Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-24
A DR.. JEkYLL AND MIR. HYDE.
Forser GaskiITs Diary Admits He Has
Led Dual Existence

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Philadelphia, Pa, June PA dual
nature, a DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde ex-
istence, a life which in its sober mo-
ments saw a normal man, kind, con-
siderate, charitable, conservative, re-
morseful for errors and crimes COM
mitted in abnormal periods, but which
under the influence of drink developed
a reckless creature, a daring financier
unscrupulous and specious, a forger, a
gambler, a felon-such were the self
confessed characteristics of Benjamin
H. Gaskill. the broker, whose forgeries
caused the collapse of the City Trust
Company.
With death confronting him as the
inevitable result of his folly and mis-
deeds, the victim of this strange men,
tally gathered together the slips of
paper upon which he had jotted down
the stirring incidents of his meteoric
career, pinned them into diary form,
and sent them to his brother e. George
Gaskill, at 5212 Catharine street.
Now George Gaskill is dying, appar-
emily from dropsy and Brights disease,
but in reality from the effects of the
shock which attended the revelations
of his brothers duplicity, and the end
is only a matter of hours.
Drink, His Only Defense.
All that has been written about the
life of Gaskill and his skill and cum
ming in raising stock certificates has
been picturesque and absorbing, but it
sinks to the commonplace when the
dead brokers' own story is told.
Strong efforts have been made to
keep the existence of the diary from
the public, but it became known yes
terday that Gaskill, in odd moments
during his. life, and scrubbed his de-
Tense and explanation of charges, which
he must have known would develop
after his death.
That his criminal proclivities were
the result Of an appetite for liquor is
the dead mans defense, spoken from
the grave.
Never once did I do wrong when
sober" he wrote. when I was sober
remorse made life hell. Therefore,
George, was seldom sober. But when
1 was drunk was not Ben HaslSill-
not the Ben HASKELL who was born in
me. Who or what I was God alone
knows. only know that there was no
crime of intellect I would not commit,
no debauchery of the brain and soul
before which would hesitate.
81 was brilliant, INSCRIPTIONS, sue
cessful, happy Sober, who would have
known me? covered before my con-
science with trembling hands, with
loose lip and jaw, with fear and shame,
and sorrow in my soul.
Every forgery, every daring deal
swung upon the floor of the stock ex-
change, and every act that brought
shame to his relatives and misery to
others, he cries, was done under the In
f1uence of his other nature-the nature
that took hold of him as soon as the
first drop of liquor passed his lips.
The diary tells an incoherent but
fairly complete story of the life of Gas
kill, beginning at the time he left
Princeton under cloud fifteen years
ago coming down to his employment
in this city by the Warthman Prov1s-
ion Company at Seventh and Callow
Hill streets and running thru a maze
of subsequent events.
Clears Up Mysteries.
It merely touches upon the reason tor
his dismissal from the Warthman
house. altho it is now known that he
was charged at that time with having
forged storage certificates for provis-
ions and obtained heavy loans upon
them. The company was hit for $780,
900.
II made restitution" says Gaskill.
81 had to. 1t was that or jail
81 paid cash and had my life In
sured for 100000 in the name of a law
yer, Samuel P. Rotan, as trustee for
warthman," he writes. "Fll get it all
back some day."
Thus he solves, himself, the mystery
of the insurance money, up to now I'M
penetrable.