The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-12
Mrs. Taggart Always Going to
Do Better But Never Did.
MUCH WHISKY DRUNK
He Bought so Quarts in 100
Days Himself.
Officers Equally Free With His
Liquor and His Wife.

divorce case Judge Easton, citing au-
thority of the Ohio supreme court. ruled
out the testimony of Detectives Mabee
and Norris by whom the PLAINTIFF sought
to show misbehavior on Mrs. Taggart,s
part
The ground was that the young man
in question, son of a Wooster clergy
man, had not been named in the plead
ings. On resuming his testimony the
captain referred to the Matanzas cham-
payne supper. The next morning he
said he told his wife it would be better
to send one Of her visiting womea
friends home to her husband if that was
the kind of parties they expected to
have. This woman left next day. Mrs.
Taggart had not commented on the epi-
sode, though witness had told her it
was most disgraceful and expressed
hope that no one would find it out.
Captain Taggart then Justified as to
various improper acts on the part OF
his wife. named various correspondents.
and described his unsuccessful attempts
to keep her away from them.
Captain Taggart faced an audiences
that crowded the courthouse to the
doors when he resumed his testimony,
taking up the thread of his story at the
point he had reached when court ad-
journed- Probably never before in the
history of a divorce trial has planting
been allowed togo on the witness stand
and talk for hours without being inter-
rupted by the attorneys upon either
side. This is the case at the Taggart
trial. Captain Taggart is giving vivid
| account of his life with the woman
from whom he is seeking divorce.
Meeting With Col. Miner.
II first met Colonel, now General
Miner, at Fort Thomas, KY" said Cap
tain Taggart. 1--WE were on a speaking
acquaintance at that fortress. While
| there my wife told me that there was a
women at the fort who was getting all
the people to talking about herself and
Colonel Miner. That was the first inti-s
nation had about Colonel Miners rcp-e
utation among the women.
Colonel Miner was my superior offs
Ger at Fort Leayenworth. The first tin1s
my wife and myself called at the horne
1 of the colonel was the night Of a recep-
/ tion to the officers and their wives given.
| by the colonel and his wife. There was
| a large company there that night. Mrs.
Taggart sat at a table with Colonel
| Miner. He paid a great deal of atten-
| tion to her that night. I noticed that
she was almost continually in his So
| ciety. The next day, at my own homes
| I heard Mrs. Taggart telling Miss Berry,
| who was a guest at our house, that Coi-
onel Miner had been more than usually
agreeable to her on the evening Prev
/ ious. She said that while she sat at the
table with him he ate with one hand
and that the other was under the table
in her lap most of the time. In telling
| this to Miss Berry, she said, Colonel
Miner asked to call on me at some time
| when the captain was away
Threatened to Report Miner.
SHORTY after this told Mrs. Tag~
CART that I had overheard her CONVEX
| sation. I asked her what she meant
! by talking about such things to a
guest. She said that Miner was an
old fool, that he was known all around
the post that kind of man and
no one paid any attention to him. I
| told her that the only course open to
| me would be to make a statement to
the officer who had the proper author
ity over the actions of Colonel Miner.
| She begged me not to do this and out
of consideration for my own family
and the feelings of Mrs. Miner, I fnal-s
ly consented to drop the matter. Z
saw Colonel Miner at the house once
after that.
During another conversation had
with Mrs Taggart about the attentions
she was receiving from Colonel Miner
I told my wife that I was in the most
humiliating position that a man could
possibly be placed. told her that
Colonel Miner nor any officer could
have any respect for me knowing that
knew that my wife was receiving at
tentionS from my commanding officer.
She replied that she would put q StOp
to the attentions of Colonel Miner. The
attentions of Colonel Miner continued
whenever they met just the same as
before had talked with my wife.
"Once when Mrs. Taggart and my-
self were getting ready to go for a
drive Miner teIephoned to the house
and said he wanted to come over and
see her. My wife said he wanted to
come at a time when the captains
meaning me, and the old lady, mean-
ing his wife, would not get on to it.
FOrtescue a Frequent Caller.
Lieutenant Fortescue was a fre-
quent caller at the house about this
time. AT a party given at my house
Lieutenant Fortescue and Mrs. Taggart
were together so much that the COM
pany present made the matter a. Stand-
ing joke. Mrs. Taggart and Fortescue
drank a great deal that evening.
saw them coming out of the basement
together at time when Mrs. Taggart
should have been bidding her guests
good night. Mrs. Taggart carried d
plate of ice. Fortescue carried the can
die; both were intoxicated. 1 spoke OF
this event to Mrs. Taggart, but she
only laughed at me. Each time I
spoke to her about a matter of this
kind she would promise to do as
! wished. She never fulfilled her
promise.
sAt a dance given at the house OF
one of the officers Mrs. Taggart pre-
sented her dancing card for me. But
I noticed seven of the twelve dances
marked down to Fortesque and told
her I wished to be neither her first or;
last partner. did not dance with heE
that night.
ssOn another occasion I ordered
} Lieut.. Fortesque from my house be-
cause I thought his marked attentions
to Mrs. Taggart were disgracefuL
Miss Berry and Miss Yost were stay
: ing at the house at the time. They
were guests of Mrs. Taggart.
Wife Wouldn't Speak to Him.