The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-03-13
THE CHASE OF CASH,
The Father Captured and the Son in
the Swamp.


the Swamp.
Chief State Constable Richburg, with
twelve picked men armed with improved
Sharps' rifles, left Columbia at midnight
last night and arrived at Florence at $50
a. M, where they were met by Sheriff
Cole, of Darlington county, Sheriff SpOf
ord, of Chesterfield county, still being
sick. The party took another special
train from Florence and reached a point
a mile below Cash's house just before
daylight. The house was at once quietly
surrounded. and the posse waited for
daylight. About o'clock the elder Cash
appeared at the front door. When he
espied the pickets about the house he re-
tired within. In about five minutet he
reappeared, armed with Winchester
repeating rife and two pistols, and tried
to make his escape. He had not prOcee-
ded more than a hundred yards from his
house before he was confronted by John
II. Pearson, one of the sentinels, who
presented his rifle and demanded Cash's
surrender. Cash hesitated, when Pear
son said Drop your gun or I'll shoot
you in two seconds" Cash dropped his
gun quickly and admitted having been
taken completely by surprise.
When captured he was endeavoring to
make his way to d log-house across the
railroad track where young Cash was
said to be sleeping. The posse then
closed in and searched the Cash mansion
thoroughly, but could find nothing of
Began Cash A party then started for
the Lighthouse. When they were half
way there, Col. Cash, evidently becoming
alarmed for his sons safety, made a
proposition to go to the Lighthouse alone,
and if allowed to do SO, pledged his sa-
cred honor that he would have his son
surrender within two hours. This propo-
siti0n wus acceded to and the force was
recalled.
Cash went and soon returned, saying
that his son had left the house an hour
before. and that he did not know where
he had gone. lie offered, however, that
if the posse would withdraw, that his
son would surrender before Wednesday.
He frankly stated that he only wanted
TO come off with flying colors." That
neither he nor his son desired TO be
considered outlaws, but that he desired
to effect a capitulation on his own terms.
Bearing in mind the instruction of
Gov. Thompson that Cash should be cap
tured before he had a chance to stlrren-
der, Chief State Constable Richburg de-
clined these terms. Cash then made
other propositions, and finally offered to
let Richbourg go with him to hunt his
son, promising that he would surrender
within twenty-four hours if the posse
were dispersed. This was taken as an
evidence of weakening, and was promp-
tly declined by Richbrrg.
The premises were then surrounded cy
a guard, with Instructions to allow no
one to pass in or out of the picket line
Cash's pistols and rifle were taken from
him. He protested bitterly against this,
but said that he yielded only to superior
numbers.
Capt. Richbourg, being determined to
let nothing prevent the most thorough
search for young Cash, left most of his
men at the house, and at 9 o'clock this
morning proceeded to Cheraw to sum
mon a larger posse of horsemen. with
which to enter the swamp and track the
fugitive to his hiding place. He is sup
posed to be near Cash's depot, on an is
land near the ''Peedee' Swamp.
Arriving at Cheraw at 10 o'clock Capt.
Richbourg called on the intendent and
the authorities for the force he desired,
say some fifty men. Capt. Richbourg
will make no treaty with the Cashes
Up to 10 p. m. tonight the posse in
search of w. B. Cash. had not succeeded
in effecting his capture. He is still sup
posed to be hiding In the Pedee swamp.
Col. E. B. c. Cash, the father of the out
law, is now en- route to Columbia under
the escort of an armed guard He will
arrive early tomorrow morning.