Albert Jennings Fountain (October 23, 1838 - February 1, 1896) was a lawyer, Indian fighter, and Republican politician in Texas and New Mexico. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America.
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Early life, military service and career
Fountain was born on Staten Island, New York on 23 October 1838 to Solomon Jennings and his wife Catherine de la Fontaine. Staten Island (ˌstætənˈaɪlənd is a borough of New York City situated primarily on the island of the same name Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common He went to California as a young man and began calling himself by an Anglicised version of his mother's family name. (Accounts differ as to why he did so. ) He studied law in California, but never took the bar examination. In August 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was commissioned an officer. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South He took part in the Union conquest of the Confederate Territory of Arizona as part of the California Column. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 The Territory of Arizona was an Organized territory of the United States that existed between 1863 and 1912 The California Column, a force of nearly 2000 Union volunteers marched from April to August 1862 over 900 miles from California, across the southern New Mexico In October 1862 he married Mariana Perez of Mesilla. Mesilla is also a spider genus ( Anyphaenidae) Mesilla is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States They would become the parents of 5 sons and 4 daughters.
Discharged as a captain at the war's end, Fountain settled in El Paso, Texas, working for the United States Property Commission, which investigated and disposed of former Confederate property. He performed so well that he was made the Customs Collector for the El Paso region. He was next appointed an election judge and finally the Assessor and Collector of Internal Revenue for the Western District of Texas.
In 1869 he won a seat in the Texas Senate in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Texas Legislatures. The Texas Senate is the Upper house of the Texas Legislature. The Twelfth Texas Legislature met from 8 February 1870 to 2 December 1871 in four sessions — provisional called regular and adjourned The Thirteenth Texas Legislature met from 14 January to 4 June 1873 in its regular session Fountain was elected as President pro tempore (also serving as Lieutenant Governor ex officio, since that office was vacant) during the second session of the Twelfth Legislature. The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the United States of America.
Fountain’s Radical Republican views angered Texas Democrats, and he was challenged to several duels, killing at least one man, Frank Williams, because of them. The Radical Republicans is a term applied to a loose faction of American politicians within the Republican party from about 1854 (before the American Civil War The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. These same views may have also lead to his disappearance and presumed murder. At the time of Fountain's slaying, he was prosecuting suspected cattle rustlers, and land-grabbers, specifically Oliver M. Lee, and he found himself at odds with Lee's associate, corrupt attorney Albert Fall. Albert Bacon Fall (November 26 1861 &ndash November 30 1944 was a United States Senator from New Mexico and the Secretary of the Interior under
In 1873 Fountain decided to move back to his wife's home of Mesilla, New Mexico. He became a lawyer in Mesilla, using his fluent Spanish to good advantage in jury trials. He was appointed assistant district attorney and would also serve as probate judge and a deputy court clerk. A militia officer in the wars with the Apaches, he reached the rank of colonel and would be called by that rank for the remainder of his life.
Fountain became a leading figure in the Republican Party in New Mexico, serving a term in the state legislature. Unfortunately, he would acquire numerous political enemies, which probably was the reason behind his mysterious disappearance.
Disappearance and (probable) murder
On 1 February 1896, Fountain and his eight-year-old son Henry disappeared near the White Sands on the way to their home in Mesilla, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year For the 1992 motion picture see White Sands (film. White Sands is a Census-designated place (CDP in Doña Ana County, Las Cruces is the second most populous city in New Mexico, the County seat of Doña Ana County, and a United States Metropolitan Statistical Area All that was discovered were Fountain’s buckboard, several empty cartridge casings, his cravat and papers, and two pools of blood. The cravat is a neckband the forerunner of the modern tailored Necktie and Bow tie. The only sign of Henry was a blood drenched handkerchief with two powder-blackened coins, the handkerchief still carefully knotted in one corner. Missing were the victim's bodies, a blanket, a quilt, and Fountain's Winchester rifle.
Some alleged that outlaw "Black Jack" Ketchum and his gang were involved in the killings. An outlaw or bandit is a person living the lifestyle of outlawry; the word literally means "outside the Law " by folk-etymology from the original Thomas Edward Ketchum ( October 31 1863 &ndash April 26 1901) also known as "Black Jack" was at first an ordinary Cowboy However, most believed that the disappearances could be attributed to a man closer to home. Oliver M. Lee, a noted New Mexico gunman, rancher, cattle rustler, outlaw, and part-time Deputy U.S. Marshal, as well as his employees Jim Gililland and William "Billy" McNew were suspected of the slayings. A ranch is an area of landscape including various structures given primarily to the practice of ranching the practice of raising grazing livestock such as Cattle An outlaw or bandit is a person living the lifestyle of outlawry; the word literally means "outside the Law " by folk-etymology from the original Lee and Gililland were pursued by lawman Pat Garrett and a posse, and they engaged Garrett and his men in a gun battle near Alamogordo. Patrick "Pat" Floyd Garrett ( June 5, 1850 &ndash February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman Bartender Posse comitatus refers to the Common law authority wielded by the County Sheriff to conscript any able-bodied male eighteen or older to assist Alamogordo is a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States of America. Deputy Sheriff Kurt Kearney was killed, and Garrett and his posse retreated. Lee and Gililland later surrendered to other lawmen. They were defended by Albert Fall, and were acquitted of participation in the Albert Jennings Fountain case. Albert Bacon Fall (November 26 1861 &ndash November 30 1944 was a United States Senator from New Mexico and the Secretary of the Interior under In Criminal law, an acquittal is a verdict of not guilty, or some similar end of the proceeding that terminates it with prejudice without a verdict
Lee's involvement in the case, as well as Fall's, did go deeper than the acquittal would reflect. Due to his land ownings, Fountain was a powerful rival to land owners Lee and Albert Fall. In their employ were smalltime gunmen Billy McNew and Jim Gililland. Fall was well known to have hated Fountain. Fall's association with Oliver Lee began when Fall assisted Lee during a criminal case. If law enforcement officials closed in, Fall dealt with the legal issues.
