The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-02-06
MAKES CONFESSION.
ERNEST CAsHEL PAYS THE
PENALTY FOR HIS CRIME
ON THE SCAFFOLD.
Gained Reputation by. Sensa tional
Escape From Calgsra Prison on
Day SIT for the Execution.
Other News.


Other News.
Vancouver, B. c., Feb. 2.-Ern-
est Casbel, the young American of
II, who murdered Rancher Belle at
Red Deer river paid the capital PEN
atty this moroing at Calgsra. Bs-
fore the hanging he made public
confession. The drop fell at six
minutes past 3 O'Clock. Treating
the execution as though it were q
show at the Opera house. Calgara
special says the performance from
az ex cutioner's standpoint was q
! lsuccess."
Bashel employed his last mo.
msnts 10 writing his confession,
which be hopes some one will pub
lish for the benefit Of his brother
John, who is serving a year in Jail
for helping him t. escape.
Cashel gained notoriety through
his escape from the mounted police
barracks after his conviction and
remaining in hiding for 45 day S
) within six miles of the barracks.
Forger, horsestealer, highway
man, murderer, bandit, holdup
man aud ja;lbreaker. Such was the
career of Ernest Cashel, the young
American, who was hanged at Cal
gary last Tuesday morning.-Itwas
IN less than three years that he ran
this rapid gamut of crime in the
Northwe-t territories, choosing Cal
gary as his centra! point.
Clever, active and shrewd, Cashe,
came to The Northwest in the early
rush of the american invasion,
and it was another of the invaders
8 whom he murdered, namely Ieasa
Rufus Belt, who settled in the Rec
Deer district in 1901, coming from
Kansas.
Cashel aud his part nts settled a
Ponoka, town about 12O mile
north of Calgara. For a time Cash
Il stayed by the farm. Getting tiret
of the monotony he took trip t.
Calgara in September, 1902. Tber
his money ran short before he ha,
had bis fill of good .time." H
thereupon forged a check and tool
bis 6rst known step in crime. III
was only then 10 years old. A Cal
CARA merchant cashed the check
Crsbel spei t the money and wen
home to Ponoka. The forgery wa
quickly discovered and the gull
placed at the right door. Chief c
police Euglish, of Ca'gara, wen
north ard arrested Cashel in hi
home. When the return journe
had bten half completed and th
train was going at full speed, Cast
el without coat or vest, ran acros
the train a. d jumped out head frt
and escaped.
For the next five months Cash,
was fugitive from justice. In thu
y time, according to his own stat
ment, he was bandit, highway
y man, an all-round d-sperado. Whe
: he escaped from Chief English /
: struck north 40 miles and got fe
: hours lodging from a rsncher nan
e ed Amasa briggs. He stole frol
{ him a horse, saddle, bride and
Z coat and vest. Hs was next SEE
: on October 81 heading for the lon
5 lv ranch of Rufus Bit. Bsh W;
s home building. He had a wife az
E six children in Kansas for whom l
Z was preparing the way. His nepl
Z ew, harry Thomas, lived a fe
z miles away and called to see b
: uncle while Cashel was in the hous
s The latter said his name was Ell
E worth. Belt showed his nephew
E $50 bill. That was bis undoip,
4 fAf;er Thomas left nobody ever sa
Z Belt alive agaiu.
3 "A week later the nephew visite
s the Bslt shack. There was no sig
e of life about the place. It was pro
{ ed afterwards by circumstantial ev
4 idence, that Cashel had shot tt
Z Kansas man and thrown his bod
: into Red Deer river. Between Il
s two visits of the nephew the nu
e derer was in flight. He had prev
4 ously sold the horse be bad stole
Z from briggs and he rode south O
4 a buckskin pony that belonged
E Belt. He rode on a saddle whit
y had Bslt's name on it. On Oetob
: % he stopped at house near L
nisfall and showed the $50 bill. 1
Olds he sold Bslt's pony ''ata gre
sacrifice" and again showed Il
$50 bill. He travelled armed to Il
3 teeth, with gun. revolver ar
knife. A couple of days later