Tom Pickett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1858 |
| Died | May 14, 1934(1934-05-14) (aged 75–76) Winslow, Arizona, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Cowboy, cattle rustler, professional gambler, lawman, bartender, prospector, cowhand, stage driver |
| Spouse | Catherine Kelly |
Tom Pickett (1858 – May 14, 1934) was a 19th-centuryAmericancowboy,professional gambler and, as both alawman andoutlaw at various points in his life, was an associate ofDave Rudabaugh and laterBilly the Kid.
Born inClarksville,Red River County, Texas, Pickett began rustling cattle as a teenager growing up inDecatur 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 outlawDave Rudabaugh and traveled with him to theNew Mexico Territory after being indicted inCooke County for cattle rustling in 1879.[1] He served as apeace officer for theDodge City Gang inLas Vegas until the two were run out of town after Rudabaugh killed a deputy sheriff.
He later had a brief stint as town marshal ofGolden, New Mexico. However, he was later run out of town by alynch mob in 1882. Living in Mexico for a time, he was one of several men who were charged with the murders of four Mexicans atSeven Rivers, New Mexico on January 8, 1884, although he managed to avoid arrest.
He settled inHolbrook, Arizona 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 deputyU.S. Marshal.
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.[2] He died ofnephritis at the age of 76 inWinslow, Arizona on May 14, 1934.
