Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-24
THIRTY YEARS In HIDING.
AN OHIO MURogRER's LONG ESCAPE
FROM HIS PURSUER.

He Gets Away After Conviction in 1855 and
Has just Been Recaptured-An Unfor
giving Enemy-rally-sheet Cases-Cora
Lees Pony Wagon Ruled out-A Drunk.
en- Assassin-Crime at tho Capitol.
GAINESVILLE, Ohio, Jan. 2t-A crime com
mitted thirty-three years ago has just beer
revived by the arrest of the principal in the
affair, for more than twenty years has been
hn unsupported but thriftless Ross county
farmer. There is good deal of romance in
the story.
In 1875, when the canal was still novelty
In the state, Richard Cassiboon, captain OF
the Helen r., on the Muskingum division,
one day quarreled with his wife, and was
about TO strike her when man named VIII
liam Hyls intsrfereL In the quarrel
which followed Hyde was killed. Cassboon
was promptly arrested, and IL he had been
at once tried would scarcely have escaped
hanging. But the trial was deferred and
the prisoner was at last only sentenced to
six years hard labor in the penitentiary.
| Between the time of his conviction aud tho
day set for his removal to Columbus, CASH
boon escaped from the Muskingum county
! Jail. -Four other prisoners who walked out
at the same time were speedily apprehended,
! but Cassiboon evaded all efforts not only of
the officers, but of II brother of his victim,
who has never ceased to search for the tugi-
tive. Cassiboon SGT out for the hills. and
made his way after several days to Hamden,
in Vlnton county, where he obtained eth.
| ployment in "a small coal mine. After a
| time he grew suspicious of his fellows, quit
| Hamien, and went TO work at Macarthur.
| Again lie grew apprehensive, and again he
set out across the bills, finally settling in the
| scarcely explored back lands of Ross county.
When the civil war began he enlisted in the
Eighteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, aud for
three years hattled bravely for the Union,
Near the close of the war he was wounded,
and he has since drawn pension of S2I IA
month.
One afternoon last week two gentleman of
official bearing arrived in Chii!icothe and
made inquiry for Isaac Brown. One Of
them was Russ Bethel sheriff of Muskingum,
the other Chief OF Police Weaver, Of Zanes-
vile. Regarding the man about whom they
mad inquiry they only knew that he some
times got lis mail at Waller postofiice. They
drove to Massevie, where they were di-
rected TO the hills bnck of Franklin. And
there, in a section Of country known as Snake
hollow-as repulsive "A spot ever the sun
shone on-they found their man.
Isaac Browns home was a hovel on the
hillside and his farm. a l00-acre tract, so
uupro1uctive and so unpromising that its
title is still vested in the government no one
ever having cared to lay claim
TO it, and there Isnac Brown,
the soldier, but in reality Dick CASH
boon, the murderer, has lived, as secure from
observation and detection as in the mountain
of the west. His poverty has been patiently
shared by IA wife-5aii to be his third-and
three children the eldest an adult and
the youngest a child of s. The old man was
startling picture of misery and want. A
little weazan faced, grizzly bearded man of
three-score and ten, half blind, half starved,
and destitute of even comfortable clothing,
he appeared scarce worth the trouble of ar
rest The great whtewashed walls of the
Ohio penteutary inclos1 heaven compared
to the hoyel that for quarter of century
has been the home of the fugitiye-Dick
Cnssiboon.
Brown was inveigled from tue house on the
pretense of wanting him to 60 to Massieville
on business bearing on his pension papers
When told that he was under arrest he I'M
complainingly accompanied the officers aud
after a good supper at Chilicothe he APP
peared almost glad that he had been found,
and asked to be speedily taken to GAINESVILLE.
Hyde's BROTHER who still lives at Dresden,
insists that punishment shall be inflicted, but
there is a general feeling that Isaac Brown,
by over three years of valiant service for the
Union has atoned for the sin of Dick CASH
boon There seems to be no disposition Oh
the part of the officials to put into execution
the sentences of a court thirty three years
ago, and it is more than possible that before
the end of this week Governor Foraker will
be asked to pari n the prisoner.