Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 - 1899), Saturday 1 September 1877, page 5


THE LATE MARTIN CASH. The celebrated bushranger, Martin Cash, says the Mercury, died at his residence Glenorchy on Sunday last. We learn that Cash went to the Lord Rodney Hotel, New Wharf, on the evening of the 10th instant, and informed the landlord, Mr Samuel Weir, that in, consequence of severe illness, he had applied for admis-sion into the General Hospital, but had been refused. Mr Weir allowed him too remain at the hotel until the following Monday, when he returned to his home at Glenorchy. While at the Lord Rodney Hotel the deceased was attended by Dr. Crouch. Mr Weir went out to Glenorchy yesterday morning, when he learned that Cash had expired on Sunday morning. It will be remembered that Cash in the year 1870 published in book from an account of his adventures from which we glean the following particulars. He was born in the year 1810, in the town of Enniscorthy, Wexford, Ireland. Cash's career as a young man was, according, to this own account, a series of events calcu-lated to develop into the more serious phases of crime, and he was subsequently convicted, of, shooting a love rival named Jessop, for which offence he was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude. Ater a brief incarceration in Cork gaol, Cash was sent with 170 other convicts by the ship; Marquis of Huntly to Botany Bay, New South Wales. They arrived at Sydney on February 10th, 1828, subsequent to the assignment or hiring-out system, having come into operation. Cash was "assigned" to Mr G. Bowman, of Richmond. He. subsequently made his escape, and in 1837 came to Hobart Town. He was not long out of the hands of the authorities of the law, and for the next few years he led a prison life which was ultimately broken by his escape from Port Arthur in company with Jones and Kavanagh in December, 1842. After re-maining at large for nearly twelve months, during which period he was at the head. of a band of bushrangers, and was the terror of the whole colony, Cash was again captured, but not till after the most strenuous exertions were made to again lay hands on him, and a reward of 200 guineas (with a free pardon and a free passage from the colony, if required) was offered to any person who, would give in-formation that would lead to his capture. In September, 1843, he was tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was, however afterwards re-prieved and sent to Norfolk Island where he remained till that establishment was broken up, when he had the satisfaction of bidding adieu to what he terms that "Island of Despair" and returning to Tasmania, Where he was appointed by the late Hon. W. E. Nairn to take charge of the Government Gardens. On resigning that situation he went to New Zealand for four years after which he returned to Tasmania and, he adds "Having saved a little money I purchsed a farm at Glenorchy where I resolved to pass the remainder of my days in the calm and tranquil enjoyment of rural retirement." Cash continued to devote himself to the farm-ing pursuits up till the time of his death