The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-11
MISTAKEN FOR TASCOTT
POLICE THOUGHT THEY HAD THE
NOTED CHICAGO MURDERER.
William johnson, a WOrI<hOuse Pris-
Oner, "Recognized" as the Slayer
of Smell by the Police.

A mysterious young prisoner will be re-
leased from the workhouse this morning
and the police have been laboring for sew
eral days under the deluson that they had
caught the celebrated Willie Tascott,
wanted for the murder of Millionaire Smell
in Chicago, in 1887. Captain Quigley sent
a Photograph of the young man to Chicago
with the statement that he had been recog-
nized as Tascott but last night received
advices that he was not the man and the
order left with the workhouse officials to
hold him for the police upon the expira-
ton of his sentence this morning were
countermanded.
Before this was known a Journal re-
porter visited johnson" in his cell at the
workhouse, and a more painful interview it
would be hard to imagine. He is the young
man who endeavored to work various
officials in the courthouse by representing
himself as bearing the same name as the
man he accosted, and asking for money
to get to Chicago. He was sent up for
thirty days on May s. He looks to be about
twenty-three years old, whereas Tascott
would now be several years older and he
is of slender build, with short cropped dark
brown hair. black eyebrows and very white
complexion. He was sleeping in a gray
awakened.
What is it; some new charge trumped
up?" he asked in alarm, when he was
asked where he had come from. He was
assured that he was not talking to an Off
Ger of the law and that no effort was be-
ing made to entrap him, but it did not seem
to soothe him. He told in a broken and
incoherent way the story that he had been
to Washington to get work in the Govern
ment Printing Office, but could not get it
and had drifted here and applied for aid
to the township trustee.
Where did you go to Washington from?''
was asked.
Did you work in printing Office there?"
Yes, sir"
In a newspaper or job Office"
I'm a job office"
Which one?"
lit was IA small ofIice-and the peo-
pie are good people-they are not known
hanging over me-and They should not
be brought into this trouble Now per-
haps am not answering your questions
if you insist-but 1 don't know what you
want to get at"
1T is only fair. to tell you that, like one
or two hundred other people, you are
thought to be Willie Tascott.''
The prisoner looked steadily and appeal
lngly while his frame trembled like a leaf.
Il don't know about him" he said slowly
and it was explained that Tascott was
wanted for the murder of Smell. His man
ner gave no sign of intelligent recognition
of the subject, but his fright at such
possibility as being held for murder was
painful. While his whole frame shook so
that his head swayed back and forth he
commanded a smile that froZe into a look
that would make the fortune of TRACE
dian. You muSt-eXcuse me, he faltered,
Il am suffering from nervous prostra-
toni am not WE'LL" He chung to the
porters hand begging pitifully that he be
not misrepresented. Perhaps 1 have an
swered your questions as 1 ought" he
pleaded brokenly, but lit is known that
l am not brfght-my legs tremble so be-
cause I-my feet are on the cold stone floor.
Perhaps / am talking too much. What
would you do?"
II simply would not be frightened. 1t
will be but matter of a few hours to
prove your identity at Chicago and if in
nocent you need have no fear"
II know. Yes, feel all right-while
you are talking to me, but after you go
away fear-a feeling will come over me
that cannot express And all this time
he chung to his interyewer's hand like
drowning child, with his thin cheek flushed
and his brown eyes unnaturally distended
Even after the cell door had closed he
again caught the reporters hand through
the bars and appealed to him not to say
anything that would make it harder for
him. His language was that of an edu-
Gated boy. He has heretofore given no sign
OF suffering from nervousness at the work
house and has been extremely reticent
about himself and his origin with the other
prisoners.