Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-27
GaskeIl, Alias Wilson, Unsuccess-
fully Invokes Aid Of Cana
dian Officials.
WRITES TO suPT, HUssEY.
Reply Received by sheriff Emery to
Effect That Prisoner Is Men
tally Dcranged.

That william j. Gaskel, alias Will
son, Is mentally deranged is the opln-
ion of Il. s. Hussey, superintendent
of the provincial police at Vistoria,
49, c.. as we'll as the officials OF this
county who recently committed the
man to the state mental hospital az
Provo Gaskell was arrested upon his
arrival in the city from Colorado up--
on charge of threatening to XII
James II. McChrystal ana John ~
Packard, because OF fancled grew
ance he had against them concerning
some mining property he claimed to
own In Tintic. The criminal charge
against him was dismissed and q
complaint was filed charging him with
insanity upon which he was commit
letter TO Frank Harris. whom he ad.
dressed as Chief Canadian Police
Victoria b. c. The letter was deliver
ed to the superintendent who return.
ed it to Sheriff Emery with the brief
but pointed declaration that Wilson
appeared to be mentally deranBeu.
The letters follow:
LETTER TO CANADIAN POLICE.
Frank Harris Chief Canadian Police.
Victoria, b. Z.
Dear Sir:
write 10 you eAih .
British subject held prisoner IN
county jail at Salt Lake City. Titan.
1 was arrested as l left the train
without a warrant held two days ana
then fetched in police court and serV-
ed with warrant and complaint charg-
ing men with making threats against
one j. H. McChrrstals life some ~
days before in the state of Colorado;
| asked for continuance till could
get a lawyer and communicate with
consul. l got an order from the
court to write and Ii was the twenty
fifth of June before l could write. l
wrote to consul and sealed the letter
and forbid them TO open 1t, they IN
formed me that they onened 1t and
gave the contents public. wrote TO
you and before would let them read 1t
tore 1t up.
''The case was set for the ninth of
July and on the ninth was not taken
TO court so | don't know what became
of case. on the eleventh of July L
was taken to another court and
charged with being insane, and they
tried to put me on trial without VIII
ness or lawyer and the case is set
for twenty-third OF July. The Gauss
of II all is to conceal crime here and In
Colorado.
my two associates MCLEAN and Car
penter were murdered In Colorado and
l have tried TO have something done.
Il
anything ana to keep me from getting
II victoria. MCLEAN and Carpenter
were after Gordon. the Winnipeg MUIR
derer, and some highwaymeh and burg
lars had Gordon located with one of
the burglars that burnt the Occur de
Alene hotel in Kaslo, b. c., In 1888
they were in Leadville, and I was
waiting for MCLEAN and Carpenter to
come as he officers in Leadville would
have turned him loose as they do III
criminals that have money or ARE
working fct either crowd thai wants
murder done.
Mclean and Carpenter were killed
between the 10th and 18th of Septem-
Der, 1901 in Telluride, Colo, and on
Sept. 10 two of the gang came to XIII
me. and as / was too quick they went
away. saying. let him so this time.
few days after while l was away from
the house where ! stayed a man was
killed. The next day l was arrested
WAS not served with a warrant or given
hearing; was tried and acquitted and
then held three months; tried on same
charge and convicted, and was kept
five years and seven months, and was
denied to write to anyone in Canada
or TO write to consul. | saw some of
tue gang in Colorado before / lef..
II want you TO come to Salt Lake
City, us come of the crowd will be
there and esides | want you 90 take
the ease To tho British ambassador and
ste if something can't be done (show
this to the governor of British Column
bla). have property here that Is
worth between $4,000 and 100000, ard
these suits as fast as I beat one they
will start another so all will go TO pay
lawyers and court fees. Come SO as 10
| lie here tefore the 23rd of July and
can tell you other things. have trav-
elcd IN the east.
~ am respectfully yours,
civilian j. WILSON,