Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-29
THE DowNs-rARoR TRIAL


 Mrs. Tabor Takes the stand and Ex-
 plains Away Many of the Charges
 Her Husbands Many Caprices and
 mOeds-His Church Conversion of
 Short Duration Many Interest.
 ing Points of Their Welded Life.
 BosToN, Oct. 2S.-The event in the Tabor divorce case to-day was the appearance on the stand for the defense of Mrs. Tabor. The face of the witness presented evidence of mental worry, and though her costume was as neat and attractive ever, that general air of ''I-don't-care' which, when she has not been dissolved in tears, has generally been quite noticeable during her previous days of the trial had given place to a more quiet and dignifed demeanor. The libeller gave her testimony in clear sweet voice that rose and fell like that of woman practising the vocal scale. Its cadence penetrated every part of the room and she proved a self-possed, cool and almost defiant witness. She reviewed the troubles of her married life saying: "My relations with my husband were unpleasant before 1882. My baby was born in June, 1882, and we had trouble before that. While in delicate condition before the child was born in the presence of Dr. Saunders my husband in- sisted that I should not have the child and asked the doctor what could be done. The child was born and after it's death in five months Dr. Saunders asked me if had ever suffered from blow. He said tumors were more often caused by blows received by the mother before the birth of the child than by any other cause. I told him had received a blow from MT. Tabor during that period. I became acquainted with Mr. Downs in 1882.
 At this point witness reviewed her quaintance with MT. Downs and from her story it would seem that their relations had been no more intimate and their meetings no more frequent than would be perfectly be- coming between pastor and parishioner. Mrs. Tabor denied sitting on MT. Downs knee and kissing him a certain occasion stated by Mir. Tabor and gave 8 natural explanation of the occasion. She denied that MT. Downs had embraced or kissed her on that occasion. She said MT. Tabor threatened to sue for di- vorce in January, 1884, and had continued his threat. Since, he had struck her on the head twice, took her watch away and twisted her arms, causing a long siege of lameness. At the time of MT. Tabor's pretended con version the latter said to Mr. Downs in her presence: q do not know that I can un- do the wrong I have done my wife" He then laid his head on MT. Downs shoul- der and cried. MT. Tabor joined the church and seemed to take an interest in church matters, but in the spring of 1884 coldness sprang up between him and MT. Downs. At this point Mrs. Tabor denied that she said 1,o11 go to her babys grave with MT. Tabor. She consented to go to the grave with him but did not go as MT. Tabor had hated the child. She had expected to go but he did not drive around for her but went alone. Witness de- nied in toto the conversation testified to by Mrs. Fanny Tabor concerning her love for Mr. Downs Then followed long series of questions relative to the church work which had caused Mrs. Tabor to make so many wis its to the church, and witness explained that she was Sunday School teacher; was on two committees, including one to search out and call on non-church goers, which required almost daily work; that Mr. Tabor was active in the same direc tion, was frequently with her and apparent ly all her doings.
 Finally, when the coldness came, MT. Ia bor talked of selling out, and finally told her to get her things out or he would put them out. Witness said: 'He accused me of
 
 did not belong to him; that he knew was intimate with MT. Downs, and he struck me before Mrs. Saunders. He said he could hire any man for $50 to say anything against me, ruin my character and get divorce; he said he was going to have divorce anyway; one afternoon I was sewing on the machine and he came and asked all kinds Of questions. got so nervous I said if he did not get out of the room I would stick the scissors into him. He threatened to kill me in the presence of Mrs. Miller. He struck me in the back of the neck and l sreamed He said, ''now then, go down and tell Downs about it.'' He had been accusing me of inti- macy with MT. Downs and said I was the worst housekeeper in Boston. He acknowl- edged once afterwards that he had struck me, but there was no one to prove 1t. Later he struck me in the head in the same room. He said he would beat MT. Downs and would do everything he could against the church. Those threats were uttered to Ms Miller. After I moved to No. 7 Derne street MT. Downs called on me some five times" Wit ness described the time and object of each visit, making everything perfectly legitimate She then made detailed statement of the events in her room on the night when the door was broken in. She had been packing her trunk. MT. Downs seated at the foot of the bed with his coat off and she near the head eating an apple. The balance of her sta cement was in exact accord with that put forth Dy MT. DOWNS at lHo Llui6 itllu dlSO III his testimony. She said: sEI had on a white dressing sack and a white dress skirt''
 MT. Butterworth here produced a bundle of white clothes and created quite 8 sensation by unravelling and displaying them. They consisted of 8 white sacque and a white skirt or petticoat. Witness identified them and said she wore the same clothes she had on the street save that she had taken off her long dress and put on the white skirts. MT. Downs was fully dressed save his coat which he had removed at her re- quest. Mrs. Tabor denied the details of the affair as related by MT. Tabor and the de- tectives, as we'll as the words that those wit nesses had put into her mouth.
 Counsel Butterworth asked: 'What flow CTS were they that you took to the stationz"
 ''They were taken from the basket that had been on my baby's grave"
 ''How came you to take those fowers?"
 Here the pearly drops fell in a shower from Mrs. Tabor's great eyes she answer ed: 'I looked around the room to see what there was there that I could take with me to comfort me while I was there and these flow CTS were the only thing I saw"
 MT. Tabor once proposed to me before Miss Davidson to keep house of an immoral character, but told him if we could not keep a respectable house I would not keep any at all He got two pills one night and was very sick after taking them. He said they were pepsin pills and were good for the stomach. My mother was sick with dyspep- sia and Miss Davidson wanted to give her the other pill MT. Tabor flew at her and said he would not have her take it for any thing"
 Mrs. Tabor was ross-examined at length, but nothing of importance was elicited.
 Anti Pills and Drugs.
 PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28.-A convention of 1,x,f foif