The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-08-08
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN COURT
Of THE NOTED ARMY CASE


beer to Mrs. Taggart's five.
Howard Taggart also testified that
his sister-in-law drank habitually with
the officers, and prided herself on taxi
irg her whisky straight, laughing at
the men for using water with it. The
captain, the witness said, objected to
his wife's giving their sons beer
To show the character of Mrs. Tag
CARTS associates, the witness was al
lowed to testify that Mrs. Taggart told
him that Lieut.. Poor was forced to
leave West Point by his wife's conduct
with another officer
Long argument on the competence of
such testimony followed. The court
overruled the objection, and Howard
Taggart proceeded to relate converse
ton with Mrs. Taggart rejecting on
the Poors.
Mrs. Taggart told him, the witness
said, that she had not been invited to
join the social club at Fort Thomas
and that Mrs. Poor and Mrs. Saffron
had been similarly sighted. The cap
tain eXplained-to his wife, the witness
said, that this was because she and the
other two were considered three of
kind" and in a class by themselves.
Mrs Poor frequently called at DR..
Brooke's house, the witness, said Mrs.
Taggart told him Brooke attempted
suicide on one occasion after such
visit and Mrs. Poor nursed him until
turned out of the house by the sur
geon's mother, who accused her of
leading the young man astray. Capt.
Dunning, the witness had learned in
the same way, had been threatened
with court-martial and cashiering if
he did not remain away from Mrs.
Poor's house.
MORE DRINKING.
Howard Taggart said he knew Mrs,
Fanny Sayron we'll, and a certain
drinking resort at Matanzas, Cuba. He
had passed a jest on the coiffure Mrs.
Taggart was affecting. her hair hang
Ing low over one eye, and was told it
was a new mode He caught glimpse
OF the portion of her forehead so COW
cred, and saw 1t was cut. Mrs. Saffron
told him Mrs. Taggart had fallen
He asked Mrs. Saffron if it was true
that she and Mrs. Taggart were drunk
the night before in the saloon with two
volunteer officers. Mrs. Saffron, he
said, then described meeting with the !
officers in the plaza, going to the place
and drinking high balls. One bottle
of champagne followed, and as anoth-
or rt in
knocked the glass from his wife's hand |
to the floor, and told the volunteer Of
fCers that men who had no more re-
spect for the uniforms they wore and |
for wives of brother officers had no
place in the service One of the Off
GERS apologized. the witness said, ex-
pressing the hope that no court-mar-
tial would be necessary.
The witness said he remembered
Mrs. Taggart's return from the Philip
pines in 1903, when he visited her In
Chicago and she showed him her ORR
entail collection, saying her husband
bought the objects for her She dis
played three long fur coats, saying
they we're worth sl,5O0 in this country.
though the captains pay was s21O a
month, he did not properly support his
wife.
Smyser interpolated that this charge
applied only to the time after the sep
aration. and said he was willing to ad-
nit that in general way the captain
had treated his wife kindly and well.
COSTLY KIMONOS.
The witness was permitted to go on,
end mentioned two kimonos, very
and costing $75 each in ia
pan, as well as two cloisonne vases
and various Japanese silks and table
cloths. Mrs. Taggart told him, the
witness said, that Taggart had spent
his last cent buying her nice things,
and had to borrow money to get home
Mrs. Taggart had told him that most
officers on the islands drank too much
and could not stand the climate, but
that Capt. Taggart drank no intoxi-
cants and was in excellent health.
At this visit Howard Taggart ad-
mitted on cross-examlnation by Smy-
ser. he himself had given Mrs. Tag
gart mice umbrella"
The witness said he didn't know that
his brother got back the fur coats
Once, at Fort Thomas, the witness
said, he and Mrs. Taggart drank to-
gether until the witness became drunk.
That was the first time | was ever
really dead drunk" he said, and Mrs
Taggart took his part when his broth
er upbraided him
The witness said there was poker
playing at the Taggart house Capt.
CIowl was one of the party, and "the
preacher dropped in, and Mrs. Taggart
thought 1t would be good joke, so
she pushed him through the door
The officers present at the Matanzas
beer duel, witness thought, were Sur
geon Brooke, Lieut.. Simmons and
Lieut. Purdy of the Sixth infantry.