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Colorado's forgotten peace officers

Contributed by: Lenny Ortiz on 2/20/2007

There are fourteen Colorado Correctional Peace Officers who have perished serving the citizens of Colorado since the opening of the Colorado State Penitentiary in 1873. None of these brave men, who died in the line of duty, are enshrined on the Colorado Peace Officer Memorial in Golden. After much effort on the part of Colorado correctional officials to include past executive directors John Suthers and Joe Ortiz, these gentlemen are still not honored among their fellow peace officers.

The Colorado Department of Corrections has the largest number of peace officers in Colorado. Only the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Patrol have lost more officers. A brief biography of each man is provided.

Thomas Tobin

On June 26, 1899, Officer Thomas Tobin was stationed at Bridge Seven, a few miles below Florence, during the hunt for an escaped convict by the name of Charles Nichols. Nichols was serving a life sentence for the murder of the marshal of Victor, Colorado. In the darkness, one of the sheriff's posse shot Tobin in the center of his chest, thinking the man on the bridge was the escapee.

Tobin was brought back to Canon City in a railroad car. He died a few days later on July 4, 1899. It was said that Tom Tobin was "a faithful and efficient officer; prompt, conscientious and reliable in all matters pertaining to his position, and ever ready to respond to the call of duty." Unfortunately, at the time of the tragic accident, no one at the bridge knew that convict Nicholas had been recaptured and returned to the penitentiary.

William C. Rooney

Night Captain William Rooney died at the hands of inmate assailants. He was overpowered and brutally stabbed to death on the evening of January 26, 1900, in the boiler room of the penitentiary. The four inmate trustees, Reynolds, Wagoner, Wallace and Woode were named as the killers. Each was employed in the boiler room. The escaping inmates filled a pail with soapy water and threw it on a belt-driven generator, causing the belt to break free, resulting in total darkness at the prison. They effected their escape over the east wall.

Three of the inmates were captured in the Four Mile Canyon shortly thereafter. The fourth inmate, Reynolds, was captured within 5 days. As Reynolds was being returned to custody by prison officials, local townsmen overpowered the group and took Reynolds to First and Main Streets in Canon City. There, they hanged the inmate. Reynolds was left hanging from an electric light pole until the next day when Warden Hoyt ordered the body to be taken down. Rooney was the first American peace officer killed in the line of duty in the 20th century.

Riot of 1929

The deadly riot of October 3, 1929, at the Colorado State Penitentiary was preceded earlier that summer by a series of riots in two New York prisons and the Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. These riots prompted rumors that an organized effort to disrupt the nation's prison system was underway. The 1929 riot serves as the largest loss of American peace officers within the confines of a prison. The loss of life is shadowed by more famous prison riots at the New Mexico Penitentiary and Attica.

The riots left 8 staff dead. Details of the tragedy indicated that it was the "bloodiest chapter in the history of the Colorado State Prison." Not only were lives lost, but also large sections of the prison were destroyed by fire. It is estimated that over 2,000 rounds of ammunition were fired during the melee. The following officers lost their lives in the line of duty:

Raymond Brown

One of the first officers killed was Raymond Brown, shot from tower #8 by an inmate. Brown was a native of Tennessee and had lived in Canon City for 7 years. He was survived by a wife and stepson.

John J. "Jack" Eeles

At 70, Eeles was one of the oldest officers at the penitentiary and had worked there for over 25 years, hired by Warden Cleghorn. He was a blacksmith in Alamosa prior to moving to Canon City. Officer Eeles was the penitentiary's executioner. Eeles left behind a wife and three children.

Elmer G. Erwin

Officer Erwin died at age 62. A native of Indiana, Erwin had first worked as a guard at the Silver Spruce Camp between Canon City and Salida. Erwin had been married to the former Gladys Bailey, of Cotopaxi. He was an Elk and was said to be "well known about the town, with a large circle of friends."

John W. McClelland

McClelland ran the tailor shop at the prison and had lived in Canon City for 14 years at 621 North Fifth Street. After word of his murder during the riot was received by friends, they mourned his passing, as he was well-liked throughout the community. He left a wife and three children.

Walter Rinker

Walter Rinker was born in Iowa and was 52 years of age when he died during the riot of '29. He was shot in the back; it is believed that death was instantaneous. Rinker was on guard duty on the roof to the administration building at the time he was killed. Officer Rinker lived in a boarding house on Greenwood Avenue and was said to be very popular with his friends. He was survived by brothers who lived at the time in Trinidad and Chandler.

