The evening world., 1888-02-18

Had Plenty of Money and Was Given
Every Opportunity 20 Reform-Masquc-
rading as n Newspaper Reporter and
HousebreakinH ut Night He Even
Robbed One of His Best Frlonds-A
strong Chain of Evidence.
ESPECIAL TO THE woRLp.l
CHICAGO, Feb. 1S.-When the story Of the
murder of Millionaire Amos j. Smell is com-
pleted by the punishment of his murderer,
it will be one of the most extraordinary mar
~ratives in recent criminal history.
The more that is known of the career and
position of William b. Tascott, the young
assassin, the more extraordinary it appears.
He comes of one of the most respectable
families in Chicago. Col. James b. Tascott,
his poor old father, has been an honored
citizen here for thirty years. He is president
of the j. b. Tascott Manufacturing Company,
a large house in the paint trade. In business
circles he is we'll known as an honorable and
successful man. He is worth several hundred
thousand dollars and lives in an elegant
house at No. lao South Ashland avenue.
His first wife died about eighteen years ago.
He is now living with his second wife. She
is prominent in West Side society and is q
lovely woman. The Colonel is a fne-looking
old gentleman, with a long, white beard and
a kindly. benevolent face. BY his first wife
he had three ~sons-Frank, now thirty-ive,
associated with his father in business, Fred.
who died a year ago. and William b.
There never was q shadow of disrepute
upon the family name except what the
youngest son has brought upon it.
William had every care lavished upon him,
but he was q wild boy from his youngest
days. He was incorrigible by the time he
was seven years old. He had a natural. in
born taste for low associates and total de-
pravity.
His father was kind and indulgent and his
home was as pleasant as a home could be.
His stepmother took a particular fancy to
him. and she has been his steadfast friend in
all his hayward career. He had plenty of
spending money: His father denied him
nothing; but when he was sixteen he ran
away and was not heard from for several
years.
He had deliberately chosen to be a pro-
fessional thief.
1t was a sort of mania with him. He trav-
elled about the country under assumed
After he had been gone three years he was
arrested for a burglary in Louisville and
sentenced to two years in the Kentucky State
Prison.
When he was released he anne back to Chi;
cago. His father had heard of his crime and
imprisonment, but he opened his house to
him, supplied him with ample means and
gave him every. opportunity to reform.
William professed p~enitence, and for a
while seems to have led an honest life. He
is not known to have committed any crime
until three months ago. Then he left his
fathers house and took a room at the board
ing-house of Mrs. Ella Wicks, No. 474 Madi-
him with means, and William told him he
was looking for employment and intended to
support himself.
He told Mrs. Wicks that his name was
Scott; that he was a reporter on a morning
paper, aud that he wouldtherefore have to be
out at night n great deal.
About this time burglaries began to be of
nightly occurrence on Ashland avenue, a
fashionable street. not far from where young
Tascott was rooming.
Three or four houses were entered every
night. The burglars seemed to pursue q reg
ular system. going through the block from
one end to the other.
was ont every night, and that when he re-
turned he usually had q man with him. Once
she noticed a partly burned fuse in his
room.
ing of Feb. 8, when the house of Mr.. Smell
was entered and he was murdered. Young
| Mr.. Scott came home about 8 O'Clock that
morning. At 9 O'Clock he was up again and
going away. He might be gone three weeks
or three months. but he wanted to keep the
room and did not want it disturbed.
Mrs. Wicks- did not think further about the
matter until Monday, when she went into
Mr.. SCOTS room to do some cleaning. She
was astonished to find in his closet a heap Of
silverware of different patterns.
There was so much of it that her suspicious
were aroused, and she told the police. They
came and took away the silver. Much of It
was identified by the Ashland avenue resi-
dents as the plumber of the recent burglaries.
The police began to look for Scott with the
idea of catching the Ashland avenue burglar.
While young Tascott was protesting peni-
tence he used to go to prayer-meetings. One
night he met there Mrs. Henrietta Owsley.
She is the widow of John Z. Owsley, and
lives in a fine large stone mansion IN the
corner of Ashland avenue and West Van
Buren, street.
She is a member of the Third Presbyterian
Church and devoted to works OF charity and
philanthropy.
Will Tascott is a handsome, plausible
young man, and Mrs. Owsley took a liking to
him. She knew his family. and thought she
could reform him and make a good man of
him. She invited him to her pleasant home
and made him acquainted with her sons, and
gave him the most kindly attention.
On the morning of Saturday, Jan 2s, Mrs.
Owsley discovered that her house had been
bUrglariZed. The rear door was open, and q
number of small articles, such as spoons and
napkin rings were missing. A fine gray oyeI-
coat was one of the articles stolen.
The police were given a description of the
stolen goods. Two days later Detective
Hoffman found the o%yercoat in the second
hand clothing store of Harry Flower, West
Madison street. 1t had been pawned by a
well-dressed young man, who gave the name
of l.. Scott, and who had received only 81 for
the coat.
Flower gaye DETECTIVE Holman an aScu-
Owsley visited Flowers place, and when
Scott was described TO her lhe recognized