The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-10-17

some Of the letters that were offered In
evidence during the trial. : -|.-'''-' ~
While Miner is relieved from the
charge Of adultery with Mrs. Taggart
the court stated that he very probably
was guilty Of cooperation in some kind
Of conspiracy against the captain. 4.
That the cruelty alleged by Mrs. Tag
gart to have occurred at Fort Leaven-
worth could be true, the court believed
to be preposterous.
Captain Taggart was present when
the decision was rendered, but Mrs.
Taggart was prostrated at home.
| In an outbreak against his father
upon the streets tonight, Culver Tag
gart called the captain liar.
| Cd d---n you," he said, I'LL
never go with you; you have lied about
my mother, and every witness who
swore at the trial against mamma was
a liar"
Then Culver burst into tears. In
speaking Of the matter the captain said
| he never saw such an outburst from q
grown man. Culver concluded his IT,
rade by saying that no matter what
the Judge said he would never leave his
mother. Once this afternoon he ran
home and, finding his mother sitting
upon the front porch, he clasped his
arms around her neck, and, sobbing.
said: Mamma, won't have to leave
you, will II"
Fearing an attempt to abduct the
children, Capt. Taggart is having the
house where Mrs. Taggart and the
children are staying watched by a
friend tonight.
The Taggart case is one that COM
manded worldwide attention because
of the prominence Of Capt. Taggart in
army circles and the notoriety which
attached itself to the men who were
named by Capt. Taggart as correspond
ents. The case was five weeks at trial.
The issues were fought without gloves
by the attorneys-Congressm M. l..
Smyser and Capt. James b. Taylor Of
Wooster, for Mrs. Taggart, and Edward
s. Wertz of Wooster and James Ster-
ling, an old and prominent attorney Of
Canton, for the army captain.
At the opening Of the trial the attor-
neys on both sides were warm per-
sonal friends. At its conclusion two Of
them were bitter enemies. These two
men are Mr.. Smyser and Mr. Sterling.
occupying contending sides in the case,
both recognized as giants at the bar in
this section of the state.
The action for divorce was brought
by Capt. Taggart when Mrs. Taggart
was residing in California. 1t was al
legged by him that after an agreement
had been made between Mrs. Taggart
and himself, to the effect that no d.
vorce proceedings should be brought by
her, Mrs. Taggart, during his absence
on a sea voyage, commenced proceed
ings to get entire control of the chill
dren and a decree of divorce. This, al
legged the captain, she hoped to do in
the California courts. He claimed that
he returned to San Francisco just in
time to forestall his wife in this action.
He visited her there, secured the chill
dren to take to his ship for luncheon
with his brother officers, but as soon
as he had the children in his care he
started for railroad station, where he
had secured passage for the boys and
himself to Ohio. Once in Ohio, the
captain believed he could snap his
fingers at the efforts OF his wife to get
possession of the children. He insti-
tuted proceedings in divorce in the
Wooster court, and in petition filed
in August, 1904, made some sensational
charges against his wife,
Mrs. Taggart first learned that her
husband had opened the fight from a
newspaper sent her from Orrviile, O.,
by Billy Taggart, who was afterward
named by the captain as one OF the CO.
respondents. Mrs. Taggart at once
started for Wooster, crossing the contf-
nent to fight for the possession of the
gart employed the best legal service
she could procure, agreeing, it is stat
ed, to pay her attorneys the sum of
5000 for winning the suit.
In the cross-petition of Mrs. Taggart
she denied all Of the allegations made
by her husband and counter-charged
him with Sbducting the children and
with having been connected with a
Filipino woman, Augustine De La
Cruz.
Mrs. Taggart's name went the length
and breath of the land and with it
went the names Of Clinton Spencer of
Chicago; Charles w. Miner, former
post commander at Fort Leavenworth;
d. w. Rither, captain in the United
States army; Capt. Bash of Manila;
Lieut.. Fortesque, nephew of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who, 1t is stated, went
to Europe to avoid being a witness at
the trial, and William Taggart of Orr
vile, o. Only three of the correspond
ents were witnesses at the trial.
During the prosecution Of the plain
tiKs cause, letters were introduced in
evidence by the defense which were
A.r H.