Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-01
SNELLMYSTERYENDS
Tascott, Dying In a Klondike
 Hovel, Confessed.
CRIME COINITTED FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
Found by Miner and Prospecter Rob- ertson Half Starved I'm the Will derness, Yet Afraid of Arrest.
 Fills Unmarked Grave.

Fills Unmarked Grave.
 CHICAGO, June 1.-Amos J. Shell, millionaire holder of much property On the west side of Chicago, was mur- dered at his home in Washington boulevard on the night of Feb. 8, 1888, and robbery was declared to be the motive, although by many it then was and still is believed that the burglary was concocted. However, after many l arrests, the police hit upon the Willie Tascott clew. Tascott had been an elevator boy at the Palmer House. It was represented that he had been em- ployed by day and committed rob berries at night
 A special from Victoria, B. O., says that if the voluntary declaration of dying man is to be believed fnis has been written to the historic Shell trage- | 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, whither he had fled 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 Iklondike capital, he says, late last fall in small boat bound for the new placer grounds at Fairbanks. He reached point near Dahl river, in a particular desolate and forbidding region. when the for < lorn wailing of dog surprised his ears. He found the dog, 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- cealed in clump of spruce.
 II yentured to the door of the shack and knocked says Robertson, land there was feeble Come in.' All was of a fire I caught sight of bit of candle, which lighted, and then ad- vanced to where man lay.
 with a feeble effort he turned and stared at me for a full minute. Then he said:
 "sAre you an officer?'
 'sThe question amazed me bit. 'No,' said; I am miner, and if there is anything can do for you'll want to do it.
 .'I soon had a Ire going and again approached the bed. The mans hair was white as snow his face had a color In it that looked like death and he had the most terrified and helpless expression I have ever seen on hu- man being.
 a aoiS HuolIu No1linO over on his side and little more than =whispering. I'm leaving world that did not appreciate. I'm going to hell, where belong
 "He Iapsed into silence again, and what thought was sleep came over him. Two hours passed, and he sud- denly wakened, with shriek, and then sank back in bed. Tn a few minutes he gave another wild scream and straight ened up in bed. Then in a voice you would think 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 like a wolf for years. can not 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 Tascott, and you can tell the world too, for the world has hunted me long time
 About o'clock in the morning heard noise like man expelling all the air from his lungs. I rushed over to the bed and felt the mans pulse and heart. He was dead
 "The next day his partners got back, and I 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 at their meal, but they buried the man. and rolling up their things in a 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.