Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-06-01
SMELL MwYSTERYENDS
Tascott, Dying In a Klondike
Hovel, Confessed.
CRIME COMMITTED FIFTEEN YEARSAGO
Found by Miner and PrOspectOr Rob-
ertson Half Starved In the Will
derness, Yet Afraid of Arrest
Fills mari rave.

Fills nmarke Grave.
CHICAGO, June 1.-Amos j. Smell,
q millionaire holder of much property
Oh thew west side of Chicago, was muir
dered at his home in Washington
boulevard on the night of Feb. 3, 1893.
and robbery was declared to be the
motive, although by many 1t then was
and still is believed that the burglary
was concocted. However, after many
arrests, the police hit upon the Willie
Tascott clew. Tascott had been an
elevator boy at the Palmer House. Ii
was represented that he had been en-
ployed by day and committed rob
berries at night.
a special from Victoria, B. c., says
that if he voluntary declaration of Il
dying man is to be believed a fms has
been written to the historic Smell TRACE
dy of fifteen years ago and TascOtt, the
long sought murderer, self identified,
has paid the penalty of his crime with
penitence and now fills an unmarked
grave in the heart Of the Alaskan
wilderness, whittier he had fed for the
effacement of his individuality.
Philip Robertson, a strictly reliable
man, prospector and miner, received
the dying mans confession and tells
the story simply and dramatically.
Robertson left the KlOndike capital,
he says, late last fall in II small boat
bound for the new placer grounds at
Fairbanks. He reached a point near
Dahl river, in a particular desolate
and forbidding region, when the for
lorn wailing of a dog surprised his
ears. He found the dog, a half starved
shepherd, apparently in much distress.
Following this animal, Robertson was
brought to a seemingly deserted cabin
some 400 yards above the river, con
cchled in a clump of spruce.
Il ventured to the door of the shack
and Knocked" says Robertson, land
there was a feeble Come in All was
darkness inside, and there was no sign
of a fire. l caught sight of a bit of
candle, which l lighted, and then ad-
vanced to where Il man lay.
with a feeble effort he turned and
stared at NE for Il full minute. Then
he said:
care you an OfiicerT
1.-THE question amazed me q bit. NO.
| said; L am n miner, and if there is
anything l car do for you l want to
do it.
Il soon had a fire going and again
was white as snow, his face had a
color in 1t that looked like death, and
he had the most terrified and helpless
expression l have ever seen on Il hu-
man being.
"'Partner,' he said finally, rolling
over on his side and little more than
whispering, I'm leaving a world that l
did not appreciate. I'm going to hell,
where l belong
He lapsed into silence again, and
what l thought was a sleep came over
him. Two hours passed, and he sud
denly wakened, with a shrek, and then
sank back in bed. In a few minutes he
gave another wild scream and straight
ened up in bed. Then in a voice you
would think came from Il good, strong
he said: See here, boys, my name
Is Tascott. I'm Tascott. Do you under
stand? I'm Tascott that they've been
hunting like n wolf for years. l can
not run any more. I'm getting paid for
what l did. l know I'm dying, and |
know where I'll go. Tell the boys when
they come back that l am Tascott, and
you can tell the world. too, for the
world has hunted me n long time
about 3 o'clock in the morning l
heard Il noise like a nan 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 l told them what happened. They
were the strangest fellows I've ever
met In the north. They did not say
who they were. They did not even
thank me for staying with their dead.
They did not even ask me to join them
Mt their meal, but they buried the man,
and, rolling up their things in Il blan-
ket pack, 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 can't make anything by talking
about it. He's dead, and that's all
there is to it.