The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-08-25
MRS. TAGCART NOW
HAS HER INNINGS
AfTEmpT FAILED TO THROW
CASE OUT OF COURT.
On Ground That She Was Not a Resi-
dent Of Onio-Mrs. Saffaran
Denies.

of the afternoon session of the Tag
gart divorce trial was the testimony
of Mrs. Fannie Saffarans, of Fort Lo-
gan, Colo, and who was alleged by
witnesses for Captain Taggart to have
been one of the participants in scan
dalous scene in a public saloon In
Matanzas, Cuba. She denied in toto
the charges that either she, Mrs.
Taggart or the two officers who acte1
as their escorts were drunk. Mrs.
Saffarans took the stand Immediately
on the reconvening of the court this
afternoon. Asked how long she had
been in the army she replied with a
smile: "All of my life. l grew up
In the army"
Continuing she said: II have known
Captain Taggart since his graduation
from West Point. He always called
me Fannie ad | called him Tag" she
said.
II have no hesitancy in telling my
age" laughed Mrs. Saffarans. She
looked toward Taggart who did not
return her smile. 81 am 35 years DID,
The examination then led up to
the story of the scene in the Matan-
Eats, Cuba cafe, where Taggart knock
ed glass of champagns from his
wife's hand.
II had come to Captain Taggart's
house at Matanzas to attend large
BALI said Mrs. Saffarans. 1T was the
next evening that we were in the cafe.
II was not true that the young officers
in the cafe had met us in the street.
They left Captain Taggarts house
with us. Captain Taggart knew them.
They were Captain Bernhard and Lieut..
Parker of the Twelfth New York regi-
ment. Mrs. Taggart and drank lime
and seltzer.
1--WE had been there probably a
half hour when Captain Taggart came
in. He wore heavy overcoat with
the collar turned up. That was most
peculiar, for the night was very warm
He said to me:
"'This is a'nice time of night for
you girls to be out
MRS, Taggart stood up with glass
In her hand. This Captain Taggart
struck from her hand.
when Captain Taggart entered
four glasses had just been filed with
champagne. 1t is not true that either
of the officers were drunk. Mrs. Tag
gart had nothing intoxicating to drink
all day. Mrs. Taggart went home with
her husband and the two officers ac-
companied me home a few minutes
later"
Mrs. Saffarans was questioned about
the use of liquor at the Taggart
home.
Captain Taggart kept the best
stocked sideboard at the post" she
said "he had all kinds of liquors for
all kinds of drinks. l never saw
Mrs. Taggart smoke and never heard
Of her telling off color stories. Cap
tain Taggart was man who drank
when he wanted to. He probably
drank every day. He drank every
thing there was.
my husband sent me to testify here
because of the scandalous things that
have been said about me-"
She stuck to her story closely on
cross-examination and on the whole
made a most excellent witness for
Mrs. Taggart
II Is expected that Colonel Miner
will the the star witness tomorrow.
When the Taggart divorce case
opened this morning it found no more
promise of the end being in sight than
when it began almost three weeks
ago. 1t Is thought that Mrs. Taggart
will have a more rapid inning than
Ler husband, and that the testimon; :;
will be pushed more rapidly.
Major Taggart was called to the
stand and several questions were asked
him as to his good faith as litigant,
that is, II he, when he instituted his
entitled to divorce II the evidence
would justify 1t. He answered that he
did
Attorney Sterling then for the plain
tiff made an address to the court, in
which he claimed that Mrs. Taggart,
as q nom resident of Ohio, has no right
In court here, except in answer to her
husbands petition, and that she can
pot. under the laws OF Ohio, Sbe grant
ed a divorce, being here by right only
to make general denial to her hus-
bands claim
Sterling claimed that Mrs. Taggart' IS
cross-petition is really no cross-peti-
ton, in that 1t does not state a cause
Of action. that no summons had ever
been issued on the cross-petition and
served on defendant. These legal
length this morning.
The whole matter is alleged to be
based on Mrs. Taggart's answer when
q witness in the Rope case at the
mayors court the other night, in
which she charged Rope with perjury,
and whereupon, being called as a wit