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After some research, find he is the son of Jonathan Whitaker and Martha Jane (Edwards) Bagby; and nephew of Richard Lewis & Martha Jane (Lindsay) Bagby of Clay Co., Kansas.
Daily Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO
Sunday, 14 Oct. 1883 page 4:1
Deaths and Funerals
The remains of Julius Roenigk and Lewis Bagby, the two men murdered in the Ute pass, will be forwarded to their home in Clay County, Kansas, for interment.
*****
Daily Gazette
Colorado Springs, CO
Wednesday 10 Oct. 1883 page 4:2
A telegram was yesterday morning received from A. Roenigk at Austin, Kansas, saying that Richard Roenigk had started for Colorado Springs to identify,...
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After some research, find he is the son of Jonathan Whitaker and Martha Jane (Edwards) Bagby; and nephew of Richard Lewis & Martha Jane (Lindsay) Bagby of Clay Co., Kansas.
Daily Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO
Sunday, 14 Oct. 1883 page 4:1
Deaths and Funerals
The remains of Julius Roenigk and Lewis Bagby, the two men murdered in the Ute pass, will be forwarded to their home in Clay County, Kansas, for interment.
*****
Daily Gazette
Colorado Springs, CO
Wednesday 10 Oct. 1883 page 4:2
A telegram was yesterday morning received from A. Roenigk at Austin, Kansas, saying that Richard Roenigk had started for Colorado Springs to identify, if possible, the bodies found in Ute Pass last Saturday. The telegram says that Roenigk and Bagby have not been heard from since their disappearance one year ago last spring. Richard Roenigk will reach this city this morning and an inquest will probably be held either today or tomorrow.
*****
Julius and Bagby were taken back by Julius' twin brother, Richard Roenigk to Kansas for burial in the Lincoln, Clay County, Kansas cemetery.
Articles about Julius Roenigk and Lewis Bagby in the 1883 "Gazette Telegraph" newspaper from Colorado Springs.
Saturday, October 13, 1883 Weekly Gazette Telegraph Colorado Springs, CO
Coroner's Inquest:
Over the two bodies found in Ute Pass last Saturday,
The Remains identified as those of Roenigk and Bagby,
Evidence Conclusive that they were foully murdered.
On Wednesday noon Richard Roenigk accompanied by J. F. Allen, sheriff of Trego County, Kansas, arrived in the City in response to the telegram sent them from the Gazette office to identify if possible the remains of the two murdered men found in the bed of Fountain Creek at the upper end of Ute Pass on Saturday last. Mr. Allen is the gentlemen who in January last in company with Richard Roenigk visited Colorado Springs in search of information regarding the missing men, Roenigk and Bagby. Immediately upon arrival they examined the remains and although they expressed no opinion at the time it was plainly evident that they were fully convinced that the bodies were those of the two missing men. They expressed a desire that the inquest be deferred for a day or so until they could visit the locality where the remains were found, but as it turned out to be so stormy and disagreeable yesterday morning they abandoned the trip and concluded to go ahead with the inquest. Coroner Perkins accordingly summoned a jury composed of Ainsworth Brown, A.J. Bletso, H.S. Caldwell, Clark Lawton, E.S. Joslyn and H.P. Scott. The jury after viewing the remains at the undertaking rooms of Hallett & Baker, adjourned to the court room. Mr. Ainsworth Brown was selected foreman of the jury, and on motion Mr. A. G. Draper was requested to act as clerk, it being deemed necessary by the jury to have one with a view to taking down the testimony in full.
Richard Roenigk,
the first witness, being sworn, testified that he was a resident of Clay COunty, Kansas, and 26 years of age. About April 1st, 1882, he and his brother were at Alma, Colorado, and owned three teams, one of which they sold to Lewis Bagby. Through the summer they worked at anything they could get to do. Later he sold his team and went prospecting. The last time he saw his brother was on the 20th (30th) day of August, when in company with Lewis Bagby started from Alma by way of Ute Pass for Pueblo, Colorado, where they wanted to get work, and if they did not succeed expected to go on to their home in Clay County, Kansas. About a week before leaving Alma his brother sent notes amounting to $140 ($40) to his home, not knowing whether he would remain at Alma long or not. It was the intention of his brother to write home if he stopped at any place long enough to get a reply back. Witness said that soon after September 20th, 1882, he left Alma to return to his home in Clay County, Kansas, expecting to find his brother there, but as he did not he became alarmed, and on the 20th of November sent out a lot of postal cards with a description of the missing men, his brother and Louis (Lewis) Bagby, and asking for information. Not hearing anything he, on January 19th, 1883, left for Alma, Colorado, to institute a search. He ascertained from a Mr. Hall at Alma, who was personally acquainted with his brother and Bagby, that he had seen them with their teams in the vicinity of the Junction house in Ute Pass. A few miles cast (past) of this house Mr. Lay, who had previously known Lewis Bagby at Fisher's Mill, saw them driving past his residence in company with another teamster, which was the last trace of the two men. He received word the other day to come to Colorado Springs and examine some remains that had been found. He had examined the remains, and from the clothes and color of hair on the heads was confident they were the remains of his brother and Lewis Bagby. He also judged that the remains of one were those of his brother from the shape of the skull and portion of teeth on the lower jaw. His brother's height was five feet, nine or ten inches. Bagby was about six feet high, and had very curly black hair. His brother had about $65, and Bagby some $50 in their possession when they left Alma, and their teams were worth about $300 each. His brother the evening before he left Alma drew his money from the London mining company. His brother also had a 44-caliber, center-fire Winchester rifle and a 32 caliber rim-fire Remington revolver, a side of harness leather and some harness maker's tools. His team had no brands and his wagon was a 3?? inch covered, of Smith manufactured, had been used about two years. Bagby's wagon was of unknown make and rather badly used up. Both of the men had good characters, and neither of them was in the habit of gambling. His brother and Bagby had been friends for some time, and had been brought up together in Clay County. They had never made any enemies nor had any trouble with any one, and there was no reason for their not wanting to come back to Kansas.
