Early Life
Little is known about Lee's life prior to his moving to New Mexico from Texas with his mother. His marksmanship even at an early age is mentioned in "The Fabulous Frontier" (ISBN 0-8263-0621-7). Lee worked as a Deputy US Marshal before turning to ranching. He was described in "Tularosa: Last of the Frontier West" (ISBN 978-0826305619) as "magnificently muscled, straight as a young pine, catlike in his coordination". "He had his mother's piercing black eyes which seemed to bore into you, and a chin like the rock of Gibralter, but he always spoke softly." (A description of him at the age of 19.)
"Oliver Lee would turn a man off quicker for abusing a horse than for any other reason." (Sonnichen.
"Dee Harkey in his "The Life of a New Mexico Lawman - Mean as Hell" (ISBN 0-941270-60-2) stated he had many dealings with Oliver Lee and "so far as I know or ever heard, he always dealt on the square." Nevertheless, it was not long before a range war of the Lincoln County type began to fester.
Read more about this topic: Oliver Lee (New Mexico)
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