The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-02-24

The Tacoma police and
Coroner Shaver are today
investigating the circum-
stances leading to tho
death or more probably
the murder, Of an infant
and it's mysterious burial
in a vacant lot some dis
tance from the residence
of j. N. Peterson, 1921 So.
% ST., Monday afternoon.
subsequently the body
was dug up by city detect-
ives.
The child was buried BY
a well dressed young man
who claimed he had au-
thority from the doctors
of the st. Joseph's hospi-
tai.
e. Eedal, who was present
when the young man buried the
child, says that on Monday after
noon, while he was engaged In
lgrading the lots in the rear OF
Mr.. Peterson's property the young
man, who did not appear to b0S
more than 81 years old, rode up<
, Seyenteenth street on a bicycle.
u Explained Strange Mission.
i He had a curious bundle under
his arm, and when opposite the
place where Eedal was at work,
stopped and dismounted. He step
ped to Mr.. Eadal's side, and asked
him IL 1t would be any trouble
to dig small hole, saying that
he had a dead infant from the !
hospital and that he wanted to
bury 1t.
Eedal refused to bury the bod
and the young man, In sudden
fit of anger, seized a spade and
dug a small hole in the soft turf.
Bewildered, Eedal did not inter-
| fere. The hole, according to
Eedal, was not more than two
fleet deep. When 1t was complies
ed, the mysterious stranger placed
the body in it, covered 1t with q
newspaper and threw the dirt
back In the hole.
| When this task was completed,
he walked to the sidewalk, and,
without another word, mounted
his bicycle, and peddled rapidly
north along o street. q
| Possibility Of Crime.
| The circumstances surroundine
the death are shrouded In the
deepest mystery As strong
possibility of crime against hui
manity enters into the case, th@
officers are making a determined
effort to unravel the mystery with
a view to bringing the guilty per-
sons, IL any there be, to justice y
The burial of the child In the
manner adopted Is In itself q
enough to arouse suspicion, and
detectives are working On the
theory that the placing of the lit
| tie body in ground in such an un-
leeremonious way was the result
of an effort on the part of somes
one residing in another part on
the city to conceal murder on
some other crime.
| Police Notified.
AS soon as the young man had
disappeared. Eedal telephoned the
Ipolice station and two detectives
hastened to the spot.
The body was taken from tho
Iearth and turned over to Coroner
IShaver. Working on the descrip-
Ition given them by Eedal, the pot
lice have searched the city in the
Ihope that they might locate the
Iyoung man who buried the child,
AS far as can be learend therG
were no marks of violence on tho
body. &
The infant was dressed in dain~
ty clothes, and wrapped with
layer of cotton tape. HoS
doctors absolutely deny Know
edge of the case. No suspicion n
ATTACHED to the hospital authors
ties, however, as the police are
convinced that the young man
told about the body coming ft01
the hospital in order to allay 139
Ipicion. &, i +
Site Of Grave.
| The spot where the child vad
mysteriously buried is at the ia
of a knoll, thirty feet above
level OF Fifteenth street. i.
Peterson, owner of the land; I
having the lots graded down.