WAS IT MURDER?

Post copyright 2015 by Doris McCraw/Angela Raines

On the night of Friday, February 7, 1879, Joseph Ward shot Lafayette Shideler. Shideler died ten hours later as a result of the shot. So what happened? Was it Murder like the above headline from rhe Gazette said? Reporting was and maybe still is about headlines.

According to the papers, Shideler and two other young friends had gone to the Ward house. Knocking on the door around 10pm saying they had $2.00 Ward and where was his woman. When Ward said she'd gone to Leadville that morning the three retorted "that's too dammed thin". Ward then told them to come back in the morning. At that point someone threw something at the door, breaking one of the panels. Ward got his gun, and getting down on one knee fired through the broken panel at the three as they were running away.

The case came to trial, with allegations that Ward's wife was a prostitute. There were also two children in the house that night, a daughter and a son. The daughter testified at her father's trial and basically told the same story as her father. Ward, was found guilty of manslaughter and spent two years in the Territorial Prison in Canon City, Colorado.

What makes this story so fascinating? Well, in 1879 Ward appears to have been pictured as a fairly decent fellow. They pictured him as someone who was protecting his home. They talk about how Shideler brought his death on himself by his actions. By 1885 the paper paints a different picture. They talk about how he was not an 'enviable character'. That the sheriff had detected him coming from the brush with a horse to make his escape. (A completely different story from the one told in 1879). The 1885 version had the local town folks gathering to lynch Ward. They go on to say, that instead of learning his lesson in prison, he went to Leadville, 'where he was joined by his disreputable wife, who had placed him behind bars'. In 1885 this same story tells of his demise in Gunnison County Colorado on the road leading to Green River.  His horse had two bullets in it, and Ward's body 'had been shot five times, and his body was completely riddled with bullets'. The final line of the 1885 article, " Thus another Colorado outlaw was a record takes his departure."

The final reason this story of Joe Ward keeps me coming back to the research, there were actually three Joe Wards, all 'criminals' operating in Colorado at the same time. Two were in prison at the same time, with a third not too far behind. I have found no photos of the Joe Ward who shot Shideler. There was also a Joe Ward in Igeria Park, near Steamboat Springs, who was more than a bit violent. The third was a thief working out of Pueblo, Colorado. Some day I hope to find and read the trial manuscript, if it still exists. Locate and find out where each of the three Wards are buried and any data I can find.

Unused  Guard Tower at the Territorial Prison

This story, along with research on the Territorial Prison, built in 1874, prior to Colorado becoming a state, were the nuggets that helped me conceive the upcoming novella from Prairie Rose Publications.

In my upcoming novella "Angel of Salvation Valley", the hero has been incarcerated unjustly and kept in solitary. He makes a bargain to earn his release. His bargain, kill the woman who owns Salvation Valley.

A brief excerpt:

"What do you say, Carson?" Luke asked with a smile.

Andrew 'Drew' Carson stared at the man. Here was the break he had been praying for, or would have, if he were the praying kind. He looked at the stone walls around him, inhaled the musty smell of decay. Not just the decay smell of the buildings, but the decay of a soul, of hopes and dreams. Three long years he had dreamed of leaving this prison. But the cost, it seemed high and Luke was too smooth.

"Why the hesitation? You want out of here don't you?"

"Of course," Drew answered, cautious of the well–dressed man opposite him. The differences between the two were striking. Drew knew he smelled of old sweat and dirt. Luke was polished, smelling of bay rum and another scent Drew couldn't quite place, but recognized from somewhere.

"Then what is the hold up, if you will pardon the term?" The question came with a slight smile, a quick wink.

Drew cringed. He was here because they said he held up a stage and killed two of the passengers along with the guard, and wounded the driver.  

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Doris also writes haiku which is posted on the blog:
http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com


Home for His Heart: http://bitly.com/1Ibnw5U



Cowboy Celebraton: http://bitly.com/1MiguNL

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.

To follow my haiku: http://fivesevenfivepage.blogspot.com 

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