The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-06-01
TASCOTT, MURDERER OF
MILLIONAIRE SMELL, IS.
DEAD IN ALASKAN WILDS
Hunted Over All the Earth, He
Flees to the Klondike and
Perishes Miserably.
DEATH-BED CONFESSION
Prospector's Dramatic Story of the
Chicago Fugitive's End in
Lonely, Cherries Cabin.
HIS HAIR SNOW WHITE
And His Expression Like that of'a
Hunted Animal-Tortured
by His Conscience.
HIS HAIR SNOW WHITE

VICTORIA, B. c.. May 31.-If the vol
untary declaration Of a dying man is TO be
believed 'hnis'' has been written to the
historic Smell tragedy of fifteen years ago
and Tascott. the Iong-sought murderer.
self-identified. has paid the penalty of his
crime with penitence and now fills an TN
marked grave in the heart OF the Alaskan
wilderness, whittier he had fed for the
effacement of his individuality.
Philip Robertson. a reliable man, pros
pector and miner. received the young mans
confession and tells the story simply and
dramatically. Robertson left the Klondtke
capital, he says, last fall in a small boat
bound for the new placer grounds at Fair
banks He reached point on the Dahl river.
In a particularly desolate and forbidding
region. when the forlorn wailing of dog
surprised his ears. He found the dog,
half-starved shepherd. seemingly in much
distress. Following this animal Robertson
was brought to a seemingly deserted cabin
some 100 yards above the river, built in
clump OF spruce trees.
II ventured to the door OF the shack and
knocked" says Robertson. "and there was
a feeble come in All was darkness inside
and there was no sign of a fire. l caught
sight of bit of candle. which L lighted
and then advanced TO where a man lay.
With feeble effort he turned and stared
at me for a full minute. Then he said:
Are you an officer? The question
amazed me a bit.
+" No. said L am a miner and If there
is anything 1 can do for you 1 want to
do it,
IT soon had a fire going and again ap
preached the bed The mans hair was
white as snow, his face had a livid color
in ii that looked like ath and he had
the most terrified and hopeless expression
/ have ever seen on human being.
" Partner he said finally, rolling over
his side. and little more than whisper
ing, I'm leaving a world that did not ap-
preciate. I'm going to where 1 belong
HE lapsed into silence again and what
I thought was a sleep came over him. Two
hours passed and he suddenly wakened
with a shrek and then sank back : in
bed .
Ina few minutes he gave another wild
scream and Strengthened up in bed. Then
in a voice you would think came from a
good. strong man. he said:
" See here, boys, my name is Tasc9tt.
I'm Tascott. Do you understand? fm
Tascott that they have been hunting like
a wolf for years. / cannot run any more.
I'm getting paid for what l did L know
Tell the boys when they come back that
/ am Tascott, and you can tell the world,
too for the world has hunted me long
time
About o'clock in the morning / heard
a noise like a man expelling all the air
from his lungs. i rushed over 10 the bed
and felt the mans pulse and heart. He
was dead.
1.-The next day his partners got back end
i told them what happened. They were the
strangest fellows I've ever met in the
North. They did not say who they We're.
They did not thank me for staying
with their dead. They did not even ask
me to join them at their meal, but they
buried the man. and. rolling up, their
things in a blanket pack. they started
across country in the direction of the
Koyukuk Before going one of them came
TO me abruptly:
" See here he said. you've seen end
heard what you've heard. You can't make
anything by talking about it. He's dead
and that's all there is to it
Before / could ask him anything he
had struck the trail and that was the last
i OF him. have never told about this
until now, but that dead man asked me TO
make his story public and so | do So
solemnly believe that he tortured to
death by thinking of his own life and the
crime he had committed and | believe he
told the truth in saying he was Tascptt.
It's my opinion that his partners knewi IL,
too