The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-03-20
THE FEMALE DETECTIVE
POLICE MATRON TAYLOR PLAYS
THE PART OF OLD sLEUTH.
Finds She Has Authority, and RE-
minded of Her Duty to Appre-
bend Criminals.

In addition to her duties as police ma
tron Mrs. Emma Taylor will hereafter do
a little detective work. so that Seattle will
be one of the few. police forces on the
Pacific coast that can lay claim to having
female detective, says the Times. The
fact that she was robbed while shopping
has spurred her on to become member
of the detective force. She never knew
that she had the power to make arrests
or she would be the heroine of very
clever capture Of two shoplifters. Mrs.
Taylor is now looking for the shoplifters
and unless the publication of this item
causes them to leave the city 1t will be
but question of few days until they
are behind the prison bars. Acting Chief
Sullivan admitted that Mrs. Taylor has
authority to make arrests the same" as
he expressed it, "as has any other MEM
Der of the police force" When asked
about the shoplifting case he refused to
say anything, stating that Mrs. Taylor is
competent to look after cases which come
to her attention.
Nevertheless the story back of Mrs.
Taylor's announced intention of doing de-
tective work in the future is out. Last
Monday afternoon Mrs. Taylor and her
daughter went up on Pike street to do
some shopping. They went into one store
of prominence and made a purchase
which included some ribbon. The clerk
placed her purchase in one package and
Mrs. Taylor placed the package on the
| counter.
Then she went to another part Of the
store to look at some dress goods. When
she returned for her package 1t was gone.
Mrs. Taylor has detective instinct about
her. When she enters a store or any place
Of business 1t is as natural for her to size
up the people present as it is to for a
horse to eat hay when 1t is placed before
him. Mrs. Taylor had done that very
thing when she entered the store to make
her purchases. She recalled having seen
two young women standing near her. She
had regarded them as suspicious charac-
tiers. AS soon as she found her package
gone Mrs. Taylor made haste to leave the
store, She saw the two girls hurrying
down Pike toward another store. Mrs
Taylor followed them. They entered the
/ store. Mrs. Taylor entered. They mad,
a small purchase. Mrs. Taylor went Il
the counter, where they were standing
and made some trivial purchase.
When the girls saw her they turned anC
left the store. Mrs. Taylor left, too. Ono,
outside Mrs. Taylor made up her mind t.
place the two girls under arrest. Sht
knew that as police matron she had vir
tually the same authority that is vested
in policeman, but she was not positive
about her power to make arrests She
hesitated and while she was weighing the
matter in her mind the girls lost them
selves in a crowd.
Mrs. Taylor went to police headquarters
and held a consultation with Captain Sui
livan as to her authority to make arrests
Captain Sullivan, 1t is said, told her that
she certainly had such a right and re-
minded her of the fact that it is her duty
to apprehend criminals. Mrs. Taylor was
satisfied and all day yesterday she was on
the lookout for the two young shoplifters
for she is satisfied that the girls relieved
her Of her package. AS yet she has moi
found them but she is satisfied that she
, will be able to lay her hands on them In
| few days.