Hunting a Murderer.

Manawatu Herald, 2 April 1904, Page 2

Hunting a Murderer.

EXCITING ESCAPE AND RECAPTURE IN CANADA. Canadian papers give the story of the exciting escape and re-capture of Cashel, the murderer, who was executed at Calgai'y, 'British Columbia, on February 2nd. Cashel, who was only twenty-one years of age, was a Montana desperado, - who murdered a rancher in Alberta. It was after having been sentenced to death that he managed to escape from Calgary police barracks. On that occasion it appears that Constable Piper, who was on guard, ordered the prisoner out of the cell until he should make a search. On the outside were Constables Leslie and Phillips. Cashel ■ walked out and sat on a bench ,in front of a window facing the street. * Piper, after the search, ordered Cashel back to the cell, whereupon the prisoner suddenly flashed two shining revolvers in the face of his guards and ordered all three into the cell he had just vacated. He took their revolvers and locked them in, and then walked in his feet to the place where the keys were kept, unlocked the shackles, and after taunting the guards, kissed his hand to them by way of adieu, and left the barracks. Fifteen minutes later the night guard came in to find the three mounted police in Cashel’s cell. The circumstances of his recapture were equally dramatic. The police learned that he was lurking about the eastern suburbs of Calgary, and parties were detailed to make a systematic search of every house in the district. One party came upon a den in a hay stack, in which they found clothes resembling what Cashel had worn. Search was then made in the house. In one corner of the cellar Cbnstable Biggs found a hole where a man might conceal himself. He secured a light and held it to the hole. He caught sight of.a man,, and had hardly done so when a random shot whizzed by his head, followed quickly by another shot. Biggs was **ot armed, and made a retreat upstairs. He secured a revolver, and, returning to the cellar door, he met Cashel coming up. Two shots were exchanged, one by Cashel tearing off the inside of the door behind which Biggs had taken cover, Biggs returned with a shot which tore into Cashel’s heel. Cashel fired again as Constable Stark came to the rescue. Then the murderer dropped back into the cellar, and the police retired from the building to await the arrival of Inspector Duffis. When he arrived it was decided to fire the building. The contents were carefully removed and the torch applied. When Cashel smelt the smoke he gave signs of a parley. A revolver shot was heard, andi Cashel called out that he was going to kill himself, but wanted someone to go down into the cellar to get a letter from his mother. This had no effect on the police, and he was ordered to come up and hold up his hands. Another shot was heard, but no one moved from above, and the inspector again ordered him out. A minute later, Ernest Cashel, haggard, unkempt, bearded, and shaggy, came out, put up his hands in the air, and gave himself up.