The Van Buren press., 1904-06-04
WILLIE TASCOTT"
DIES ONCE MORE
This Time He Passes Away in a
Klondike Cabin.
STORY BELIEVED TO BE TRUE
Philip Robertson, "a strictly Reliable
Man, PrOspector and Miner, Re-
ceiNed the Dying Mans Confess
sion and Tells the story.

News from Victoria, B. c., says
IF the voluntary declaration of a
dying man is to be believed, fnis has
been written TO the historic Smell trag-
edy of Is years ago, and Tascott, the
long-sought murderer, self-identfed,
has paid the penalty Of his crime with
penitence and now fills an unmarked
grave in the heart OF the Alaskan will
derness, whittier he had fed for the
effacement of his individuality.
philip Robertson, strictly reliable
man, prospeCtor and miner, received
the dying mans confession, and tells
Il story simply and dramatically.
Robertson left the Klondike capital, he
says, late last fall in a small boat
bound for the new placer grounds at
Fairbanks He reached a point near
Dahl river in a particularly desolate
and forbidding region, when the for
ears He found the dog, a Lalf-staryed
shepherd, in evident distress, Follow
ing this animal, Robertson was brought
to a seemingly deserted cabin some 4OO
yards above the river, concealed in a
clump Of spruce.
81 ventuTed 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. ! caught sight
Of bit of candle on the table, which
| lighted and then advanced to where
man lay
with a feeble effort he turned and
stared at me for a full minute, then
he said: Are you an officer?'
The question amazed me bit
NO | said. I am a miner, and Il
there is anything ! can do for you
want to do it,
81 soon had a fire going, and again
approached the bed. The mans hair
was white as snow, his face had a
LIQUID color in it that looked like death
and he had the most terrified and hope
less expression | have ever seen on .
human being
Partner he said, finally rolling
over on bis side, and little more than
whispering, I'm leaving a world that
did not appreciate. I'm going to -,
where ] belong
He lapsed into silence, and what |
thought was a sleep came over him.
Two hours passed, and he suddenly
wakened with a shrek and then sank
back in bed
II Am rascott."
"ln a few minutes he gave another
wild scream and Strengthened up in
bed. Then in voice you would think
only came from a good, strong man,
he said; See here, boys my name is
Tascott I'm Tascott DO you under
stand? I'm Tascott that they've been
hunting Ike a wolf for years | cant
run any more I'm getting paid for
what did, know I'm dying, and |
know where I'll go Tell the boys
when they come back that | am Tas-
colt, and you can tell the world, too
for the world has hunted me long
time
"Abou. three in the morning ! heard
noise like a man eXpelling all the
air from his lungs ! rushed over to
the bed and felt the mans pulse and
heart He was dead,
"The next day his partners got back
and told them what happened They
were the strangest fellows I've ever
met in the north. They didn't say
who they we're They didn't even
thank me for staying with their dead.
They didn't even ask men TO join them
at their meal, but they buried the man,
and rolling up their things in a
blanket packet, they started across
country in the direction OF Koyukuk
Before going, one Of them came to
me abruptly, See here he said you've
seen and heard what you've heard, You
cant make anything by talking about
t. He's dead, and that's all there Is
10 &C.
Before could ask him anything
he had struck the trail, and that was
the last saw OF him ! have never
told about shis until nov, but that dead
man asked me TO make his story pub
lIc and no do 80. solemnly believe
that he was tortured TO death by
thinking Of his own life, and the belief
that he was always the object Of pur-
suit, and | AZ surely believe that he
told the truth in saying he was Tas-
colt lt's my opinion that his part
ners knew II, too"
w n, Hovrlis iionored.
lordon, June Oxford university