Lost into the Sea - The Tragic Story of Agnes Jaycoax

Cypress Point, 1908

I took a trip down the coast of California recently. While I was there admiring the scenery, I thought of a story I began researching a few years back. I had started to work on it, but sat it aside to finish at a later time due to my busy schedule.

The story was of a Sacramento school teacher named Agnes Jaycoax. I had first heard about her on a website where someone mentioned that her death seemed suspicious. It was also thrown around that perhaps she had committed suicide and that her death was not an accident as the papers said. I really wanted to get down to the facts of the story but became side tracked with other investigations and every day life, and so Agnes' story was shelved temporarily.

So as I mentioned above, while on a trip down the coast I started thinking about Agnes again and decided that now was the time to write her story, finally.

Who Was Agnes Jaycoax?

Agnes Jaycoax was born Agnes L. Stevenson, in New York on June 12, 1846. The Census records I found for 1850, show Agnes (age 4) living with Susannah (age 38), Elizabeth (age 48), Mary (age 50) and Head of Household, James Stevenson (age 70) who was a physician.  Their neighbors were also named "Stevenson," so it is safe to assume they were related. There is no roles listed in the Census so we are not sure how any of them are related to Agnes, although Elizabeth is buried near Agnes at Sacramento City Cemetery, so I believe she was Agnes' mother.

Agnes and Charles Edward Jaycoax (sometimes spelled Jaycox) were married at some point in the late 1860's.  The Census records show they lived in Placerville, where Charles worked as a landscaper and painter. Agnes worked as a school teacher in the basement of the old Methodist church on Main Street. On December 1, 1869, Agnes gave birth to a son, Burgess Bonte Jaycoax. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Sheldon, California. It was in Sheldon that baby Burgess grew very ill and later passed away from "brain congestion," on August 11, 1872. He was only 2 years, 8 months and 11 days old.

It appears that after the death of their son, Agnes and Charles' marriage fell apart. Charles went back to El Dorado County while Agnes chose to move to Sacramento. The 1874 Sacramento Directory shows Agnes as a "grammar school teacher" and living on the West Side of 7th Street in between K and L Streets. By 1876, Agnes was living between 10th and 11th streets on  I Street.

Losing her child must have devastated her, although I believe that keeping busy with the children she taught at school may have been the best thing to keep her spirits up. In fact, she was loved by her pupils so much that they bestowed the greatest gift, a golden watch as a token of their love and appreciation for their teacher. The feeling was mutual for Agnes. In fact, the Sacramento Daily Union newspaper proves this when she published a message to her students thanking them for such a wonderful gift.

Sac Daily Union, 5/16/1874

On March 9, 1876 the 6th District Court gave Agnes a divorce decree from Charles. Agnes continued her teaching in Sacramento, later being promoted to Vice Principal at Sacramento City High School in June of the same year. Only 30 years old, divorced and now a Vice Principal of a high school,  it seemed that her life was on its way to become even greater. Sadly this was not the case.

Tragedy Strikes

On the night of July 3, 1876, after visiting friends on the coast at Cypress Point near Monterey, Agnes reached the end of the line. Eye witness accounts claimed that she had ran out onto the rocks and was blissfully taking in the beautiful scenery when sudden waves struck her causing her to lose her balance, and falling into the cold waters.

One of the members of the group was quoted with this statement:

"Mrs. Jaycoax, venturing out too far on the rocks, was washed to sea by the waves.  I was not in sight of her at the time, When I reached the embankment she was already floating. We watched the body till it disappeared from sight. Mr. Jacks took off some of his clothes, but being assured that it was sure death to undertake her rescue, desisted....The party consisted of four ladies, two gentleman, and a boy, all of whom, except myself, saw her swept away. I was told that the second wave swept her off, and that she made little or no outcry. The body floated off and finally disappeared alltogether."--- Sac Daily Union, July 14, 1876

Honestly, I think they should have let Mr. Jacks go in after her. A gentlemen risks his life for another, and I wonder if that haunted him the rest of his life that he allowed the group to stop him from what he was compelled to do? Yes, he may have lost his life in the process but he would have died knowing he was doing the right thing, trying to save another person. I have often wondered just what type of friends they really were to Agnes, knowing she fell in and yet no one attempted to go in after her?

It took some time but Agnes' body washed up at the mouth of the Salinas River, 15 miles north of where she had fell into the sea.  The son of property owner, Mr. Keating discovered Agnes' body on July 6th. Her body appeared to be in good condition for a corpse, with the only mark noticed being on her knee. Another thing that Mr. Keating noticed was that she had on her person, a golden watch. I believe this was the same watch that her students had gifted her in 1874.  Mr. Keating, along with Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Williamson, retrieved the body and brought it to town where it was properly identified and returned to Sacramento for burial.

