The Weekly Star

Whitehorse, Friday, Oct. 1, 1915

Three Are Killed, Fourth Is Dying

Alex Gagoff, Russian, Runs Amuck Yesterday and Wipes Out Railroad Section Crew - Most Terrible Tragedy in Local Annals Takes Place on Railroad Track Three Miles South of Whitehorse - Murderer Comes To Town, Tells What He Had Done and is Taken to Jail - Believed to Be Insane.

Dead - Pat Kinslow, George Lane and Tom Bokonich

Dying - Henry Cook

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 took 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 handcar 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 post office 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 any one. I do not 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."

Coroners Jury Impanelled

A coroner's jury was impanelled 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 had 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 when 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 Bokonich 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 this 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.

While working on the section he always imagined the others were making sport of him. Last spring he was under police surveillance for a few days as his actions were such as to excite doubt as to his sanity.

He made no secret of his dislike to "Fighting Mike" Sinnet, but as the latter was not here, no attention was paid to Gagoff's threats. He freely admitted yesterday to Macpherson, Hyett 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.

The Weekly Star - Friday, Oct. 22, 1915

To Die March 10

Murder Alexander Gagoff Tried And Convicted

"You will be taken from here to the place from whence you came and kept there until Friday, the 10th day of March, 1916, when you will be taken to the place of execution and there hanged by the neck until you are dead; and may God have mercy on your soul."

The foregoing is the sentence passed by Mr. Justice Macaulay of the Territorial Court of Yukon, on Alexander Gagoff Wednesday afternoon at 3:50 o'clock and following his conviction of the murder of Henry Cook on the railroad about three miles south of Whitehorse at a few minutes before 1 o'clock on the afternoon of September, 30th, 1915, just twenty days previous to his trial and conviction.

The trial of Gagoff began at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning and was concluded a few minutes before 4 in the afternoon of the same day, the court being in session less than five hours.

Judge Macaulay and Court Stenographer George Craig arrived on the steamer Dawson from Dawson at 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Tuesday. Sheriff George Brimstone preceded them by nearly a week to prepare and draw a jury venue and Crown Prosecutor J. P. Smith arrived on Sunday on the steamer Casca from Dawson.

The Weekly Star - March 10, 1916

Gagoff Hanged This Morning

To the extent that the taking of one life would atone for four others, the murder of the railroad section crew three miles south of town on the 30th of last September was expiated this morning when, promptly at 7 o'clock, Murderer Alex Gagoff was launched into eternity, being hanged by the neck until dead as the sentence of the court decreed he should be.

With firm, unfaltering steps, marching between two stalwart members of the R.N.W.M.P., Gagoff mounted the steps of the scaffold and took his place on the trap door. Official Hangman Ellis, who came all the way from Ottawa to perform the work of less than a dozen seconds, adjusted the black cap.

Sheriff George Brimston then asked the man who stood on the threshold of death if he had anything to say. The question was repeated in the Russian language by Interpreter Zarnowsky. Gagoff answered in Russian, "No." In a clear voice Sheriff Brimston said, "May God have mercy on your soul".

Immediately Hangman Ellis sprung the trap and Alex Gagoff was launched to his death. The drop was 7 feet, 10 inches. His neck ws broken and death was instantaneous. Dr. Clarke kept his and on the pulse, which ceased to beat in 14 minutes. The body was then cut down and placed in a box.

Captain Bell, acting coroner, impanelled the following jury: Wm. Drury, C.H. Johnston, S. Coulter, F.E. Harbottle, F. Langholz and Al Stewart, who viewed the body, returning a verdict that the deceased came to his death by hanging in accordance with the decree of the court. The body was buried immediately beneath the scaffold.

Gagoff slept well through all of last night. He awoke at 5 this morning and later ate a breakfast consisting of two eggs, toast and a cup of coffee.

Those who had not seen Gagoff since his trial and conviction last fall were surprised at his appearance tis morning, he having fallen off fully fifty pounds during his confinement.

In addition to those whose duty required their presence, the execution was witnessed by only a half dozen spectators. The temperature was 36 below zero.

The Weekly Star - Editorial

When Alex Gagoff goes to the scaffold this morning, and he will have made the trip ere any but the earliest risers among the readers of this paper see this, he will expiate his crime of quadruple murder, the most flagrant violation of God's command, "Thou shalt not kill," ever committed in the north and rarely equaled in the annals of crime.

Gagoff nurtured a fancied grievance until it bred a murderous spirit in his heart and in that mood he came upon four unarmed and harmless men and shot all of them to death, later gloating over his horrible act, convicting himself out of his own mouth.

So far as known he has never expressed regret for his wholesale slaughter; rather, he has persistently justified himself in the somewhat egotistic assertion, "Me show them Alex is a good man." While his poor victims will never know it, Alex will be a "good man" henceforth.

Never was an accused man given a fairer or more impartial trial than that accorded Gagoff. The law was more lenient to him than he was to himself.

He apparently reasoned that he had forfeited his right to live, but justified himself in that he had avenged fancied wrongs. In his opinion, the result justified the means employed to bring it about.

Far away from the land of his birth, the Russian Steppes, where he was reared, and where he served in that world-famous military organization, the Cossacks, Alex Gagoff, by the time this greets the readers eyes, will have answered to man for his crime against man. His arraignment by and his answer to God is another matter.

E. J. White, Editor