Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-07-15
}M@istellameuns &eading.
From the News and Courier.
A DUEL TO THE DEATH.
COL. w. NJ, SHANNON KILLED BY COL. E. B.

COL. W. M. SHANNON KILLED BY COL. E. B.
c. CASH.
CAMDEN, July 6.-News was received here
this morning of fatal duel, which took place
at O'Clock yesterday at DuBose's Bridge, in
Darlington county, between Col: E. B. c.
Cash of Chesterfield, and COL w. NJ. Shan
non of this place, in which the latter was in
stantly killed. Col. Shannon was the chal-
longing party. Col. Cash being deaf in one
ear, requested that the signal to fire be given
by the discharge of a pistol, which was agreed
to. Col. Shannon fired first, his ball striking
the ground near Col. CaSh's feet. Col. Cash
then fired, the ball passing through Col. Shan
mons heart. Death was instantaneous.
The origin of the duel was as follows: Col.
Shannon was assistant counsel with Capt.
w. L. DePass in a case entitled c. M. Wien-
ges VS.. R. G. Ellerbe for damages for injuries
inflicted OH the said Wienges for which they
obtained judgment. R.. G. Ellerbe claimed
that he was largely indebted to his yister,
the wife of Col. Cash, and on that ground
resisted the payment of the judgment in favor
of Wenges, 'contending that what he owed
his sister exhausted his property. The at
torneys for Wienges prayed for an injunc-
tion to set aside the judgment in favor of Mrs.
Cash, and it was from the pleadings in the
case that all the difficulties have grown.
Col. Cash first challenged W. L. DePass,
who was, with his second, arrested and put
under heavy bonds. 1 learn that harsh and
severe communications have been issued by
Col. Cash to Col. Shannon, insisting that ef
forts had been made in the pleadings to reflect
on the character of his now deceased wife for
honesty. Both of the attorneys deny ever
having thought of such a charge. Col. Shan
non has always, since the case has been in
court, utterly denied having made any offen-
sive remark or having the least intention of
rejecting on Mrs Cash.
COL. WILLIAM NJ. SHANNON.
William NJ. Shannon was born in Kershaw
county in 1922, and was consequently 50 years
of age His father was Chas. j. Shannon,
prominent citizen of the county, and for many
years president Of the Camden Branch of the
Bank of the State. Col. Shannon was educa-
ted at the South Carolina College, which he
entered in 1888, graduating in the class of 1941.
Soon after leaving college he commemorative
study of the law and was admitted to the bar
with the class of 1843, in which were Thos. NJ.
Hanckel, Judge w. Aston Pringle, the late
H. c. Burkmyer, the late John E. Carew and
others, from Charleston. He married the
daughter of Governor Adam Melville, who
was at one time prominent citizen of Cam
den, but who subsequently removed to Mis-
sisslppi, of which State he was later in life
elected Governor.
In the pursuit of his profession Col. Shan
non soon rose to prominence. In 1857 he was
elected to represent Kershaw county in the
lower house of the Legislature, and served in
that capacity until 1862, when he resigned and
entered the Confederate service. During his
term of office, and especially during the Speak
ership of the Hon. Robert Aston, he and
Gen. MCGOWAN, who was his classmate In col
lege, were two Of the leading members of the
House.
At the outbreak of the war he raiseda caval-
ry company and entered the Confederate SER
vice in Virginia. Subsequently he raised
another cavalry company and served in North
Carolina Upon the death of his father, in
1864, he succeeded him as president of the bank
at Camden.
Col. Shannon was the father of fourteen
children, and was Intimately connected with
most of the leading families of Kershaw coun-
ty. He was in early life Presbyterian, but
subsequently joined the Protestant Episcopal
Church, of which he became an active and
practical member. He was man of great in
dustry and energy, and has for many years oc-
cuped position of prominence at the Bar OF
Camden. All who kneW-him will remember
the great a1niability which was one of the pre-
dominant traits of his character. He enjoyed
the entire confidence Of the people OF Camden
and Kershaw county, and was for many years
one of the most popular men of that section
of the State. He was well-read, not only in
the law, but in general and current literature.
Col. Shannon was not only popular on ac-
count. of his cheerful and genial disposition,
but was loved for his gentle manners, his
Christian kindness, and the strict integrity
which characterized his whole public and pri-
vate life.
| COL. E. B. c. CASH.
COL Shannon's antagonist in the fatal duel,
Col. E. B. c. Cash, is planter in Chester
field county, near Cash's Depot, a station on
the Cheraw and Darlington Railroad, not far
from Cheraw. He was in command Of regi-
ment in Bonham's Brigade, in Virginia, in
the first year of the war, and was fearless
if not an accomplished officer.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SURVIVING PR1N-
| CIPAL.
FLORENCE, July III called on Col. E. B. G.
Cash, at O'Clock yesterday evening, at his
residence at Cash's Depot, six miles below
| Cheraw, and had an interview of one hour
with him about the origin of the duel between
COL Shannon and himself, and the incidents
attending the meeting. was courteously re-
ceived w. B. Cash, A. H. Waring and B. j.
Burgess were present during the interview.
COL Cash said: Mrs. Cash had advertised
Robert Ellerbe's property for sale. Messrs
Shannon and DePass obtained an injunction
against the sale of the property on account
of judgment deed by Wienges whom they
represented. They then instituted suit to set
aside the Judgment held by Mrs. Cash on four
charges, one of the charges being fraud The
court decided the case against Mrs. Cash on
the ground of the infC"mality of the judg-
ment, but, at the same time, decided that
there was no fraud between Mrs. Cash and
her brother. As soon as the case was decided
and there was no longer an issue OF the queS-
tion of fraud, COL Cash and Capt. Ellerbe
challenged Capt. DePass and Col Shannon re-
spectively. This was about the Goth of May.
Shannon declined to meet Ellerbe on the
ground that Ellerbe had no claims against him.
DePass accepted the challenge, and agreed to
fight first at Dubose's Bridge, in Darlington
county, about the 25th of May. DePass, how
ever, was arrested Afterwards arrangements
were made to meet at Wright's Folly, Anson
county, inNorth Carolina, on June 3. DePass
was arrested again at Chesterfield Courthouse,
gave bond to keep the peace and was dis
charged from custody. Subsequently to this
a correspondence was entered into between
Shannon and myself. The first letter was
addressed to me by Col. Shannon on June II
in which he intinated desire to fight me.
I declined to challenge him OH the ground of
inequality; he having been denounced as
poltroon and coward by Capt. 4. G. Ellerbe
but took the ground that a gentleman might,
if challenged, fight his bootblack. Col. Shan
non replied by sending me challenge on June
27. Arrangements were made for fight at
Dubose's Bridge, in Darlington county, on
the 9Th day of July, between the hours of and
O'Clock The fight took place about half
past O'Clock in the afternoon Shannon's
second having the word Cash's second choos-
ing the position distance fifteen yards, step