Agnes' mother had died earlier that year, and so Agnes was then buried next to her mother and her infant son, Burgess, who had died just four years earlier. The headstone that sits on top of Agnes' grave was donated by her students who raised the money to have it placed there. The scroll on a small marker cites her name and age, as well as date of death. On the top sits a dove holding an olive branch. The dove symbolizes peace, while the branch symbolizes Agnes' untimely or premature death.

Conclusion


When I was out at the beach recently, not too far from where Agnes died, I witnessed the same beauty Agnes witnessed over a century earlier. I was compelled by joy and overtaken by the sheer beauty of nature and the sea, that I ran out to the waves myself. I could understand how she felt just moments leading up to her death. I am sure she had no idea how dangerous it actually was, being so close to the water. Standing on those rocks, as those waves slowly crept in, perhaps around high tide, she just was too close and lost her balance.

Did she kill herself? I don't think so. Do I think her death could have been prevented? Yes. I think her friends gave up to easily and that cost Agnes her life. I wonder what those people in that group thought of themselves after that tragic day. Did they feel bad? Did they move on with their lives, and never give it a second thought? From the way it appeared in the papers, the only one who seemed truly concerned was Mr. Jacks.  Was he her male suitor? Did he care for her? So many questions, and not enough answers.

I believe that although Agnes faced many hardships in her life: the loss of a child, a failed marriage, the death of her mother, she also experienced great joys. She was needed by her students, by the school and by all those who looked to her as an anchor of security, knowledge and stability. Her own words published in the newspaper just two years earlier said it all by showing she liked to focus on what the future held for her, and her incentive to get there. That watch represented great memories of the past and for the future. She had that on her when she died. It just doesn't seem logical to me that she would purposely end her life, then and there, at that time.

If you ever stop by the Historic Sacramento City Cemetery, please stop by Agnes' grave in Section 63. Remember her as the dedicated teacher, the mother who suffered the loss of her own baby, the daughter who lost her mother and remember that tragic day she lost her own life, into the sea.

Rest In Peace, Agnes!

TO READ MORE ABOUT AGNES JAYCOAX'S  LIFE AND DEATH, INCLUDING MANY MORE MYSTERIOUS AND BIZARRE STORIES PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF "STORIES OF THE FORGOTTEN: INFAMOUS, FAMOUS & UNREMEMBERED." 


(Copyright 2015- J'aime Rubio)

Sources:

Family Search
Ancestry.com
Sacramento City Directories
U.S. Census
Great Register
Sac Daily Union
3/10/1876, 8/15/1872, 5/16/1874, 7/14/1876
Marysville Daily Appeal
7/7/1876

Interview with Scott Thomas Anderson: "Truth Seeking Rather Than Profit Seeking"

Scott Thomas Anderson, Author

In the past I have posted various interviews with actors, artists and authors that seem to be making a positive mark in the world. I am delighted to have interviewed Scott Thomas Anderson, who is not only an award winning crime reporter, investigative journalist and author, but also a very driven newspaper editor. Scott has dedicated several years researching in depth into many of the dark elements that most people would rather avoid thinking about: crime, drugs and prison culture. In a world where the truth seems to be swept under the rug, ignored or buried, Scott works even harder at uncovering that truth and shining a light on it for all to see.  Readers of my blog who know me and what I stand for, know that I am 100% a truth seeker. That is why although most of my posts here are my own investigative stories, every once in awhile I will take the time to interview someone or write a review about a book if I feel strongly for their cause or passion. 

Scott Thomas Anderson goes the extra mile in order to get the real story out to the public. That is something I admire and respect as a writer, and as a person of integrity. He does not buckle under pressure or take the easy way out, and his work proves that. I have had the esteemed pleasure to interview him briefly about his new book, as well as asking him a couple choice questions that have really been on my mind, as well as many others today in regards to the field of journalism, the obstacles the industry faces and the credibility of writers today.  

Interview:

1)  What do you think is the biggest problem journalists face today in mainstream media? (newspapers, television news, etc.)

Scott Thomas Anderson:

"The biggest challenge newsrooms are facing today is that most of them are completely outmatched by the resources and personnel numbers of the government agencies they are supposed to be watch-dogging. The newsrooms may not be outmatched by talent on an individual-to-individual level, but they're outmatched by bodies and budgets. For example, one of the part-time writers who works for me at the Roseville Press Tribune recently published a simple 750-word news story on the amount of money California is spending to house prison inmates with private, for-profit corporate detention centers. Within hours of his story publishing online, two full-time "public information officers" from the Department of Corrections had collectively written me more than 4000 words of text in emails, all in an attempt to alter, change or control that story. Think about the ratio of resources between the newspaper and the government on that single report: One part-time journalist on a limited deadline versus two full-time spin doctors with seemingly unlimited amounts of employee hours dedicated to pushing back on the story - all paid for with tax dollars to boot. A government agency like the California's Department of Corrections has far more former journalists working at its "information center" than most of the newsrooms in the state have actual reporters investigating issues. As newsrooms are hit with continual layoffs, major cities, counties and law enforcement agencies are all hiring more and more of these "public information specialists" to gain as much control as they can over news stories; and the shocking thing is that it's really starting to work."      

