Skip to main content
Rock Island Auction Company
AuctionsConsignmentLatestFAQAbout us
Log InCreate Account
Rock Island Auction CompanyRock Island Auction Company
Contact us
1-309-797-15001-800-238-8022[email protected]
Locations
Bedford, TX
3600 Harwood RoadBedford, Texas 76021, USA
Rock Island, IL
7819 42nd Street WestRock Island, Illinois 61201, USA
Hours
Monday - Friday8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Navigation
AuctionsConsignmentLatestFAQAbout usAccount
More Info
Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyJob postings & CareersOrder a catalogContact
Social media
© 2025 Rock Island Auction Company. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Click here for more information.
Healthcare Transparency in Coverage.
Disconnected
Unable to connect to live update server, attempting reconnection. If this persists, please try refreshing your browser.
Disconnected state indicated by at top of page. If you cannot see this icon, you are connected.
Rock Island Auction Company
Hello.
Please Log In, or .

Home
Auctions
Consignment
Latest
FAQ
About us

  • /Auctions...
  • /Catalog...
  • /Lot 96

Lot 96:Framed Letter Signed by Peter Maxwell of Fort Sumner, New Mexico

August 23rd, 2024|Bedford, TX
  • /Auctions...
  • /Catalog...
  • /Lot 96

Lot 96:Framed Letter Signed by Peter Maxwell of Fort Sumner, New Mexico

August 23rd, 2024|Bedford, TX
Price Realized:
Login to viewLogin to view
Price obfuscated
Estimated Price$1,500 - $2,500
Log In to use Wishlists
Share

Framed Letter Signed by Peter Maxwell of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, Friend of Billy the Kid and Witness to His Death

This is a very rare letter signed by Peter Maxwell on June 1, 1884. The letter itself deals with the selling of wool. Maxwell was the son of western land baron Lucien Maxwell. At his home in Fort Sumner, he managed his family's ranch and was associated with Billy the Kid who hid out there after being sentenced to hang for his part in the Lincoln County War and killing to lawmen during his escape. The Kid may have been in a relationship with Maxwell's sister Paulita. Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett came to his home searching for the outlaw and was in the Peter Maxwell's room when Billy the Kid entered after midnight on July 14, 1881. Aside from Garrett himself, Maxwell was the only witness. The young outlaw had a knife and a revolver, and asked who was there in Spanish before Garrett shot twice from close range, one shot fatally hitting the outlaw near his heart. He was soon dead. Given the bounty, his past killings of lawmen, and the fact that he was armed, Garrett's shooting of Billy the Kid was quickly deemed justifiable homicide. The news spread like wildfire across the region and then the nation. Thus, Maxwell's name appeared in the papers around the country in late July 1881 in the reports of the end of the "career" of Billy the Kid. The document is secured in 21 1/2 by 15 3/4 inch frame and measures 5 by 7 3/4 inches. Provenance: The Thomas Minckler Collection of Western Americana; The Ruidoso River Museum Collection

ConditionVery good with distinct signature and writing, minor wear at the edges, round spots from mounting adhesive, and some scrapes and a pair of screw holes in the frame.
Details
TypeOther
ClassOther

Item LocationBedford, TX
Views2215
Catalog page108
Find MoreRelated Items
Lot 806Federal Laboratories M-29 Gas Billy Club with Box
View Lot
Lot 1201Framed 1849 Dated Handwritten Letter from Samuel Colt
View Lot
Lot 136Framed Colt's Patent Fire Arms "Patches" Advertising Print
View Lot
Lot 269Two Framed Pieces of Scarce Colt Paterson Firearms Advertising
View Lot
Show More