Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-30
HE HELPED MURDER SMELL.
The Sensational Confession of a
Dying Convict Ia Chicago.
TAscoTr USED AS A cArsPAw,
He Stood Guard While Two Accom-
plices Robbed the Mansion aud
Took the Life of the
Wealthy Owner.
James G,l,an's Cory Hand.

James Gillan's Cory Hand.
CHICAGO, Sept. 29.-The tribune this morn
ing prints four column story about con-
vict named James Gillian, who is said to have
confessed on his dying bed that he fred one
of the shots which killed A. j.. Smell, while
Tascott stood guard on the outside of the
house in which the tragedy occurred. The
convicts name was James Gillian.
At the time of the Smell murder, February
8, 1888, Gillian occupied rooms over John j.
Kelleher's saloon, at No. 546lS West Madison
street, the second door west of Latin on the
south side of the street. He was thus within
a few blocks of the Smell residence. at the
northwest corner of Washington boulevard
and Ada street, aud in the center of the dis
trict in which so many burglaries were at
this time committed and afterwards laid
wholly at Tascott's door.
August 81, 1883, Mrs. j. II. Collander, of
No. 1S6 Elm street, on entering her bed
room, saw a man dart into the closet. She
turned the key on him. The next day Jus
tlce Kersten sentenced Gillian, whom the
man proved to be- to one year in the Jail.
While serving this time he was taken sick
with pneumonia. He was sent to the county
hospital March 5 of this year and died March
10. Before dying Gillian sent for priest
anu nlhue u Iull CO0leSSlOn. w Hab ne Silu
to the priest, whose name Is Father Sulll-
van, is locked among the secrets Of the con-
fession, but it was learned that previous to
this he mad made clean breast of his con-
nection with the Smell murder to lawyer
whom he had retained in anticipation OF ar
rest. 10 the lawyer, whose name the Trl-
bune says is at the service of the police, Gill
Ian said:
"Shortly before the murder of Snell
man whom know well, met me and asked
If |
job told him was doing nothing and was
trying to get some work, honest work; that
it went pretty hard with me. l told him [
had no money and most any kind of decent
Job would suit me. He said he had one, the
safest work imaginable, just like picking up
money in the street, no risk, no danger, nor
likelihood of trouble of any kind. 1t was to
rob rich mans house, where there were
only an old man-Snell-and some small
children and couple of women servants at
home.
u consented to meet this fellow and a
third man and help in the job.
1--WE met and went to the house. The
third man was stationed across the corner
to give alarm in case of suspicious move
ments on the outside.
who the man on the watch was 1 didn't
know then, but l now know he must have
been Tascott.
Just as / got the parlor door open l
looked up and there stood the old man at the
head of the stars. He saw me and swore at
me. lost no time in getting inside OF tne
parlor and was about to try to open the con-
Meeting doors when shot was fired from
the hall or stairway. This ratJled me n little,
and, not daring to make u noise by forcing
the doors, went back to the door had come
in by from the hall. i had relied on the rep
resentation that it would be quiet party,
and only had with me the small pocket pistol
usually carry. When Snell saw me the
second timc at the parlor door he again
began his loud talk, saying he had me in
hnln hn ont Gh ma mr.
bone in my body. just then my companion
showed at the rear of the hall and head of
tine basement stars. The old man had been
trying TO fire his revolver at me, but could
not make it go off for some reason. He now
turned to the man at the head of the stairs,
and the violent language which he had used
toward me was mild compared with that
with which he assalled the newcomer.
IL thought to take advantage of this diver
sion and step past Smell through the hall,
but could not. AT this time he succeeded in
| again firing his revolver, and toward me.
| had not shown mine, but finding his work
ing again, and fearing my life, shot with
| out sighting or taking other aim than by
| holding the pistol toward him, Almost at
| the same instant saw his flash my com.
| panion fired, and it was evident Smell was
badly wounded by one or both of US, for he
| staggered and in a short time fell dead in
the hall.
"'We lit out as fast as we could get away,
| going out by the rear basement door, and
| then out by the alley TO the street. So much
noise had Deen made we feared the whole
| neighborhood would be aroused and after us,
| but we got away without observation. l was
| the younger and got away the faster, going
| to Randolph street as fast as | could run,
| and then making my way to the agreed rem
devious. There my companions gave me
| Sl27 as my share of the money.
~ did not want TO kill or even shoot at
| Smell, but he gave me no other choice than
| to disable him or be killed by him. / shot
| int tn 1isahla him / do lknn,v
| where my ball HIT nor which OF us killed
| him.n
Two bullets of different sizes were found
IN Mr.. SMELLS body. On the Tascott theory
| those working on the case have found it nee
/ essary to believe that Iascott used two
| pistols of different calibre-an unheard of
thing in even deliberately planned murder
requiring only two shots. Much effort has
owned two pistols. Gillan's statement that
| he and his companion each fired shot ac-
| counts for the two UNEQUAL bullets.
AS TO Tascott's part in the tragedy, there
| are excellent reasons for believing that Gil
| lan's statement generating him from direct
| complicity may be correct 1t is known
| from Gillans former associates at Kelleher's s
that he had been IN the habit of using Tas-
cotu, who was not under the suspicion of the
| police, as an agent between himself and the
| purchasers of his stolen goods
| In this connection il is said on the author
| ity of Tascotts brother that Tascott, on
| hearing While III Madison, WIS, that he was
| charged with the murder, came to Chicago
on funds supplied by the brother TO declare
his innocence and stand trial. He consulted
| la Sale street attorney. The attorney
investigated the crcumstanJial evidence
| which had been heralded as sufficient TO
convict him, and advised him TO stand tnal.
Tascott learned, however, of the discovery
of a lot Of stolen property in his closet which
he had been secreting for Gillian. He
| learned that this property, consisting of fine
/ rrtNtt mo n q "A n ma
| identified by various west side residents
whose houses Gillian had pillaged. He rea-
lized that if he escaped on the charge OF
| murder he would be convicted for receiving
stolen goods if not for robbery. He deter
mined TO leave Chicago again and did 30.
Father Sullivan Denies the Story.
CHICAGO, Sept 29.-Father Sullivan was
seen to-day and emphatically denied the
above story IN toto. One of the two other