The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-18
ONLY A Student Of CRIME.
oaercd Inducements "a Criminal
Make AWAY With Mrs. Tstt-
Weif-N no0n Tacoma Educator
Adopts >one Peculiar Methods.

SQe>-d Dispatch - tas, Fsost- Trsel;lsvaees.
TACOMA. Feh 36 Quite 4 DIT ~ *
eatenfnt y evidenced .assoat tav caty -
seaSaa ~ r story Nrtatsyi IYa . morning G.9-
per. telling - sn asiegeS1 g3os between
f'Tof john 4 Ia cte ~ Tacon7s's PROM
iAelA: edI2cA.ors. &ad a man nanye3 Tim
- E}r}es- I',1@ story Is 81 eject tsgat pvef
f@st entered tut0 &n agreement witA
VH-lea - have sae latter murder Ta4ts
~ifc, presumably tsat TAR n.3eht Secure
y1no
The story or3Ssuate3 from the fact taat
f'roE TAFT has been making "a study of
crim'nososy. Tlae case has ogen ghoyaGSa-
g investigated ~ the police su3 Prescott
s3g Attorney Shackieford ami neither ,ie-
gsactTteBt has seen 8t 20 gaks any step
toward holding Prof. Tar. T:sc police re-
fused - swear oat a Warrant. ana tae
prosecutor saw 10 grounds tor a,;HG an
Information. Prof TAFT Mas allowed 80 so
soosst hls business
Cpon his physicians advice Prot, Tait
Yesterday took leave of absence from the
pl1t,Iic sCaOQ.S and accompanied rs wl5e
on = Visit 10 her sack mother. Who Resides
a. RosSlana 4 =.
Tho story printed today tells or prct
Taits conspiracy with o'Bren. how he
agreed 10 PAY o'RFien several hundred
dollars 20 murder Mrs Tat and ALI about
the details 81 the alleged mug,Ier scheme.
q Brsen went to the police VITA The story.
the latter arranged 20 they oouli hear
Prof. Tsit talking with - Brieu and late
Wednesday night tbey took Prof TAFT 10
the police station. where he Vas sweated"
for all the force knew how. o'Bgien was
practically the only witness PROT TAFT
explained he MAS making a study Of crime
aud had picked CUT . Brien as a likely
subject
Alpheus Davidson. a prominent druggist
said Shls afternoon th3t Prof TAFT would
return here a. once. A telegram from
aim 10 an evening paper. dated Northport,
announces there ~ no truth in the story
and that he VIII return next week tn re-
sumo ais duties IN tho public schools
Detective Z. ]. Concannnn. formerly
employed by the city under the F'awcett
administration. says
About ten days ago Prof TAFT came
10 my office, told ne about his interest in
me study ~ cTiminoluEy and asked me Tor
the names % SOME noted crooks III, SAID
the police had tod him there were no
SElmln3ls IN town, but he had heard that
! could give hun The names of several
4 choefiully dld 50 ana gave him the
names II aoout fifteen desperate caaTact-
ers who make their headquarters here.
book
I'm securing these names Prof. Talt
sad that II Vas his desire 80 study Grim
tnals III their own environments in order
Of their mind To do this he thought 4
necessary 20 ally himself with them under
the pretenso that he was ais. engaged ia
criminal work. 80 as not 10 excite their
suspicious. and because by 80 doing he
could create the masf favorable conditions
Tor prosecuting hiss quest
Il also gave him some other iufoIma-
ton about the habits Of these cr minais
and about their recent work. whlca the
police have evidently ignored. that would
prove useful Ia him.
L don't believe word Of the story be
cause ! know IL Is not true. Pro-. TAFT
never intended having his wife ~ anybody
else killed. lie merely made - isTlen think
SO IN order Ia draw out the mans innate
depravity of mind and morals, that lie
could study them
Prof. TAFT. from what little officers viii
say. made no denial OF having hofs-nos,hesi
with . Brien. fyui explained that be hop
81 10 draw him out 20 SEQ how Far fha
man would 40 along tbs line Of crime un-
der the proper Inducements
TAFT was elected county superintendent
Or a'hools al the ias' preceding election.
bat lafa fan was defeated for reelection.