A Hoax

Chicago, Sept 30.- James Gillan, who died at the hospital some months ago, was a notorious thief and ex-convict The Tribune of Sunday contained a four-column articl'i purporting to be a confession made by üillan on bis dying bed to a priest in whic?i he is said to have acknowleeged that he, and not Tascott, was the murderer of Amos J. SnelL The article also contatned an interview with a lawye" whose name was not given, in whicn the attorney declared that on the morninf following the Snell murder Gillan caüed on him jn a greatly perturbed state of mind and acknowed that while engai;ed w th another man in burglarizing the Snell residence the owner of the house surprised them, and as a measure of self-protection Gillan drew hls revolver and shot the millionaire dead. H and nis companion then affected thelr escape. Gillan told the attorney that the affair had so unnerved him that he could not rest ulitil he had secured legal advice. The lawyer gave him advice on this and on several other occasions. When Tascott's name was mentioned in connectlon with the crime Gillan, in conversatton with the attorney, declared that Tascott had nothing whatever to do with the affair. Eev. Father Sullivan, of 8t Jarlath's Church, who is said to have visited Gillan In the lower room of the county hospital the night he died, denles in toto the story that he ever saw a man named Gillan or ever received a confession of the kind raentioned from him. A. J. Stone, of the mlllionaire's family, Chief-of-Police Hubbard and Sergeant Elliott all pronounce tho publication a huge hoax, with all the f acts perverted anddistorted to make them flt the yarn.