Charles G. Shepherd

Officer Charles G. Shepherd moved from Cripple Creek to Canon City eleven years prior to the riot. At the time of his death, his wife was so ill, it was decided not to immediately inform her of the murder of her husband. Mr. Shepherd was about 45 years of age and was a member of Gate City Camp No. 10, Woodmen to the World of Canon City.

Robert Wiggins

Robert A. Wiggins was about 65 years of age when he was killed during the riot. Wiggins was the prison's blacksmith and had been held hostage since noon on October 2. He was shot by inmates on the evening of October 3 and was dragged outside the prison gates. Later, he was taken to the Holmes hospital, where he died on the operating table a few minutes later.

Myron Goodwin

Myron Goodwin died several days after being shot during the riot. He was 63 years old. Initially, Officer Goodwin was shot through the lung and chest by a bullet from the gun of Danny Daniels, one of the leaders of the outbreak. It was written at the time about Goodwin that quick actions frustrated the convicts' attempt to break for freedom. Goodwin, stationed in tower No. 1 at the southwest corner of the stone wall, was true to prison tradition. He threw away his keys when the attack started and began firing. It was he who shot Jimmy Pardue, the ring leader of the disturbance, fatally wounding him. Prison officials credited Goodwin's promptness in shooting down Pardue with having stopped spread a general break by the 1,200 inmates. Goodwin was survived by a wife and four sons.

Perhaps these words written in the Warden's report to the Colorado Board of Corrections in 1930 say it best: "I wish at this time to commend them for their bravery, loyalty and the supreme sacrifice they made. Their memories will always be held in the deepest reverence and respect by the officials and remaining co-workers."

John B. Russell

Night Captain John B. Russell was killed on June 19, 1913, at a cabin on the outskirts of La Veta, Colorado, by escaped convict Conway Baldwin. Capt. Russell had been sent to La Veta to capture and bring Baldwin back to the penitentiary. In an exchange of gunfire, both the escapee and Captain Russell were killed. Captain Russell had formerly been the marshal at Lamar and was hired by Warden Tynan to assume the important position in Canon City.

Warden Tynan said of Russell: "His friendly disposition and clean, manly qualities of heart and mind endeared him to me. He was a fearless and undaunted officer and was unerring in his duty. He was one of my best men."


Victor McMillin

Victor Bryan McMillin was a correctional farm officer at the time of his death, December 21, 1961. McMillin, age 62, was supervising a crew of three inmates in rebuilding a dam on Mill Ditch about 300 yards east of the Southern Colorado Power Company plant. Unexpectedly, the inmate driving the truck lost control when the bed was raised about a quarter of the way up and the heavy truck toppled over on its side, crushing McMillin.


Marc Perse

Marc Perse tragically lost his life at age 26 as a result of falling 90 feet from a repelling tower during training for the Special Operations Response Team. Perse was a graduate of Central High School in Pueblo and the University of Southern Colorado. He worked at Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility for 3 ½ years prior to his death.


Eric Jason Autobee

Eric Jason Autobee started his career with the Department on February 1, 2001. He was a food service supervisor at the Limon Correctional Facility. Born on August 19, 1979, Eric was a lifetime resident of Pueblo, Colorado. He was a descendent of Charles Autobee, a pioneer who came to Pueblo County in the early 1800s and settled in Avondale. Eric was a 1998 graduate of Pueblo County High School. He received the Pueblo School District 70 MINDS scholarship and received his associate's degree from Pueblo Community College in 2000. On October 18, 2002, Sgt. Autobee sustained a fatal blunt force trauma to the head when he was attacked by an inmate in the food prep area at the Limon Correctional Facility. Sergeant Autobee's killer is on death row for the murder.



Clearly, these peace officers have died serving the citizens of Colorado and deserve the honor of enshrinement. I encourage all Colorado citizens to contact the committee or any elected official prior to the May ceremony. Please visit the memorial site at www.state.co.us/gov_dir/cdps/academy/acmem.htm .
Committee Chairman Donn Kraemer can be contacted at: Colorado Law Enforcement Officers Assn. 6525 W. 52nd Ave., Arvada, CO 80002,or by calling 303-420-4290.

ADDITION: 2.21.07. Thanks to all of you who have read this article... 120 in less than one day. This is a very important venture and I ask that you please call or write the chairman of the committee to show your support for the Colorado peace officers who work in Colorado's toughest neighborhoods... the prisons and jails. If you have questions about these brave men and women, please email me at: lennyortiz@comcast.net



Lenny Ortiz
DSD Retired
CLOEA Life Member


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Lenny Ortiz

Wheat Ridge , CO

Lenny Ortiz has posted 22 stories and 12 comments since joining on 7/27/2006. Lenny Ortiz 's average story rating is 4.68.
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