The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 55, July 1951 - April, 1952 Page: 73
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Life and Times in Albuquerque, Texas
raged Helm and his friend William E. Sutton to such an extent
that they decided to kill Taylor also.
One night five of the Sutton clan took a bell from one of Pip-
kin's oxen, slipped into his corn field and rang the bell. When
Pipkin arrived to investigate, they shot him. Adding insult to
injury, the gang made an appearance at the funeral. Fortified
with whiskey, the men situated themselves within hearing dis-
tance and fired guns and shouted mockery as Pipkin's body was
lowered into the grave.
Youthful Jim Taylor consoled his mother by swearing venge-
ance upon the bell-ringing murderers; he specifically promised
to "wash his hands in old Bill Sutton's blood." Sutton survived
Helm for a year.
Not all of Albuquerque's rowdyism was fomented by outsiders.
Phil West was shot and killed by W. W. Davis, the carpetbagger
postmaster, as he circled Davis' home on horseback in an impu-
dent manner."" It is alleged, furthermore, that Lycurgus Mc-
Cracken, another localite, beat King Holstein to death with a
sand-filled wallet when he was caught stealing Holstein's hogs.67
Albuquerque was a rough town. That its reputation was widely
known is evident from the fact that Burke's Almanac for 1882
classified it as having a population of five hundred, the largest
town in [sic.] Wilson County. While it is true that within a radius
of a mile or so that figure might have been surpassed, the distinc-
tion for the town proper was erroneous.
As a matter of fact, the bugaboo arising from acts of violence
proved to be a detriment to the town's prosperity. Peace loving
settlers in the trade area began to find the atmosphere of Rancho,
Stockdale, Leesville, and Nockenut more suited to their tastes.
As a young boy, Henry Wiley made a trip to Albuquerque and
states that he had heard so much about the Jack Helm murder
that he "expected to see Wes Hardin jump from every bush along
the way."68
6soigned statement of Karon Smith, September 15, 1950 (MS. in the Archives,
University of Texas Library).
67Letter from C. L. Patterson, January 15, 1950 (MS. in the Archives, University
of Texas Library).
68Signed statement of Henry Wiley, August 15, 1950 (MS. in the Archives,
University of Texas Library).
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 55, July 1951 - April, 1952, periodical, 1952; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101139/m1/95/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.