George Washington Bainbridge was born on 30. Sep. 1847 at Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois. He was the son of
John William Bainbridge and
Susanna Van Kirk. George Washington Bainbridge married
Mary Elizabeth Thatcher, daughter of
William Joseph Thatcher and
Elizabeth White, on 10. Jan. 1884 at Covington, Fountain County, Indiana. George Washington Bainbridge was shown in the census on 12. Jun. 1900 as a stationary engineer.
George Washington Bainbridge and
Mary Elizabeth Thatcher appeared on the census of 12. Jun. 1900 at Denver, Denver County, Colorado; 10 children, 7 living. George Washington Bainbridge died on 4. Jul. 1908 at Platteville, Weld County, Colorado, at age 60; shot and killed by his son in law C. J. Phillips.
(Source: Greeley Tribune, July 6, 1908):
"C. J. PHILLIPS OF PLATTEVILLE SHOOTS FATHER-IN-LAW
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"George Bainbridge, Loses Life in a Family Quarrel Near Platteville on Afternoon of July 4th
"George Bainbridge, head of the family dead; Jesse Thatcher, his brother-in-law, in the county hospital with a gunshot wound in one hand and a badly battered head; C. J. Phillips, son-in-law of Bainbridge, in the county jail, and may be charged with the murder of his father-in-law, is the summing up of a Fourth of July tragedy that occurred on the A. T. Lycan farm near Platteville last Saturday afternoon. "The tragedy was the finish to a family quarrel, between Bainbridge, Thatcher, and Jack Bainbridge, son of George Bainbridge on the one side and Phillips on the other, with the young wife of Phillips as the bone of contention. "C. J. Phillips and his wife, the latter between sixteen and seventeen years of age, were married May 23 of this year (1908) and went to live on the Lycan farm near Platteville. It is said that the young wife had written a letter to her parents complaining of the hard work she was obliged to do. Saturday, July 4, Bainbridge, Thatcher and young Bainbridge went to the Phillips home, it is said to take the young wife away with them. A quarrel quickly followed and it is said young Bainbridge drew a revolver. "Phillips is then said to have run into the house and secured a shot gun. When he returned to the outside, and he saw the elder Bainbridge forcibly dragging Mrs. Phillips away, he opened fire, and shot and almost instantly killed his father-in-law. Thatcher, who attempted to take the shot gun away from the enraged husband was struck over the head with the weapon and also wounded in the hand by a charge of shot. Young Bainbridge, seeing the fate of his father and uncle, started on a run and gave the alarm. "Phillips submitted to arrest by the Platteville Officers without trouble. Coroner Macy and Sheriff Florance were called at once, and they made the trip in an auto returning about midnight bringing with them Phillips, who was locked in the county jail, and Thatcher, who was taken to the hospital." "The dead man was about 60 years of age (actually, more like 50-jakc) and Thatcher was 50 (I'm checking into his stats now-jakc). Phillips is about 25 years old. "The inquest into the death of George Bainbridge was held before Coroner Macy Monday afternoon and the jury brought in a verdict of felonious killing. "The most damaging evidence against C. J. Phillips, the alleged slayer of the old man, was given by the young wife of Phillips. She testified that her father was not dragging her away from the house, as was alleged, but that she was standing with her hands on his shoulder, pleading with him to go away to avoid trouble between him and her husband. She heard a warning call from inside the house, to "look out" and the next instant the report of the gun which killed her father. "The whole charge of shot struck Bainbridge right over the heart, and left nearly 300 shot in his body. For all of that he spoke to the daughter saying, 'It is all up with me, Lulu; take care of those little sisters.' With that he sank from his daughter's arms to the ground, and was dead. "The shot was fired through the window screen from the inside of the house. "Phillip's mother was also at the inquest and testified that she heard the visitors, the two Bainbridges and Jesse Thatcher, brother-in-law of the elder Bainbridge make threats against her son. "The jury was composed of J. A. Woodbury, P. A. Tisdel, Eugene Abott, Lewis Miller, John Irons and I. I. Wyatt.