Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-30
THE lei

The mysterious murder of Smell, the
Chicago millionaire, some months age
is still a mystery and is liable to remain
so. While the excitement in regard to
the matter was at its height, the best de.
tectiye skill in the country was secured,
and all name of clues followed and
theories advanced. Finally the aggre-
gated wisdom Of detectives decided that
one Tascott was guilty of the deed, and
at once a search for the man was begun
and all points in this country, and many
in other countries have since been
secured by the officials, but the fugitive
was too swift for them. Now, however,
comes a story that his body has been
found In Milwaukee Bay, and that a
bottle containing a statement from him
had been found near by. The body it is
further stated contained pistol wounds
and the theory is that the man COM
mitted suicide. 1t is rather a thin story
and until the Identification is complete
and Tascott absolutely connected with
the murder, by proofs, there is no reason
to believe that he committed the deed or
that the body found is his. The case is
a complete repetition of the great Nathan
murder which took place years ago in
New York, the perpetrator of which has
never yet been discovered so far rs the
public are advised. At that time all
the best detective skill in the East includ-
ing the forces Of New York, Philadelphia,
Boston, Baltimore and Washington,
SO say nothing Of the special agencies,
were anxious participants in attempting
to unrayel the mystery. After the burial
OF Nathan, the New York Office placed one
of its shrewdest operators in charge Of |
the case, and with a plausible theory he
decided that the culprit was Billy Forces
ter, a most notorious burglar, who had a
short time previous escaped from Joliet
prison, and was at large. Immediately
a reward Of $500 was offered for the
arrest OF Forester, and eighteen months
later he was picked up by a Washington
detective who did not know him, on some
trivial charge. The chief of the service
however, recognized him and he was
taken to New York. the offered reward
paid by the executors Of the Nathan
estate, and then without even a prelimi-
vuv Irrp
tp1n. Of course the statement of a thief
must be taken with some grains of al
lowance, yet the denoument would in
dlcate that a story he told while under
arrest in Washington was not altogether
romance. He said that while the
alleged hunt for him was in progress he
mad been to New York twice, with the
'ull knowledge of the detective in charge
u the case. that the officer knew that he
vas an escaped convict, but knew also I
nat ne had not murdered Nathan, and '
nat his accidental arrest would annov 9
official more than it would him. for I
reason that SO long as he was at large c
0 long could the semblance of a hunt be Il
.ept up. He further said that the officers Q
new who committed the deed, a knowl- II
dye that was shared by the leading q
in New York. In the Smell case a
here is no reason to believe that there
rs been any COLLISION between the
d1cers and the alleged murderer, but ND NJ
that point there is a pointed and re- M
Iarkabie similarity between the two al
lines and the hunt for the criminal. pt