Whitehorse experienced the greatest shock of her existence yesterday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock when it became known that four men of the five comprising the section crew of the White Pass railroad at this place had been murdered on the railroad
three miles east of town, the news of the tragedy being brought to town by the murderer himself, Alex Gagoff, a Russian.
After killing the men Gagoff fook their handcar and came to town, stopping at the home of F. E. Leslie, engine hostler half a mile south of town, where he greedily drank a pitcher of water and informed them that he had killed the section men. Mr. Leslie at once telephoned the news to the depot and two minutes later Gagoff stopped the handear near the Gobel residence and walked calmly down Front street with his rifle, a 30-30 in his hands in which he also carried a number of cartridges.
R. B. Hyett who had been in the depot when the telephone message was received, intercepted Gagoff on the street and asked to see his gun, but the latter
declined to part with it. He then entered Macpherson's drug store and informed Mr. Macpherson that he had killed several men when the latter also requested that he hand over his gun which Gagoff did after some hesitancy.
In the meantime Depot Agent Dickinson had gone for the police on the strength of Leslie's telephone message. But before the police arrived Gagoff had left Macpherson's store and entered the White Pass hotel where he asked Landlord Racine for his bill, he having been stopping there since his return from the outside three days before. After paying his bill Gagoff started to the postoffice with two letters but was intercepted and arrested by the police.
As soon as Gagoff left Leslie's on the handcar for town Mr. Leslie started on foot up the track and was the first to reach the scene of the tragedy although Agent Dickinson, Don Muirhead and Dr. Clarke arrived on a handcar a few moments later.
ONLY SURVIVOR'S STORY
Of the section crew of five men only one, Arthur Wilkins, escaped. In conversation with the editor of the Star last night Wilkins said:
"We had finished our lunch and some of us were sitting and others standing around the handcar where we had eaten. I heard someone say 'Here comes Alex.' I looked around and Gagoff was coming down the hill from the opposite side of the track. He walked toward us and just as he stepped on the track he fired. Realizing that he was shooting to kill, we all started to run and he continued shooting. I concealed myself in the brush below the track as quickly as possible and did not see the others fall. I do not think the first shot struck anyone. I donot know how many shots were fired but there were several. After a while I went back and found the men lying dead. I saw a man coming and went toward him with a club, thinking it was Gagoff coming back, but it was Leslie."
CORONER'S JURY EMPANELED
A coruner's jury was empaneled composed of Isaac Taylor, W. C. Sime, P. Martin, E. A. Dixon, T. C. Richards and Geo. Wilson. The jury was taken to the scene of the crime by wagons and were there met by Inspector Bell who gone to Carcross in the morning and was recalled by telegram. He assumed charge as coroner and the investigation began. Later the train returned and the investigating court returned to town, bringing in the three bodies, that of Henry Cook having been brought down by Agent Dickinson, Muirhead and Dr. Clarke on the handcar, he being still alive wnen they reached him. He was taken to the hospital where examination revealed the fatal nature of his wound. The coroner's jury had not completed its investigations last night at 9 o'clock.
WHERE THEY WERE SHOT
Foreman Pat Kinslow was shot in the heart and death was probably instantaneous. He was a pioneer in Yukon and was in Dawson in '98. He was about 55 years of age. He was either a Canadian or American.
George Lane was first shot in the leg and had himself tied a handkerchief tightly around just above the wound. The murderer returned later and almost tore the top of his head off with another shot. Lane was 54 years old. He was an Englishman.
Tom Boconich was an Austrian and was interned here a year ago but was
allowed to work as he showed no disposition to leave the country. He was shot near one eye, the ball passing through his brain. He was 44.
Henry Cook, the man still living when found, was a German and was probably 60 years of age. He had been employed as a section hand on the road for many years, working for John Williams at Carcross for several seasons.
MURDERER BELIEVED TO BE INSANE
Alex Gagoff, the murderer, is a Russian. He came north early last year with the Mischenko party of forty or more Russians who built a number of boats here in which they left for lower river points for the purpose of prospecting. He returned from Dawson last summer, stayed around here all winter and worked under Pat Kinslow on the section for several weeks in the spring. In May he voluntarily quit his job and went to the outside. Less than a week ago he returned and said he had been in Vancouver and Seattle. He understood very little English and always appeared to be of a suspicious disposition. When working on the section he always imagined the others were making sport of him. Last spring he was under police surveilance for a few days as his actions were such as to excite doubt as to his sanity. He made no secret of his dislike of "Fighting Mike" Sinnet, but as the latter was not here, no attention was paid to Gagoff's threats. He freely admitted yesterday to Macpherson, Hyatt and others that he had killed four men on the railroad. He is about 30 years old and is said to have been a Cossack.
LATER - Henry Cook died at the hospital between 7 and 8 o'clock last night from the effects of his wounds.
