Christopher Baine was born about 1832 in Dublin, Ireland—possibly to Lawrence and Ellen Bain. It is not known when he immigrated to the United States but, by 1860, he was living in Sacramento, California, and working as a wheelwright and wagon-maker. Several newspaper articles attest to the fact that, while living in Sacramento, Baine was a member of the city’s fire department. He served in Engine Company #2.
Baine was in Arizona City (now Yuma), Arizona, in
1868, when he married Jesus Dominguez Esquer, born 1844. At the time
of the marriage, Jesus Dominguez already had a little daughter named Maria Cruz
by her previous relationship with Donaciano Cruz. With Baine, she
had a daughter Guadalupe, born 1869, a daughter Emilia, born 1871, a son
Thomas/Tomás, born 1873, a daughter Sarah, born in 1875, and a daughter
Juanita, born in 1879.
The Baine family’s life in Yuma was thrown into
turmoil on July 29, 1879, when Baine shot and killed his brother-in-law,
Antonio Ruiz, who was married to Jesus’s sister. At about 1 AM,
Ruiz, drunk, appeared at the Baines’ house, from which he had been ejected a
month before. When told to leave, he did, but returned a few hours
later. Baine, fearing that Ruiz had come back with a gun, again
ordered him to leave. When Ruiz advanced instead, Baine fired four
times. Ruiz died several hours later.
Baine immediately turned himself in to the
sheriff. The grand jury set his bail at $1000. It does
not appear, however, that Baine was charged with anything beyond defending his
home from an intruder.
There is more to this story! Baine is buried in City Loosley. Come find out more about him at the Pioneer
and Military Memorial Park!
-By Donna Carr
No comments:
Post a Comment