The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-03-19
Colonel Cash Speaks.
WHAT HE SAYS OF THE CHESTER
FIELD TRAGEDY.
All He Asks is a Fair Trinl al
Home.
(ColumJia Rcgis'1'.)

columbia Rcgis'cr.)
found him In his bedroom, In comp2n!
with some OF his friends. He was clIalinG
under Il sense of personal humiliation, very
core and DUNDEE in his fceiinEs-so mnch i
that more than once the hot tears cnlrsc'
down Ills checks as VIC converscd together,
put, contrary to my expectation, mol III ~
disposed To take oiicnsc ut my plainncsS /"
:perch I'm opposition tn his peculiar views q
matters and things. So much that when H.
appeared pleased with some rerinrk nt MN,
about fair play, I remarked, "trl"ncl, WINS
have said that your son nugNt 10 nave ny
play. | have also said that he ought 70 ~
hung, If he is guilty as h; is ALLEGED TO no.. ne
did not appear to he in any wise offended. :,
Colonel Cash. said |, "will you please tel
me the facts about the first visit OF SheriI
SpotiOrd to your house, ,
..Why," he replied, "all that Is about that l.
this: Spofinrd's Il first rate fellow and a gn,ot
friend IF mine; but whoever says that nc h!s
Shtrkcd his duty ont OF any irienISnipp p =,
rnn shot Richards. Spofiord crmc here 10 ar
rest him. We CnshcS don't resist peace of
TIGERS: so | merely said to the Siicrl!t. scarcI
my house from top TO bottom. ana II you Gu,
lay your hands on my hoy take him but ynt
must not expect me to tell you where ne Is
for / won't do 1t. You're n ministerial officer
II you find him, do your duty, that all right
but find him for yourself"
Ibid YOU Stale TO the sheriff any srecia
rest as long us po>>lhlc?" :,
yes; | said l didn't want him t" be lynch
ed, and had reasons at that time TO dread II !
he was caurht.'
what do you think about the matter now
Colonel ?"
All we ask is Il fair trial in our own cenn
ty. If we are bad men our WI people ol@h
to know IL as wcil as any one. anu the Pconit
OF Chesterfield county are as quick to l'un'Sl
had men as the people of any other county m
the State. by. sir. it's cn"u.h to MAKE
a mans blood boil to hearn people trad'rc'
as the people Of Chesterfield have been traduc
ed, | have said to your state CohstlGie on.
yOndcr. guarantee me n fair trial lor Bo-ah
Withdraw your posse, and remain here. your
self and partalic of my hospitality. and vii
bring him in and surrender him up as Sonr
us I can communicate with him. and ! can IL
that by Wednesday morning at farthcSt.e A..
"Please give me your statement ot LII
"Wcll. when all the facts come out a
you to lie there: it will surprise you, Oh. sir
we're willing for it all to come, out mat 5 no
Richards was as strong as an OK; why, u!
could lit $50 pound barrel of whiskey oil
the ground and put II up on q grocery coun
ter. He took advantage Of his huge streng.l
to club people savagcly. He has been known
to club men for begging him not to cluh ineli
sons who happened to be IN liquor. He lmt
been famous for clubbing the poorer class o
people and some complaint was MADE aonn,
it, nnd he was old that he ought to use hi
club on some Of the richer ones-the EaSncs
for eSarnpIe-and so one day he Just fell upoI
my son and dubbed him until the b!oot
THAI. Uhe Colonel here mentioned n circnin
stance In regard to the beating that cannot bt
pnt in PRINT. and tier clubbing MIN, slole u,
his money from him. When this occurred
when I heard Of the matter, / was MAJ
enough TO have killed Richards myself, .nnt
said so publicly. Began did not go back t'
Cheruw with any view OF killihs, lacharaS
A. t-.,- ~, 80 m hrrlh clnI-nlp TIA
he was training for 81 race hat was ABOUT ie
come off, and that he was very particular "
regard to the Sliocing Of After taking MI
horse to the blacksmith shop, he passed
Richards, and the latter at once commenced
stripping off his overcoat as II for a fight. ane
some one remarked. don't follow Il man up n
that way. Began took no notice and pasScO
on. and then Richards doggcd him all about
wherever he went there Richards went. Bo
gan mentioned this to NO prominent clllzeils
of Chcraw, and said, this man Is following
ME from point to point, ana may nav
Brooks corner, where he knew that bosa'
must pass, Began as he passed, said: "Richl
ards, are you watching mc?' lie replied
NO, but II l was; hyGaa, YOU'D Iu, n qnIS NJ, Se v a"
know. After he shot he ran away and ralie.
for Il horse. 1t has been said that he had
horse all sadd.cd and ready, rs 1t was a pre-
was, MS | nave said, at the blacksmith shop
and he rode off on n horse loaned him by {
colored man. When we 20 to trial mere VII
be more than this to come out; but ms d
enough for the prcSant.' =.
q, olOnel. how about your violent thrcat'
since this occurrcncc?' ,,,
II am going to tcll:onIy the truth. If 1t XIII
me. l don't know what all | have said, for !
have been so id mad ut the way / have been
treated that | emit contain myself
as 1t true that you killed Il man at you
door step just after the warp
II did. He was one OF the Lowry gang. o.
% u,i,l m ha VuS then uu agent OF INC
Southern Lille Insurance Company ana WIZ:
supposed to have II lurge sum of money II
! the house. / had bera warned OF an attempt
! cd burglary. ! found the ma under circtm
stances that Justified every suspicion of an
attempt to burglarizc. and | shot him down
! The grand jury would not indict me for II. al
though | requested the fullest judicial inveSti
gatlOn.'
"iIow as to other fights and outrages charged
against you p
III have answered to the law for each ant
every one Of them. When Il jury tries n maj
and acquits him. think that's sufficient
AT this stage of the interview Deputy Sh'r
III Timmons entelcd the room and arre,tCt
Colonel Cash on Il warrant charging mn
! with, on his own admiS. lon, aiding, hirbor
Ing and assisting in the escape OF w. Is CHSn
Colonel Cash merely remarked that he conlt
not see what he had done to be arrested lnr
but, as he appeared to have been expecting IL
was not ut The moment much ruftlrd BY It,.
Colonel Cash laid much stress on the fac
that Il house In which he was merely the ten
antof a single apartment uhe Clayton flmil!
now occupying it,, and where his son had NJ
lodging at all, had been placed under ih'
most unpleasant and CALLING surveillance
As regards the conduct of the posse. he OK
pressed himself as lcing satisfied With TIT
most of them. though he believed soIi'
! among the numbc wanted an opportunity u
kill him. And I would state LOW that no Sc
OF men could have better discharged Il >insu
larly unpleasant duty. Not a single rude r.
mark wa addressed to Colonel Cash, not
outstanding the fact that he often cnurtcd II
and was. in fact, ut times grossly. abusive &c
the posse. They all seemed to fee! pity 70
! him and to feel some degree of shame at sur
rounding an old gray-liaired veteran viii
arms I'm their hands
Col. Cash protested to the last against TN
right of the State Constable to take INN Il
Columbia. He said he had been arrested on {
Trial Justice process issued IN the county {,
Chesterfield, and claimed the right 10 be lax
en- before the Trial Justice VIII. issued TIT
warrant. Tie deputy who served the process:
held the same view, but was ~overruleu IN th'
matter by positive Instructions from heau
quarters.