Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-11
NOT In CHINA.
Some Straight Points About
TascOtt.
THE STORY OFHIS ESCAPE,
What the Murderer's Cousin Told
About the Atfair-A Cautious
Narrator.

Mr.. E. 7. Phelps, the musician of the
Matte Vickers Company, is the gentle
man through whose medium the recent
story that appeared up north to the sup
port that Tascott is in China, was given
to the public. A HERALD man called on
Mr.. Phelps yesterday, and asked him il
the article as it appearedin the Chronicle
is correct.
SIN some particulars, yes, and in 9TH
ers no, certainly not" responded the
musician. "I will tell you the whole
thing exactly as l know it, and you will
find it will differ very mater.
tally from what the Chronicle
reporter who only saw me for a minute
or two at the train, said. l went into q
saloon in San Francisco, and, standing al
the bar, was woman whose face seemed
familiar to me. When she looked in my
direction the recognition became mutual,
and asked her if 1 had not known her
in Chicago. She said 'yes,' and then
told me her name was Maude CAN'T, and
that che was the deserted wife of Myron
CAN'T, fellow used to know on the
Chicago Herald. We had quite a chat
about old times, and when !
left l made an appointment to
see her again. Talking about her
in the saloon the next day the bar
keeper told me that she claimed to be a
cousin of Tascott, the murderer of Smell.
He said that when under the influence OF
liquor, as she occasionally got, she talked
good deal about tie hunted man, and
claimed that che could say where he was
any day."
the affair."" said Mr.. Phelps, throwing
away his cigarette and warming up to
the subject, ''and when l saw her again
/ brought up the topic in conversation.
She was very reticent at first, but grad
ually her tongue loosened, and finally
she told me the story"
TAsCoTT's COUSINS STORY.
"The night of the MURDER" she said
81 was at home alone, and was surprised
by the sudden arrival of my cousin Tas-
colt. He was very much excited, and,
telling me that his life was in my hands,
he said: Il have killed old Snell.' l
nearly tainted at the awful disclosure,
but he begged me to secrete him some.
where. The ties of blood were to me
stronger than justice, and found him a
hiding-place in the house. Fearful that
the detectives would suspect his where.
abouts and search the building, /
decided to get him away as soon
as possible, and at the end of two days l
put scheme l had matured into effect.
Under cover and disguise removed him
to another house in the city and kept
him there until l could get him clear
away. The way did it was as follows
I went to st. Paul and from there wrote
letters to him as his wife, 80 that if he
were arrested while travelling to meet
me he could throw the officers off the
scent. When he finally started on the
trip he was disguised SO completely that
his own mother would not have recog-
nized him. He reached st. Paul in
safety and then went west"
Mr.. PHELPS BECOMES CAUTIOUS.
Mr.. Phelps suddenly stopped in his
narration and said: Look here, 1 don It
want to be drawn into this thing any
deeper" He then refused to 60 on with
his story and close questioning could
not get much out of him.
tell me one thing" asked the re-
porter; sis Tascott in Gilman"
81 cannot tell you for certain" was
the reply, "but l certainly, in my own
mind, would say no. Ny reasons for
this statement are many. In the first
place, had Maude Gantz's confidence
more than the up-country reporter could
have got in few days, and she never
told me that he had crossed
the Pacific. There are also sew
eral reasons why such a story
is incorrect. First, he would not have
risked detection at any of the Pacific
ports, which are all closely watched by
detectives. Then, never in the course of
any of our confidential talks about the
matter was China ever, even remotely
referred to. Again, she received no let
ter from China, that know because, -"
Mr.. Phelps stopped again and became
examination and then he said, "I can
tell you this much, that if knew where
to lay my hands on him would do 80 at
once, because the 1000 reward is not
to be sneezed at. tell you candidly
however, that Mrs. Gantz has enough
sense to keep religiously to herself the
exact place weere he is now, and think
that the reason she told the Chronicle
man that Tascott is in China was because
she smelt rat and wanted to throw the
investigator off the scent. Why, have
seen enough in black and white to con-
vince -"
Mr., Phelps came to another sudden
halt just as he was evidently about to be
led away to say something about some
letters he had seen, in all probability the
missives being from the fugitive. He
would have nothing more to say directly
about the subject, but when questioned
as to whether he knew if she were
Tascott's mistress at the time of the
murder, he said: "No, believe not.
You see she has only been separated
from her husband about five months,
and when the murder was committed,
over year ago now, she was living in
her home. And wish you would also
give me the privilege of denying the
Chronicles statement that she was living
with me. 1t is a positive untruth. /
only met her occasionally, and simply
chatted about old times. Outside OF the
saloon, where che came to have drink
occasionally, / was only with her twice
once at the postoffics, and again in an
afternoon"
Mr.. Phelps evidently felt keenly the
slur that had been cast upon him, and
this can be readily understood, as his
home is in Chicago, and his relations are
of the best people of the town. 1t is very
evident that during the close acquaint'
ance he had with Mrs. CAN'T, he
obtained possession of pointers thai
would probably lead TO the tracking down
81 I,..A = k.....- kl.nt