Evening star., 1953-07-15
ho Killed AIyce 7oggat? One Clue May Solve Mystery

pOSeQ TO stay lOcKeo DuG mlgnC
not have been locked that night.
Or he could have found the
tradesmen's entrance to the alley
unlocked. This entrance is con-
nected by a buzzer system to the |
switchboard but it, too, could
have been closed carelessly. Two
stairways to the upper floors are
within easy access of this alley
entrance.
Even with the switchboard op-
orator on duty with a clear view
of the lobby-and she was not
on duty after midnight-police
found that a prowler could gain
entrance to the hotel.
Police were told that on June
10, a tall, thin man described
by the switchboard operator as
yellow skinned" walked by her
through the lobby in stocking
feet.
What are you doing here?"
she wanted to know.
What do you think?" was his
response and he kept right on
walking out the door.
Police were called on that oc-
casion but found nothing miss
ing.
Detectives believed enough in
the July 4 prowler to issue
15-State lookout. Their descrip-
ton was based on what the
fourth-foor roomer saw as she
stood in her doorway watching
the man fleeing down the cor
ridor:
"A light-skinned Negro or
dark-skinned white man, S feet
II inches to 6 feet tall, slender,
wiry, well-dressed, wearing a
white shirt and light-colored
trousers, from Is to 80 years Of
age"
AS more and more police went
to work on the case, the roundup
of possible suspects broadened.
known housebreakerS, pervertS,
sex offenders, peeping toms, cat
burglars were picked up and
questioned. A crew of detectives
went from houSe-to-house in an
overwhelming circle from SCOTS
Hotel at 2131 o street NV.
Theirs was dual purpose: To
find if any one had noticed any,
thing suspicious. To size up the
residents as possible suspects
themselves.
Personal Angle.
But the possible personal mo-
tive for silencing Miss Taggart
was not overlooked. Police had
to learn something about her,
how she spent her time, the iden-
tity of her friends and acquaint-
ances. the financial problem re-
hected in the papers in her room.
John" and 'Lee"-the two
men whose name appeared in
these documents-were located.
John" told police that "Lee"
had introduced him to Miss Tag
CART. Lee" had already told
Miss Taggart that John" had to
have some money and would pay
her back 5000 in three months
for the $400 she loaned him. The
three met twice for lunch and
the loan was arranged.
Police said the two men ad-
mitted splitting the $4OO. They
insisted they had planned to pay
it back but didn't have it when
she got out of the hospital and
asked for it.
John" told of meeting Miss
Taggart for an early lunch on
July 4. meeting her at her Office
and taking her back after lunch.
He said she agreed to settle for
the original $4O0 if he could pay
her back 500 month for four
months.
Police found nothing to i'm
plicate the men with murder and
released them.
Lee" told of having dates with
Miss Taggart but police had a
hard time finding any others
with whom she had gone out.
Fellow roomers said they knew
she did go out. Once she called
from a cocktail lounge and asked
one of the girls to join her for a
double date. But none of the
girls ever saw a man come to
the hotel to take her out. They
could furnish no leads.
Never Specific.
Her sister, here to help in the
investigation, couldn't help there
either. In her frequent letters,
the sister said, Miss Taggart
mentioned going to this place or
that but she was never specific
about the man.
From fellow roomers and fell
low workers, police drew the
same picture: A woman who was
self-contained and self-reliant,
always ready to join in a con-