St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-25
Three People Who Saw Him
and Had Conversation
With Him.
He Got Papers From the
News Stand in the Port
land Block.
Irving Mupell ReiterateS His
Statements That He Saw
The Man.

doubt that W. Il. TaScOtt, who is wanted
in Chicago for the murder of A. j.
Smell, the millionaire, was in the city
for at least seven days last prior to the
discovery by the Chicago police of evil
dence pointing to him as the murderer.
He was seen and recognized in st. Paul
by two men who knew him personally,
and by third party who did not know
him, but who recognized him from the
descriptions published. C.. E. White,
proprietor of news and stationery
store in the Portland flats on
Broadway and Eighth street, says
TaScott called at his place every
day from the Saturday following
the murder, until a week ago yesterday,
when it was made public that he was
wanted. {. f. Jacobs, st. Paul real
estate dealer, who was scboolmate of
TaScott'S, met him on the afternoon of
Wednesday, st. Valentines day, and
the next day TascOtt called upon O.
Irving Murell, whom he knew as a news
butcher while braking on the Chicago
& Alton road.
Mr.. White was interviewed at his
store yesterday afternoon and related
the following:
The man who | have assured my
sely was Tascott first made his appear
ance here either last Saturday OF Sun
day. He
CAME IN THE EVENING
about 6 o'clock and asked to see the Chi
cago papers. L keep the Times and
Tribune on sale and laid them Oh the
counter for him. He seemed anxious to
see them. He grabbed first one paper
and then the other and glanced over the
headlines. Finally he put the Times
in his pocket and paid for it. He said:
L wish you would save me paper for
a week. and l told him [ would. He
called every evening about the same
time and | noticed that he always
taking the paper. One evening he
asked if had the last edition of the
Police Gazette. and | told him | would
have it the next day. The next day
he came in, and looked over the head
lines of the Chicago papers, but did not
buy. He walked back to the counter
where the Police Gazette was, and
bought that after looking over the illus
tratiOnS. That was the paper which
contained the account Of the mysterious
murder OF Mr.. Smell. He also took all
old edition Of the Police Gazette, saying
if | would let him take that to read he
would bring both papers back next day
and | could sell them over. He brought
them back the next day as agreed. He
was always very reticent, and think L
have repeated every word he said. One
evening, when | was not in the store,
he got a paper of my lady clerk, and
she says he carried a gOld-headed cane
that time, and started TO go out withOutit.
He got to the door, and then, remember
ing, came back after it. | believe
if he had left that cane it would be pos
tive proof. He wore a dark-cOlOred
Oyercoat of light material, and noticed
particularly that his trousers were of
the loose, baggy pattern, with the wide
stripe described by his landlady. He
had sealskin cap which he pulled
down well over his face, and his coat
collar was turned up, partly Obscuring
his features, which were smooth Shaven
and full. The fact which confirms my
belief that my strange customer was
Tascott was that he never appeared
after ii was made known that he was
| got the st. Paul papers containing the
story that SMELLS murderer had been
discovered to be TascOtt, and the de-
scription given by Mrs. Wickes and the
ieweler. from whom he borrowed 81,
telling how he was dressed. 1t flashed
across my mind at once that had been
dealing with him every day for a week,
and Immediately took steps to make
my belief known
TO THE PROPER PERSONS.
Tascott must have seen the morning
papers himself, for he did not come
Saturday night, nor have seen or heard
anything from my strange customer
since. | knew MI. Smell very well, hav-
ing lived within stones throw of his
place in Chicago. He first set my
brother-in-law and myself up in bust
ness. | have communicated everything
not the least doubt in my mind that my
strange customer was TascOtt. He
seemed to have very little money, and /
put him down at first for 'SpOnger,' as
we call the people who read the papers
and do not buy"
C.. +. Jacobs is not in st. Paul and his
friends do not say where he has gone,
but it is surmiSed that he was sent for to
come to Chicago, that the authorities
might interview him in person. Gustave
Borup, Jacobs confidential friend. to
whom he first made known the fact that
he had seen Tascott, was found in his
Office, 10 Davidson block. He said:
Jacobs was positive that he had seen
Tascott. He ought to know him, for he
went to school with him. They met on
front of Brown & Treacy's printing es-
tablisllment, Wednesday afternoon, Feb
IA. Jacobs was on a pressing errand
just then. and only had time to recog-
nize Tascott as they passed. He had
intended to look up TaScOtt afterward,
but he was confined with winter cholera
for two days, and when he got out again
the news reached here that Tascott was
the murderer. He first confided the
fact that he had seen Tascott to
me. He is man of integrity, and would
never say so if he did not feel sure He
is out of town now-I don't know
where"
MIR. MUREIL SAW HIM.
o. Irving Murell is another man who
is sure he saw TaScott. A GLOBE re-
depot ut the foot of ROSabel street yes
terday and he reiterated his statements
published i'm the GLOBE of Thursday
morning. 81 am dead sure that Will
lam B. Tascott was here" said he. 81
had seen Tascott when L used to run
out of Chicago. and he was brakeman
on trains running out of the Fort
Wayne depot. / was not very intimately
acquainted with him, but had seen him
often enough so that when he asked me
il did not remember Will Tascott, I
was sure did"
"How long did he stay in your Officer"
asked the reporter.
81 think he was here more than an
hour" said Mr.. Mureil. 81 was busy
counting up my cash when he came in
and paid little attention to him. l was
not pleased at the article in the GLOBE,
from which it would appear that l had
been a bosom friend Of the young man,
Pioneer Press, but did not say in that
note that | had never seen TascOtt. |
know that he was here. He was neatly
dressed-wore Prince Albert coat and
Derby hat"
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