Gilpin observer., 1904-04-14
DOUBLE MURDER
in RUSSELL GULCH
A. D. Galbraith Tlurders his Wife and Bo.
Guilt
After his Victim Found n
Weeks

Gilpin county was never thrown in
such a turmoil of excitement as last Sat
urday and Sunday, after the finding of
the bodies of Jennie and Donald Gal
brath at their former home in Russell
Gulch. 1t was something awful to think
of and more so to behold. Nothing that
has ever happened in the county has
ever been SO horrible.
Saturday afternoon Mrs. Samuel G.
Hughes aud sister, Miss Emma Cheatley
went to the house formerly occupied by
\. ID. Galbraith and family in Russell
Gulch in order to examine the same, as
she was owner of the premises. The
visit was occasioned by the fact that on
Friday, the day previous, Galbraith had
been arrested in Denver charged with
forging checks in the name OF his former
employer, A. ]. Richardson, and as Mr..
Galbraith owed several months rent, it
was only natural that Mrs. Hughes
should visit the pre rs and see what
he owned. While thefe she threw back
the covers Of the bed and saw the shoes
OF little boy. 1t heightened her and
she Immediately went to her fathers
house and informed them of what she
saw.
Her father, John +. Cheatley and Mr.
Willfred Callicot Immediately proceeded
to the Galbraith residence and upon
turning up the covers on the bed little
f.. l,a1y Of nnna11
Galbraith He had been shot through
the head with ~ caliber revolver.
The coroner was Immediately notified
and he proceeded to Russell. Upon fur
ther examining the bed they found the
body Of Mrs. Galbraith, lying in the bed.
BY this time excitement ran high and
everyone was running for the house.
The bodies were takeE to Harris un
dertaking parlors in Central, where an
autopsy was held on Sunday by DIR. A.
Ashbaugh.
Immediately after findiug the bodies
word was sent to the Rocky Mountain
News in Denver and reporter of that
paper went over to police headquarters
and notified Captain of Detectives
Connoi.
Captain Connor sent for Galbraith and
he broke down and confessed the entire
murder. the account of which we have
copied from the Denver News and Den
yer Post, and which is given in addition
to this story.
1t was tho most cold blooded and
cruel murder that has been committed
in the state for years. The taking of the
innocent lives of wife and mother was
awful enough, but when added to that is
the murder of the little innocent 9-year
old boy, words cannot be found to ex-
press the enormity of the crime.
Galbraith has been in the county for
about six years, coming here to work for
the Cook company at that time, and
about four years ago he was made book
keeper at the Topeka, and when that
mine got into litigation he was appoint
ed Mr.. Richardson's agent here. He al
ways seemed to be pleasant man,
bright, jolly and good natured, although
everyone that he was what is called
''iast," being addicted to gambling and
lust for women. but no one ever
thought he would such thing.
Mrs. Galbraith was Il most lovable
woman, and although she never neigh
bored much, yet she was we'll liked and
thought much OF by all. The little boy
was a bright lad, and in all OF our busi-
ness relations it always seemed that Gal
braith thought the world Of both, but
we find that man who might have had
the respect and confidence of one and all,
now occupying murderer's cell, and
with the grave charge of answering for
the lives Of trustful wife and a loving
child. and all this on account OF his lust
for women, but more especially for one,
Mrs. Lotto Russell, n beautiful siren,
who led him on and on, and now casts
him of.
The date OF the murder is not def
nitely known, and although Galbraith
SAYS that it was about March 9th, yet
from all the evidence we can secure IL
must have been on or about Februar,
%. The last charge at the market where
they secured meat was made on the 2lst
of February. On Saturday, the 20t ;.
Mrs. Galbraith secured some bread II
Mrs. Nat. Lewis, and told Mrs. l.
that she would want more on Mont
On Monday Mrs. Galbraith did moi os
for the bread, and Mrs. Lewis WEI