2) Do you feel the impact the internet has made has caused a decline of print journalism?

Scott Thomas Anderson:

Courtesy: Scott Thomas Anderson

"I don't think you can blame all of print journalism's challenges on the Internet: And the main reason is that there was a mind-staggering amount of greed on the part of newspaper ownership groups back in the 1990s, when their net profits were incredible, and they were still cutting back the quality of their products to make as much money as they possibly could. That management culture created a newspaper industry that was completely unprepared by 2004 to ask people to pay for its content over free, less-polished imitations. What the Internet did to journalism is really a History question now. At this point, I think it's more vital to be asking the question of what the Internet can do to rescue journalism through innovation and opening new platforms for both professional journalists and talented writers and bloggers."

3) Would you agree or disagree that journalism is a dying field? Why or why not? 

Scott Thomas Anderson:

"To look at the pay and stability attached to most journalism jobs right now, it certainly looks like a dying field. However, I think at some point enough communities will be rail-roaded by powerful special interest groups, exploiting companies and bad political actors that a sense of outrage will remind the public about why local and regional journalism matters so much. At that point, I think they'll be a lot of smart and concerned people trying to figure out how a community can pay for professional reporters."

4) Why do you think many journalists have taken to blogging as well as writing for the mainstream media? Do you think bloggers are taken seriously? 

Scott Thomas Anderson:

"There are so few news agencies who are willing to support real investigative journalism and meaningful beat coverage these days that I think walking away from that to start a news blog becomes appealing to a lot of talented individuals. I also think that some bloggers who have never been professional writers are being taken seriously now by the public if they have skills, drive and passion. We're a story-telling species, and blogs that find a way to illuminate fascinating stories that haven't been told before are going to resonate with people emotionally - they are going to find an audience and be important to that audience. The only concern is that some blogs will try to pass off nonsense and rumors as "factual reporting." Readers have to be more careful than ever to check and cross-reference the blogs they decide they are going to follow. I don't think blogs can take the place of journalism as profession, but I think good blogs can help push back against some of the ways that journalism is being devastated as a profession." 

 5) Your new book, "The Cutting Four-piece: crime and tragedy in an era of prison overcrowding" is a new, eye-opening approach in publishing today. You are going around the big publishing houses, who do not hold the same high factual standards that are upheld in magazines and newspapers, and making your own way to get the facts to the public. Please tell me more about your book and why you chose this approach? 

Scott Thomas Anderson:

Courtesy: Scott Thomas Anderson

"Similar to my first book, "Shadow People: how meth-driven crime is eating at the heart of rural America," this new journalism project is reaching the public with the help of publishing forces that are grant-funded as opposed to profit-motivated. In my experience, a book publishing house whose main concern is a specific earning margin is going to make the book more expensive than it needs to be, meaning a lot of people can't afford to read it, and - more disturbingly - is also going to try to cut the most uncomfortable sections of the journalism because of a belief the public can't handle it, and therefore the book's marketability is diminished. Working on "The Cutting Four-piece" has been a three-year mission for me to bring to light all of the corners of the American justice system people never hear about, but are affecting the safety of their neighborhoods and the health of their communities. 

It takes the readers into the streets to see how prison overcrowding, prison culture, the power of addiction and the crumbling of the U.S. mental health care system are all connected in ways that rarely if ever get reported. Like "Shadow People," I spent a lot of time embedded with law enforcement for it - but this time I also spent a good deal of time with the people rotating in and out of the prison system. Hopefully that split lens in the storytelling gives readers a kind of unified vision of American crime that they might not have seen before. Right now, people can order advanced copies on Kickstarter.com for $10, which also pledges into a fund that will help us get hundreds of free copies to community foundations and other nonprofit groups. I know people like buying from Amazon and their local book stores, but in this case I'm hoping folks who want to read this particular book get their copy from Kickstarter, partly to send a message to people in my industry that journalism is still about truth-seeking rather than profit seeking."----

Having lived for several years in a high crime area, not unlike the element that Scott's book is focused on, I couldn't agree more with his approach and his message. I don't know about you, but I am very excited to read this book and simply cannot wait to get my copy. Please check out the video on his Kickstarter page and see for yourself what Scott's book is all about!

To order your advanced copy, simply click on the link that will take you over to Scott's KICKSTARTER page : "The Cutting Four-piece: crime and tragedy in an era of prison overcrowding"

Website: scottthomasanderson.com  Check out his FACEBOOK: Scott Thomas Anderson, Author

(Copyright 2015- J'aime Rubio, Dreaming Casually)