The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-20
SMELLS MURDERER KNOWN.
A Shrewd BOARDING House Keeper
Furnishes the Clue

"A OAISWo OdI IAOCpOi
Furnishes the Clue.
The dispatches of the MORNING NEWS
contained the information that the muir
derer Of Amos j. Smell, the Chicago mill
ionaire, is William j. Tascott, the son of a
wealthy manufacturer of Chicago A Chi
cago special to the New York Sun furnishes
the following additional particulars: On
Friday night the police formally announced
that the mysterious Monroe street lodger
was William b, Tascott, and that he had
been Incorporating As "A newspaperreporter
He wrote several special articles for the
Times. His father lives at 40 South Ash
land avenue, near Monroe street. 1t Is
claimed that the police have discovered IN
an old ash barrel back of young TascOtts
boarding house several bits of paper which,
when put together form Il part Of prom
isSpry note stolen from the safe TascOtts
alias is Cartwright.
Tascott was "A familiar figure about the
newspaper offices IN the city. He is an in
telligent-loOking fellow, with blue eyes and
a high forhead. HIS work on the Times
was 50 satisfactory that he was promised
regular employment on the reportorial staff
He disappeared three days before the Smell
murder
HIS father, j. NJ Tascott, lives at 40 Ash
land avenue, in one of the most aristOcratic
quarters of the city, and is we'll known He
is literally crushed over the disclosures. He
said tonight that his son, while brilliant,
was a dare. devil sort of a fellow, who had
Travelled from Maine to Mexico. Although
never arrested, William has given the pO-
lice of the West Side considerable trouble.
The most damaging witness against the
missing murderer is Mrs. Ella :. WickS, the
keeper Of the Monroe street boarding house.
She says that at & O'Clock on the morning
of the murder, young Tascott entered the
kitchen for the OStenslble purpose of getting
some hot water While he was standing at
the stove he took big bundle of paper
from one OF his pockets and, lifting one of
the lids of the stove, thrust the documents
into the fire. Mrs. Wicks was suspicious
She asked the young man what he was do
ing. He said that he was burning a love
letter When Mrs. Wicks asked if there
were not more than one missive Tascott
gave an evasivo answer and left the room
Iii placing the lid back on the stove the
young man failed to push all the papers
into the fire. As soon rs he had passed
from sight, Mrs. WiCks seized the half
burnt remnants Of paper remaining in the
rim and examined them. One of the pieces
bore the figures 81, $50 This was the
amount of money A. j. stone paid TO the
millionaire the day before the murder, and
the receipt of which the burned fragment
safe by the burglars. This evidence of
guilt against young TaScott is now in the
hands of the police, who have now offered a
reward of $1,000 for the arrest and deten-
ton of the fugitive
Mrs Wicks is given the credit of running
the murderer down. Ever since the story
of the millionaires murder appeared in the
newspapers, the shrewd boarding house
keeper has been confident that her mysteri-
OuS lO1par had "a lnu1 in 4 no I1nr1pr
TascOtt'S partner is not known, but the
police are confident that he will be diScov-
cred. 1t is thought that TaScott cannot
long escape arrest, as he is well known in
the city and suburbs.
The estate of the dead millionaire was
admitted to probate to-day. Letters of
administration were granted to Mrs Hen
rietta Smell, the widow, and to Mr.. Stone, a
son-in-law, who gave bonds for only $780,
900, twice the value of the personal estate.
Banker Lazarus SilVerman and John j.
Crawford are the suretieS.
Considerable surprise was expressed at the
low appraisement of the estate as it was
generally supposed to be worthnot less than
$3,O00,OOO and perhaps over 5000, 900.
This was explained when it was announced
that about three years ago Mr.. Smell decided
to his wife real estate of the value of So, 000,-
600, which now stands in her name. In
GLIDING this the total value of the estate
will be about 81, 100000 The police circu-
lar describes him as William B. Tascott,
alias T. A. Gathright, alias Moore, alias
Scott, alias Clark, % or % years of age, 5
feet or inches high, l65 pounds weight,
slim built, very erect, full round face
heavy eyebrows, very fair complexion, dark
brown hair, thin on top of head, cut short;
large blue eyes, small thin dark moustache.
may be dyed: worn when last seen brown
ard gray stripped pants stripe One-half inch
wide, dark coat vest ard overcoat, black
silk hat, square top ring set with garnets
and pearls, one pearl missing. May carry
cane with a round, gold head engraved
with w. b. I. Ill monogram; also a rose
colored valise Is inches long and inches
deep, hung by strap over his shoulder
When he was IL he ran away from home
and was not heard from for several years.
He landed in the Kentucky pemtentiarv a
confirmed thief, and served term of two
years for burglary.