He was a son of Joseph Allen Russell and Mary Caroline Brown Russell, both of Haywood Co., NC.

Denver Post, Thurs. June 12, 1913 Front page - Officer, Shot In Heart, Fatally Wounds Convict Before He Falls Dead -- Two Fight Duel in Darkened House When Escaped Criminal Is Cornered. -- Remarkable Grit of John B. Russell Keeps Him On Feet While Firing Gun.--Conley Baldwin Ambushes Posse in his home -- Hit leader Leans on Deputy and Sends Two Bullets into his slayer.

LaVeta, CO, June 12. - In a revolver duel at daylight this morning, in which his opponent was concealed behind heavy curtains in a darkened room, John B. Russell, 45, night captain of the guards at the state penitentiary in Canon City, was shot through the heart and killed, while his slayer, Conley Baldwin, an escaped convict, received two bullets in the abdomen, inflicting wounds that will prove fatal. Captain Russell dropped dead immediately after shooting Baldwin.

The duel took place in the old Baldwin home, in the Mexican section of La Veta, and was witnessed by Deputy Sheriffs Charles Harriman, Alexander Yound and RV Cutler of Huerfane county and the 23 year old Mexican wife of Baldwin. It is the second of its kind in Colorado wherein an officer, after being shot through the heart, lived long enough to shoot the man who killed him.

Russel Send To Recapture Convict.
Russell arrived here at 3 o'clock this morning and was met at the train by Deputies Harriman, Cutler and Young, who previously had been requested to assist him. The four officers reached the Baldwin home just at dawn and while Deputies Cutler and Young took positions that commanded a view of all of the side and rear windows and doors, Russell and Harriman rapped on the front door for admittance. Baldwin's wife opened a window and demanded what they wanted. "Your husband is here and we want him", replied Captain Russell. Mrs. Baldwin denied her husband was in the house and refused to open the door. The door was forced open by Russell and Harriman, despite the efforts of Mrs. Baldwin, and when the officers crossed the threshold she tried to strike them. She was pushed to one side by Russell, who, with gun in hand, started toward a rear room which was separated from the front room by a pair of heavy curtains.

Baldwin Fires As The Curtains Are Parted
Harriman walked beside Russell and when the door was reached poked the barrel of his rifle between the curtains so they could see into the room. Just as the curtains were parted Baldwin fired. "My God, Harriman, he has hit me and I am dying!" cried Russell. For a brief instant the wounded man seemed to weaken and his knees bent under him. Then, with a mighty effort, he straightened, grasped the deputy's left arm with his left hand and rested his right arm over the deputy's shoulder. He pointed his gun in the direction from which the flash of Baldwin's gun had come. He pulled the trigger twice. Then the gun dropped from his hand and he fell back dead. The dying officer's aim had been true.
p. 3 (continued) - Prison Guard, Shot Through Heart, Fatally Wounds Escaped Convict
Two Fight Duel in Dark Home When Criminal Is Cornered
Remarkable Grit Keeps Officer on His Feet After Being Hit
At the first shot Baldwin cried out. Following the second shot, the convict jumped through the door, holding his right hand over his abdomen. He surrendered and begged the deputies not to kill him.
Second Shot Pierces Hand Over Wound
At the first shot, which hit him in the abdomen, he had placed his hand over the wound, and when Russell fired the second time the bullet passed throught BAldwin's hand and into his abdomen. Baldwin was not moved from his home, but a strong guard was placed over him. When the firing began Deputies Young and Cutler ran into the house to assist Russell and Harriman, but Russell was dead. That Captain Russell kept control of his mental and physical faculties long enough, after being shot, to fire two bullets at his unseen antagonist is considered marvelous by the three deputies who were with him and by Dr. Lamme of La Veta, ex-coroner of Huerfano county, who was hastily summoned.
Stopped From Firing Only by Death
"Almost any man would have dropped instantly upon receiving such a wound," said Dr. Lamme, "and I cannot understand how Russell remained on his feet and kept his mental faculties together long enough to shoot his man. It showed he was game to the core, for he knew he was dying when he pulled the trigger of his gun twice. Only death stopped him from firing the other bullets in his gun."
It is considered remarkable, also, that neither of the three deputies with Russsell was killed, especially Harriman, who stood partially in front of Russell during the excvhange of shots. Baldwin used a .32 caliber weapon, while Russell had a .45.
Baldwin escaped from the penitentiary gardens Nov 15, last, and headed south. He was trailed without success for months. A few days ago he returned to Huerfano county. News of his return was communicated to Warden Tynan, who assigned Captain Russell to recapture him.
Baldwin, his father and three brothers were sent to the penitentiary for robbing bus cars and receiving stolen goods two or three years ago. They all bore bad reputations and wre suspected of committing most of the robberies in this section of the countyfor years. Captain Russell was formerly town marshal at Lamar. About six weeks ago he was married to a sister of Judge Cooper of Canon City.
Five Baldwin Med Sentenced to Pen At the Same Time
Canon City, CO, June 12 - John Baldwin, together with his four sons, Robert, Conley, Williard and Harold, was convicted in Feb 1912, and was sent to the state penitentiary at Canon City. The charges against the five were burglary, grand larceny and for acting as "fences", or receiving stolen goods.
The sentences were: John Baldwin, three to ten years; Robert, two to ten years; Conley, four to ten years; Willard, five to ten years, and Harold, the same as Willard. They were arrested at La Veta, CO, their home.
Prominent characteristics in the family is the resemblance in the shifty eyes and weak chins. At the time of their arrest physiognomists, in an examination of all, declared that it was not surprising that Conley, who had been convicted in 1908 for a term of from two to seven years, "repeated".
Mrs. Baldwin, who still remains at the old home in La Veta with a 12 year old daughter, declares her family was "railroaded" to the penitentiary despite the fact that over $150 in stolen goods were found in the house.
When the (Baldwin) family was received at the penitentiary, a physiognomist, in a study of the five, said: "The mouth of No. 2 (Conley Baldwin), most like that of the father, shows vicious cruelty and sensuousness, and it is not surprising that he already had been twice convicted of felonies."

Denver Post, Fri, June 13, 1913 - ...It was a tragic closing of a romance which had charmed Canon City, when Captain Russell and Miss Cooper, sister of Judge James L. Cooper of Canon City, were married two months ago. Russell was formerly marshal of Lamar, CO, for fouteen years. A warm friend of Warden TJ Tynan, he was made night captain of the penitentiary four years ago. When he went to capture Baldwin he had just settled in his home after his honeymoon.
Terrible Wound Made By Convict's Bullet.
Dr. Lamme made a post mortem examination of Russell's body yesterday afternoon. He found the fullet Baldwin fired had entered the left arm, four inches below the point of the shoulder, passed through the arm and entered the left side of the body, between the fifth and sixth ribs, pierced both lungs, ruptured the large blood vessels of the heart, passed through the windpipe and emerged through the fifth and sixth ribs on the right side and then had passed through the right arm six inches below the shoulder. It was a .32 caliber steel jacketed bullet. The feeling in La Veta over the murder of Captain Russell was intense all day long and were it not for the fact that Baldwin was known to be dying he would have been in danger of lynching.. Captain Russell is survived by a widow, formerly Miss Anna Cooper of Canon City, whom he married six weeks ago. Mrs. Russell is a sister of County Judge Cooper (James L.) of Fremont county.