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

Very 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.