The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-23
MINER TESTIFIES.
'Faggart's Former Commanding
Officer at LeavenwOrth
Takes the Witness Stand for the
Defense.
DENIES ALL CHARGES.
Says His Conduct Was Always
That of Gentleman.
Mrs. Miner SWears She Never
Saw Anything Wrong.

Wooster, o., Aug. 23.-A little of the
cloud which has been settling upon the
head of Captain Elmore F. Taggart
since the defense opened their case lift
ed under portion of the testimony of
General Charles Wright Miner. former
ly commander of the garrison at Fort
Leavenworth and the commanding Off
Ger of Captain Taggart. General Miner
admitted under cross-examination that
the report he furnished to the war de-
partment containing an account of the
conduct of Captain Taggart during the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1903, was
incorrect and was an observance of the
: captains conduct when the general was
in biased frame of mind
AT Fort Leavenworth the fiscal year
ended June 80, it was General Miners
business to forward a report to the war
department containing an account of
! the actions during the year of every
| OFFICER in his command. Two hundred
| OF these reports were sent to the de-
partment July 2, 1903. and in the case
| of Captain Taggart the report was
| morally and legally wrong, according to
| the admission of General Miner This is
| because the report contained an account
of the alleged actions of Captain Tag
gart the morning of July 1, when he is
/ said to have beat and kicked his wife
and turned her out of the house aked.
| These acts, if they occurred, did not oc-
\ cur until an hour after midnight June
| 30, hence they should not have been in
the record of Captain Taggart for that
| year, which was sent by General Miner
| to the war department.
| General Miner said he knew of no in
stance of bad behavior on the part of
Captain Taggart until the events of the
morning of July ! transpired. Asked
why he had included them in the record
of Captain Taggart he said he must
either have been biased against the cap
/ tain by those events or else the close
close of the year. led him or the ad-
! jutant to forget that they should not
be included in Captain Taggart's rec
ord.
Miner ON the Stand.
/ General Miner was called to the wit
ness stand directly after Mrs Miner
had testified. The general is distinctly
| military in appearance, and his pres
| ence in the court room created a sem
sation. The general walked to the
/ witness chair in a manner which was
void of any embarrassment. General
Miner is a retired brigadier general of
| the United States army, and is at pres
ent located at Columbus, Ohio, where
he is the military adviser of Myron T.
Herrick, governor of Ohio. He said
he first met Captain and Mrs. Taggart
at Fort Thomas, KY, in 1895 The di-
rect examination progressed very rap
idly Up to the occasion of the Miner
dinner party, given by the general and
Mrs. Miner at Fort Leavenworth, at
which time it is alleged that the gen
! erals conduct toward Mrs. Taggart
was exceedingly liberal. With refer
ence to this occasion Mr.. Smyser said:
| General, you remember this dinner
party, don't you?"
''I remember the fact but not the
date"
| i-rI,f fn
by Mrs. Taggart?' %
81 sat at the head of my own table,
Mrs. Taggart sat at my right
What was your conduct toward
Mrs. Taggart that night at your
house?''
''My conduct was that of host and
| a gentleman
| "Did you ever at any time, either
before or after this dinner party, con-
duct yourself improperly with Mrs.
Taggart?"
II never conducted myself other
| than a gentleman and an officer should
with reference to Mrs. Taggart or any
| other lady"
Did Mrs. Taggart have an especial
fondness for you, general?"
Mrs. Taggart never exhibited any
preference for my society over that OF
other men she met in my presence"
How many times did you call on
Mrs. Taggart at Fort Leavenworth
when Captain Taggart was not at
homer"
81 called on Mrs. Taggart once in an
official capacity when was accom-
panied by my adjutant and another
officer and at another time 1 called to
do an errand for Mrs. Miner with re-
spect to some social affair which was
in progress Those were the only times
IL called at the Taggart home when
the captain was not present.
General, did you ever call upon Mrs.
Taggart when this state of affairs ex-
isted You found Mrs. Taggart and Miss
Berry at the house and you were usher
| ed into the parlor by Mrs. Taggart. Miss
Berry was ordered to go to the front
porch and watch for the return of the
captain, while you and Mrs. Taggart
| conducted yourselves indecorously in
the parlor ?"
| mo such state of affairs ever existed -
When He Wronged Taggart
General Miner was asked to detail the
occurrences of July 1, after Captain
| Taggart had been arrested for abusing
his wife and to state how that affair
| was brought to his notice.
| He stated that Captain Poor made an
official report of the conduct of Captain
Taggart and upon that report he based
arrest which he Immediately ordered. 81
ordered Captain Taggart to report to
my headquarters, which he did. there
examined him with reference to what
| had occurred. Captain Taggart called
God to witness that the night previous
| was the first time he had ever struck
| Mrs. Taggart and said that he must
| have been crazy when he did so shame
full a thing. I consulted with Colonel
Hof, the surgeon, as to the mental con-
| dition of Captain Taggart and conclud-
ed that I would conf1ne him for a time
| until could observe him more closely
Before sending him to the hospital ]
! went in company of two officers to the
| home of Mrs. Taggart, where 1 examin-
ed her with reference to the treatment
she had received from Taggart She
| showed me the bruises on her face and
arms where she said the captain had