeling strongly about it a month later, the White Oaks Golden Era further clarified the incident, stating that the fabricated story about Wilson and Pickett was based on a shooting that took place on December 11, 1883, in Seven Rivers, which resulted in the death of one man and the flight and escape of the other.

On February 5, 1884, none other than Ash Upson, serving as Notary Public, took the sworn statement of five men reporting that the incident in Seven Rivers in December did not involve Pickett or Wilson, and concerned an altercation that resulted in the death of one Sisto Gutierres.

It's hard to tell what can be believed when gathering information from newspapers in an era where fabrications are published in such exquisite detail. That’s why, for researchers, it’s important to be as exhaustive as we can in search of the truth.

In this instance, at least, we can say with some certainty that Billy Wilson and Tom Pickett did not engage in the senseless killing of four innocent Mexicans in December of 1883. Hopefully we can call this story out as untrue whenever we may encounter it in our journey, and help clear the names of Pickett and Wilson in this one circumstance.

Sources:

- “Mexicans Massacred,” The Las Vegas Gazette, Las Vegas, New Mexico, January 10, 1884, p. 4.

- Santa Fe New Mexican and Review, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 11, 1884, p. 2.

- “The Seven Rivers Slaughter,” The Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 12, 1884, p. 4.

- “Glories of the Gang,” The New Mexican Review, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 17, 1884, p. 4.

- White Oaks Golden Era, January 17, White Oaks, New Mexico, January 17, 1884, p. 1.

- “The Truth of It,” White Oaks Golden Era, White Oaks, New Mexico, January 24, 1884, p. 1.

- “The Straight of It,” White Oaks Golden Era, White Oaks, New Mexico, February 7, 1884, p. 4.

- “Lincoln County: A Defense of Its Good Name by Prominent Citizens,” The Las Vegas Gazette, Las Vegas, New Mexico, February 14, 1884, p. 4.

- The Las Vegas Gazette, Las Vegas, New Mexico, February 15, 1884, p. 3.