The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-06-11
THAT He
WAS TASCOTT
IN HIS RAWLINGS, MAN DYING IL
ALASKA WILDERNESS SAID HE
WAS THE CHICAGO MURDERER.


written to the historic Smell tragedy
of fifteen years ago, and Tascott, the
long sought murderer, self-identified,
having paid the penalty of his crime
with penitence, now fills an unmarked
grave in the neart of the Alaskan
wilderness. Philip Robertson, a strict
ly reliable man, prospector and miner,
received the dying mans confession,
and tells the story simply and dra-
matiCally. Robertson left the Elon-
dixie capital, he says, late last fall in
a small boat bound for the new placer
grounds at Fairbanks. He reached
point near Dahlney river, in a desc
late and forbidding region, when the
forlorn wailing of dog surprised
him. He found the dog, half starved
sherperd, in much distress. Following
the animal Robertson was brought to
a seemingly deserted cabin some 400
yards above the river, concealed i'm a
chump of spruce.
81 ventured to the door of the shack
and Knocked" said Robertson, land
! there was a feeble Come in All was
darkness inside, and there was no
/ sign of a fire. ! caught sight of a bit
.
and then advanced to where a man
! lay With a feeble effort he turned
and stared at me for full minute
Ihen he said: are you an oflicer?"
"Ine question amazed me a bit
! No. | said, 4 am miner, and if 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 as white as snow, his face had a
| livid color in it that looked like death,
and he had the most terrified and
hopeless expression that | have ever
seen on human being.
Partner he said, finally, rolling
over on his side, and little more than
Whispering, I'm leaving world that
! did not appreciate. I'm going to
where l belong.
He lapsed into silence again. and
what ] thought was sleep came over
him. Two hours passed and he sud-
| denly Weakened with a shrek and then
sank back. In a few minutes he gave
another wild scream and Strengthened
up in bed. Then i'm a voice you would
think only came from a good strong
man, he said; See here, bows. my
name is Tascott I'm Tascott DO you
understand? I'm Tascott that they
have been hunting. They've been
hunting me like a wolf for wears.
can't run any more. I'm getting paid
Tor what | did. know I'm dying and
l know where I'll go. Tell the bows
when you go back that I'm Tascott,
and you can tell the world, too, for
the world has hunted me a long time
About 3 o'clock in the morning |
heard noise like man eXpelling all
the air from his lungs. l 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 had 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.
Ihey did not even ask be to ioin them
at their meal but they buried the man
rolled up their things in a blanket
pack ana started across country in the
direction of the ,oyuliul. Before 90
ing 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.
lie dead, and that's all there IS to it,
Before | could ask him anything
he had struck the trail, and that was
the last | saw of him."
The murderer of Amos j. Smell n
millionaire banker, was one of the
most startling events in the criminal
annals OF chicago. During the early
morning of eburary S, 1883, some per
sons entered the millionaire's house
on Washington boulevard, Chicago.
and murdered the old man in cold
blood. Robbery was apparently
the only purpose, as Smell was known
10 nave large sums o. money in sew
eral safes in the basement of the man
sion. The murder created the great
est eNciment and the police were for
time completely at loss upon
whom to fix the crime. Many arrests
were made, which, proving groundIess.
only added to the mystery.
Al last after pursuing many diver
gent theories, the police determined
upon William b. Tascott as the muir
derer a reward of $4,000 was imme-
dlately offered for his arrest The
startling features of the case were
'hat the supposed murderer was tbe
son or prominent and wealthy citi-
zen OF Chicago, who had been horn
ana raised within a few blocks of the
oneli residence Though well edu-
S"Deu' lascott early evinced a liking |
nv, Cyl companions and associations /
The family tried unavailingIv to re- re-.
FORM nm. One of his friends in
Nlted him to her house, and in return
young Iascott robbed her. He was
not prosecuted. For several weeks
PIi0r to the murder TPscott boarded
h %iri, mrs Wickes in the same neigh
Dorhood' and Immediately after the
Of Smell he disappeared.
rewards for the arrest of Tascott
aggregating $4,000 were offered. Int
no proved trace of him was ever fonnd
from mat day to this lie has been
reported as located in many countries
ana IL is peculiar fact tbot Of Iato
years lac has several Times s,,,,,,',.',,