A Murder Mystery

Post written and copyrighted by Doris McCraw

Most people think Colorado Springs, Colorado was always a nice resort town. The founding fathers didn't allow the manufacture of 'spirits', property owners needed to be of good moral character, and the company also donated land to build churches. After all General Palmer was a Quaker, even though he fought in the Civil War (on the Union side) as had been a POW. The town was all of the above and more.

Helen (Hunt) Jackson and Isabella Bird arrived in late1873. Neither had an instant love with this new town.

Around the same time of the arrival of the two illustrious ladies, there was a death that to this day has not been solved. Below are the 'facts'.

On November 3, 1873 W.H. (Judge) Baldwin met his demise by person or persons unknown. He may even have met that demise by his own actions.

His body was found in the well at Green and Stitzer’s slaughterhouse. After his body was recovered from the well, at 2 PM, it was noted that his pocket had been turned inside out and the money he that had been on his person the night before was missing. His horse was tied to the fence outside and his hat and shoes were found on the floor about five feet from the well. There was a bruise on his face near one eye. Those are the facts reported in the local paper about finding the body.

Here are additional facts which may have some bearing on the Judge Baldwin's death: The water in the well where the body was about five and a half feet deep and the well itself about four feet square.

The night before Baldwin was seen in town said to be intoxicated Others said he was slightly drunk. He said he was going home, which he may have meant his sheep ranch north and east of downtown Colorado Springs in the Templeton Gap area. Baldwin was seen leaving the Billiard Hall with a man name Blondin, but Blondin returned about 2 ½ hours later. Later Blondin was arrested for intoxication, but slipped away around daylight. (In 1873 the city did not have a jail.)

Also in late 1873 there was a movement to drive out all the 'liquor sellers’ in Colorado Springs. One woman after notice of Baldwin's death, wrote to the paper and said the following: 'Baldwin was generous to a fault, children recognized him as a friend but was the victim of a disease.' She also said ” if the vendor of liquor has sons, when he looks at them, let him think of the stop which was made unsteady by his hand, of the brain which was crazed, of the struggle in the bottom of the well… The poor man…was trying to reform”

The Root & Reef saloon had their court case thrown out on November 22. It seemed the witnesses who testified could not remember if the drank in the saloon or not. This was a contentious time in the growth of the new town.

Below is some additional information on the deceased. He was a ‘judge’ by virtue of judging a sheep contest at one of the territorial fairs. When drunk he would stand in the street and give speeches about General Jackson, the laws of the Constitution and the rights of man. After the elections in September of 1973 his new speech was “I’ll tell ye, boys, I’ll tell ya; I worked hard for ye, accordin’ to th’ rights o’ man and th’ laws o’ the Constitution. I’ll tell ye, boys —the New Town’s got it.”

There was also the story that he had been scalped in South America, and was ever ready to show the scar. He arrived in 1868 and started life here as a sheep herder. (Sheep were a major part of the early economy. I'll write more on that in another post). Later that same year he was shot in the leg and head by a band of Indians and left for dead. About four months before his death he had about 1,000 sheep but sold them to buy liquor. He also at the time of his death had a ranch worth about $1,000.

To this day there is speculation as to what really happened that night of November 3, 1873. Many of the facts are probably lost to time. The town was new and trying to establish itself as a wonderful place to live. Was it a conspiracy, murder or just an accident. We may never know, but the story is a fascinating one.

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“Film and Photography on the Front Range” (Regional History Series): Colorado Springs, CO. Pikes Peak Library District 2012