Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-25
ARREST CAT THIEF PROBE At 0cC0QUAN
Jentor at Wellesley College Investigation of Charges
Said to Have Confessed Against the Superintendent.
PROSECUTIONS HIGHER UP lex GUARDS ASKED TO TALK
Warrant May Be Procured for Rudolph Determined
of the Professors. Disclose the Whole Story.
USED FELMEs TO DIsSECT THOROUGH INQUIRY PROMISED
the Administration at
Gull workh
Jenitor at Wellesley College
Said to Have Confessed.
PROSECUTIONS HIGHER UP
Warrant May Be Procured for One
Of the Professors.
USED FELINEs TO DISSECT
Girl Students in Department of
Physiology Said to Be the
Guilty Ones.

NATICK. Mass, February oj.-Follow-
ing complaints from a number of resi-
dents that household cats were being
stolen. John Squires. q Wellesley College
janitor. was arrested today on a war
rant charging him with stealing Natick
pets for use in the dissecting rooms of
the college. Squires. the police allege.
has admitted that he stole Natick cats
to supply the college laboratories.
Occasional complaints from the towns
people had given the police little concern
until recently, when the marauders began
carrying off the more valuable pets.
When prize Angora. valued at $3.50. dis
appeared, the police decided to act.
Chief of Police Brown said that Squires
had told him that he intended to plead
guilty to the charge of stealing the cats
in order to have the matter disposed of
as soon as possible.
The police. however, and the owners of
the animals that have disappeared are
not disposed to allow the case to end
with the arrest of the collector" and
Chief Brown announced that IL 1t were
possible he would secure a warrant for
the arrest of a professor who. the chief
said, is responsible for the cutting up OF
the stolen pets.
Chief Has Evidence, He Says.
This declaration from the chief came
after a denial from Wellesley College
that any cats had been stolen. 1t Is
said at the college that about seventy
five cats were bought to be used for
the dissecting classes each year. but
that the cats were invariably put to
death humanely before being given to
the classes.
II have got evidence that will convict"
declares Chief Brown. why. one OF the
cats, which was the property OF Elmer
Bent, was valued at $500. could do all
kinds of tricks and was a real pet.
Il went to WELLESLEY College yesterday to
try to find Mr. Bents cat. put II mao
and others who killed those cats to the
best of my ability"
The investigation into Wellesley's cat
supply started after statement by Mrs
was quoted in an extensive interview
from New York, in which she said
Wellesley showed little respect for moral
ity and little knowledge Of its duty toward
the young"
Decline to Reply to Charges.
Miss Ellen F. Pendleton. dean Of Welles-
ley College, and Miss Mary Caswell. sec
rotary to the president, declined to re-
ply to Mrs. Fishes charges. The cat ques-
ton was put up to Miss Roberts. whose
department of physiology uses the bodies
of cats. Miss Roberts said:
although I haven't read Mrs. Fiske' s
comment. 1t has been mentioned to me
by others. / don't know what authority
she had to criticise the college. Certainly
we have given her none. l wouldn't care
to talk further until have looked the ar
ticle over carefully. But l will say that
there is no truth in the charge made by
Mrs. Fiske.'