J. F. Allen was the next witness sworn, and his testimony was substantially as follows: "I am 36 years years old, reside at Wa Keeney, Trego County, Kansas; am sheriff of Trego County, also member of the Rocky Mountain Detective association of Denver. Left Denver, Colorado, on the 17th of January, 1883, for Alma, Colorado, to look for Lewis Bagby and Julius Roenigk. I picked up what evidence I could in Alma. I there saw Mr. Hall, who said that he had met these men with their teams at or near the Junction house in the Ute Pass. I went to Junction house, reaching there on January 22d; staid all night and next morning continued the search. I stopped at a cabin occupied by three men. One of them said he had been acquainted with Lewis Bagby, and saw the men pass there in August, 1882, and had a conversation with them. "They asked him if they could get work at Fisher's or any of the other mills, and he told them the mills were well supplied with men. They, Bagby and Roenigk, said that if they did not get work they thought some of going to Oregon. They then left there. The next trace I got was from a teamster at Bean's mill named Mr. Lay. He said these men he remembered passed there on the 23d of August. From the description given me at that time to work on I am convinced that the remains found are those of the missing men, Roenigk and Bagby; have not the least doubt of it. I have made diligent search and inquiry in Manitou for the teams and wagons, but have been unable to find them. At the conclusion of Mr. Allen's testimony adjournment was taken until 2 p.m.
Dr. E. C. Kimball,
who made a thorough examination of the bodies, testified as follows: "I am a practicing physician and surgeon in Colorado Springs. Both parties whose remains I have seen were shot and death was the result of the shooting. I think the remains had lain from one to one and a half years; certainly not four years. It is very probable that neither of the men knew what hurt him, and I think both were shot while asleep. One was from 20 to 25 years old, the other from 30 to 40 apparently. I have taken measurements of the right thigh bone of both remaines and should say that the height of the men was between 5 feet 10 inches and six feet respectively.
L. J. Tell
Submitted testimony as follows: I visited the place where the bodies were found on Saturday, October 6th. In company with the coroner's party. Mr. Childs joined us, and showed where the remains were about a mile above Ellerick's mill. When we began the search for the remains, Dr. Davis, of Manitou, went on the south side of the creek. Dr. Davis notified us that he had discovered them by shouting "Here he is." I rode over and saw part of the body lying on the bank of the creek. It seemed to be the part of a man from the waste up, lying face upward. It had one arm missing and had on a blue cashmere shirt. I examined the body for bullet holes in the breast, but found no indications. In looking further up the creek I found a piece of blue denim overshirt, with pocket, which contained a string and piece of paper. While we were examining, Dr. Davis had gone further up the creek, and again announced another discovery of bones. I went up and viewed a skull on the ground and some bone sticking out of the river bank. The skull had a patch of light hair on the right side and a small round hole on the left side near the top. More bones were dug out of the bank with which were found part of a pair of pants, pretty rotten. Dr. Davis then found the pockets and extracted from them some money, keys, knife, etc. I should think that the bodies had been laid on the bank and covered with dirt. The skull with light hair was found near the body. Mr. Tell's testimony was somewhat fuller than the above, but the facts of the finding of the bodies were given in detail in the Gazette last Sunday.
Coroner Perkins,
at the request of the jury, made a statement as to the finding of the second body. Mr. Tell not being present at the time. He said that after digging some time a portion of the remains of a second person were found lying by the side of those first described. These appeared to be the remains of a younger person. There was a tuft of black hair on the side of the skull and a bullet hole through the base of the brain. He said he thought the articles found (referring to the bunch of keys, knife, and silver coin, introduced into evidence) were taken from the clothes of the remains last discovered.
The testimony being concluded with Mr. Perkins' statement, the jury, after some deliberation brought in the following verdict:
State of Colorado,
County of El Paso,
An Inquisition holden at Colorado Springs, in the County of El Paso, on the 11th day of October, 1883, before E. G. Perkins, coroner of said county, upon the dead bodies of Julius Roenigk and Lewis Bagby, lying there dead, by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed, the said jurors, upon their oaths do say:
That said Lewis Bagby and Julius Roenigk came to their death from gun or pistol shot wounds by the hand of some person or persons unknown to the jurors, and that we, the jurors, from the evidence introduced, having found beyond a doubt that the persons above named and identified as Julius Roenigk and Lewis Bagby have been foully murdered, a crime most heinous under the laws of the state of Colorado and the United States of America, and as the murderers are to the jury unknown, we therefore recommend that the governor of Colorado be requested to offer a reward of $1,000 and the commissioners of El Paso County a reward of $500 for the apprehension and conviction of the murderer or murderers, whoever they may be; also further suggest that the officers of El Paso County exercise all due dilegence in bringing the criminal or criminals to justice.
In testimony whereof the said jurors hereunto set their hands the day and year aforesaid.
Ainsworth Brown,
H. P. Scott,
A. J. Bletso,
H. S. Caldwell,
E. S. Joslyn,
Clark Lawton,
E. G. Perkins, Coroner
(Thanks to Ann Bowler for these articles) |
