The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-15

Monticello, N. Y, Feb. IA. Mrs. Kate
Taylor, who is alleged to have shot, cut up
and burned the body Of lafayette Taylor,
her husband, after a preliminary hearing
here before Justice William B. Mcmillan
was held for the Grand Jury. which will
meet in May.
Her trial, which win be one Of the most
sensational murder cases IN the history OF
the State. will likely be held during the
September term OF the court.
Blood-curdling details of the crime came
out in the testimony OF Peter Ysrkens. a
farmer Of Ulster Heights. and an uncle of
Mrs.. Taylor.
Yerkens came to town purely through
curiosity, and while here he made the state
msnt that he knew q whole lot about
the murder. District Attorney Anderson
and Sheriff Dycker Immediately subpoenaed
Yerkens, and he went on the stand as the
principal witness.
He said that on Sunday. February I, fol-
lowing the day Of the murder. Mrs. Taylor
and her daughter. Ida May DeKay. went
to his house.
Mr.. Taylor said the witness, asked
me II I would not buy her horse. 1 said
/ couldn't because there was a mortgege Of
IS on it, and that this held against her hus-
band.
Turning to me sharply, Mrs. Taylor said.
a THE mention OF her husbands name:
Never mind about Lafe Taylor. He Is a
red dog now
What do you mean by red dog ? I asked
her. Why she replied, he is out of bust
ness You do not mean that he is dead or
has been murdered. do your 1 asked.
Well she replied. I might as well tell you
that he has been killed and I did it. But
say. Peter she went on. cooily, I want you
to remember that you are not to say any
thing about this. 1t would mean the electric
chair for me-"
MRS. TAYLOR EXCITED.
When the witness had reached this point
in his story Mrs. Taylor stood up, clenched
her fist and shook it at Yerkens over aha
shoulder of her counsel, William w. E.
Smith. Sheriff Dycker rushed to the wom-
ans side and restrained her from BEGIN
ming the TRADE she evidently wished to pour
forth on the head of her betrayer.
Il told Mrs. Taylor" Yerkens went on.
that / would say nothing, and that I
would ask her no more questions about 1t.
She seemed willing to tell me about the
murder. however. and che did. She said
that on the night OF HE death Taylor had
come home drunk. He is always nasty
when he's that way Mrs. Taylor said,
and / just decided that L was tired of it
and would end it forever. He went in and
sat on the bed. and it was while he was
sitting there that 1 shot him through the
head
Then he jumped up from the bed and
ran toward me, shouting, My God! 1 am a
dead mani As he was within three feet Of
me-, l answered, You can bet your life you
are and 1 shot him again. This time he
dropped to the floor, and when 1 was sure
that he was dead 1 got the ak and cut of
his head"
Did she say anything about blood?''
asked District Attorney Anderson.
Yes" Yerkins answered.; she said her
husband had bled like greatly. But she
said, that won't make any difference. for
there are no traces of 1t left. / have burned
the clothing, burned the carpet and burned
Lafe. too. It's all wiped clean. No one
will find it out"
What did Mrs. Taylor say she had done
with the bones?' asked the District At
toney.
Ssh said she had cracked them up and
fed them to the chickens in small bits.
PAINT TO HIDE CRIME.
Before Mrs. Taylor left my farm she
asked me If 1 had any paint. 1 asked her
what she wanted It for and she said: Those
doctor fellows tell human blood by the
smallest speck of 1t by looking through a
microscope. and 1 want to paint the bed
room and cover all the little spots.'"
When the witness had finished the crowd
In the courtroom was horror-stricken by the
recital. Yerkins told the story as II It had
been some simple matter in everyday life,
and the woman prisoner showed only anger
p at the witness.
Adjournment was then taken for an hour,
when II was announced that the woman
would be held for trial.
District Attorney Anderson and Sheriff
Dycker are Investigating a report that a
farmer named Moody, who lives near the
Taylor farm, had found a sack near his
place containing a portion OF the discovered
body of Lafayette Taylor.
This, the District Attorney sayB, may lead
TO the discovery that the body was not
burned. as Mrs. Taylor 10 alleged to have
said 1t was. and that other parts of the
body may be found.
At O'Neilrs Hotel the woman's 1s-year.
old daughter, Ida May De Kay, made the
following confession:
BY IDA MAY DE KAY.
Mamma and papa quarreled a great deal
on the night she killed him. l was lying on
a sofa IN the room where they were wrang-
ling. They made SO much noise 1 couldn'i
sleep. Papa was very deaf and mamma had
to talk loud.
FINALLY. the report Of a revolver aroused
me and 1 sat right up. Papa lay on the
floor with a hole in his forehead. Mamma
looked awfully ugly. Her eyes b!azed like
. cats. She was crouching Ike q tiger
She scared me
II screamed and she yelled at me to keep
ftill. She said: I've nxed him. Paps