Fountain, however, showed little fear of the Fall/Lee faction, and challenged them openly in the courts as well as in the political arena. Many factors indicated that Lee was involved in the disappearance and murder of Fountain. The bodies of Fountain and his young son were never found, which hampered prosecution. Albert Fall defended all three of the men who were eventually charged with the crime of killing Henry Fountain (Albert's son). Charges were never filed for the killing of Albert. They were Oliver Lee, Jim Gililland, and Billy McNew. Charges against McNew were dismissed, while Lee and Gililland were acquitted. The end result of their prosecution, more than anything else, hinged on there being no body. [1]
See also
- Texas Senate
- Twelfth Texas Legislature
- Thirteenth Texas Legislature
- Missing person
- List of people who have disappeared
- San Elizario Salt War[1]
- Thomas B. Catron
Notes
- ^ Ollie Reed, Jr. The Texas Senate is the Upper house of the Texas Legislature. The Twelfth Texas Legislature met from 8 February 1870 to 2 December 1871 in four sessions — provisional called regular and adjourned The Thirteenth Texas Legislature met from 14 January to 4 June 1873 in its regular session The San Elizario Salt War, also known as the Salinero Revolt or The El Paso Salt War, was an 1877 conflict between the Mexican inhabitants of San Elizario Thomas Benton Catron ( October 6 1840 &ndash May 15 1921) was an American Politician and Lawyer who was influential of the Albuquerque Tribune in an article on 25 May 2001 refers to the fact that in 1900, charred bones were found in an unmarked grave in the Sacramento Mountains. The Albuquerque Tribune was an afternoon Newspaper in Albuquerque New Mexico, founded in 1922 by Carlton Cole Magee as Magee's Independent Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Sacramento Mountains are a Mountain range in the south-central part of the U The killings may have been carried out by outlaw Tom “Black Jack” Ketchum. Thomas Edward Ketchum ( October 31 1863 &ndash April 26 1901) also known as "Black Jack" was at first an ordinary Cowboy Reed quotes Tribune reporter Howard Bryan as saying if Ketchum did the killings he did it for hire, but does not say who may have hired him. Contract killing occurs when a private contractor or a government hires someone to kill a specific person or people for a sum of money Mr. Reed's source for the Ketchum connection is Bryan and Bryan’s book "True Tales of the American Southwest" 1998, Clear Light Publishers. Mr. Bryan mentions the bones in an 22 April 1965 Albuquerque Tribune column in which he writes about A. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. M. Gibson's book "The Life and Death of Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain. " 1965 University of Oklahoma Press.
- ^ Issue of Albert Jennings Fountain: Albert (December 1863), Marianita (1865), Edward (1868), Maggie (1871), Thomas (1873), John A. (1876), Fannie, Catarina, and Henry (1888) Fountain.
References
- Gibson, A. M. , The Life and Death of Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965)
- Recko, Corey, Murder on the White Sands: The Disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain, (Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2007)
- 1880-1910 United States Federal Census
Further reading on Fountain's life and death
- Gibson, A. M. , The Life and Death of Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1965)
- Owen, Gordon, The Two Alberts: Fountain and Fall, (Las Cruces: Yucca Tree Press, 1996)
- Recko, Corey, Murder on the White Sands: The Disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain, (Denton: University of North Texas Press, 2007)
- Sonnichsen, C. L. , Tularosa: The Last of the Frontier West, (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1960)
Notes
External links
- Albert Jennings Fountain from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Borderlands
- Albert Jennings Fountain at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2008-02-14
- Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain Timeline
- For further reading on the Fountain disappearance, see this "Murder Most Foul" at DesertUSA. The Handbook of Texas (ISBN 0-87611-151-7 is a comprehensive Encyclopedia of Texas geography history and historical persons published by the Texas Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German com.
- "The Fountain Murders: Sites Today"
| Preceded by William B. Knox |
Texas State Senator from District 30 (El Paso) 1870–1874 |
Succeeded by William H. Russell |
| Preceded by David Webster Flanagan |
President pro tempore of the Texas Senate 1871 |
Succeeded by David Webster Flanagan |
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