Huntsville gazette., 1890-11-15
DID TAscoTT KILL sNEllq

the Murder of Banker Smell in Chica 60
~ singular and Suggestive Letter to
the Chicago Herald from AIrs. Albert j.
oneii, Daughter-in Law of the Murdered
Mah-A Hint that the Murderer May
haye Been Nearer Home than Tascott.
1HIcAGo, H., Nov. 1L-Mrs. Albert
D. Smell, daughter-in-law of the mill
lonaire who was mysteriously killed by
burglars three years ago, and for the ar
rest OF whose murderers a reward of
So0,0 900 was offered, has sent in strange
letter to the Herald Office. 1t reads:
EDITOR OF THE HER,LD-Will you kindly
INFORM me, as have no other source of in
formation. whether or not the reward for
sNlllie' Tascott still holds good II so. why
IS nc not forthcoming, as it is welfknown
TACT tnat he IS within easy reach OF the Chi
cago authorities? Why is one man allowed
to handle so important case, and since he
has had entire control we have had no de-
velopments? j wish 1t understood that my
self and husband are anxious for develop
ments, as three years have nearly expired
since our friend and father was foully mur-
dered.
The murder of old man Smell and the
subsequent pursuit of Will-o' the-Wisp
Iascott, one of the supposed murderers,
form one of the chapters of ono of the
most remarkable criminal stories of the
county. The crime was the climax of a
series of burglaries in the West Side,
and after a detective hunt lasting ten
days, it was discovered that boy
named William Tascott was either as
sociated with the murderer or was the
assassin himself The chase for Tas-
colt has been unceasing. 1t is estimat-
ed that officers have travelled 100, 00G
miles in running down false clews.
A.. j. Stone, the dead millionaires
son-in-law, who was appointed one of
the executors of the big estate, was the
controlling spirit of the schase. He
directed all that was done and spent
weeks in travelling after the mysteri-
Gus Tascott who was so frequently ar
rested but always proved to be some
body else Interest in tho famous case
was dying out, when Mrs. Snell's letter
was published this morning. The COM
munication has caused an intense SEN
sation. Mrs. Smell was interviewed at
the Victoria Hotel and said:
81 wrote just what ! felt" she said. /
think it is nearly time that something
should be done toward catching the
murderer of Mr.. Smell, and my husband
is Of the same mind. If the search has
been abandoned and the reward for
Tascott withdrawn we would like to
know it, as both Mr.. Smell and myself
feel that it is our duty to take up the
case and pursue it to the end
''Do you think you may take it up
eyentuallyr'
Eyes, but when we do we will not
offer reward for Tascott. We will Of
fer a reward for the murderer, and, what
is m ore, we will place the whole case in
the hands of the Pinkertons or some
other detective agency"
rs Tascott within reach Of the po-
lice?"
Il know that an Italian who kept a
restaurant at 408 Madison street last
summer came to my husband and told
him that he knew that Tascott was
employed at place less than thirty
five miles from Chicago. My husband
sent him to Mr.. Stone, who has charge
of the matter, and a short time after
ward he received word from his mother
that the man was an imposter. So far
as we know no effort was made to sub
stantiate or disprove the mans sta te-
ment.
''Do you think Tascott is the mur-
derer?'
II am not prepared to answer that
question. | know, however, that that
boys name was dragged before the pub
lie on the theory that the crime was
committed by burglars.
Mrs. Smell said that man who knew
the com bination opened the safe on the
night of the murder, and she was posi-
tive that Tascott did not possess that
knowledge. In guarded way Mrs.
Smell left it to be inferred that some
body who was intimately acquainted
with the old millionaire and knew the
value of the papers the safe contained
committed the murder.