The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-08-18
Read Pledge Wherein Taeeart Prom.
ses to Keep Sober and Keep
Still About Wife.
TAoGART's ATTORNEYS SAY 1T
WAS GIVEN UNDER DURESs
The Plaintiff Expresses Very Fore
ibe Opinion About Clinton
Spencer Of Chicago.
CONVINCED SOMETHING WRONG
Tells How Mrs, Tageart Got Drunk
After Coming Home From
Party.

After Coming Home From
Party.
Wooster, o., Aug. 14.-When court
adjourned this evening Major f. N.
Taggart, the plaintiff in the divorce
case now being heard here, was still
Oh the sCaGd, still unperturbed and
sllll standing firm under the merciless
fire of a nost skillful cross-examina-
tion by Judge Smyser. Just before
court adiObTued Judge Campbell read
a pledge 70 which Taggart's name is
affixed, in which Taggart promised to
his commander to abstain from the
use of all intoXicants while in the
army; never again to wrongfully aC-
cuse his wife of wrons doing, failing
in which he said this pledge should
be regarded as his resignation from
the army.
TaggaIi's attorneys at once made OBJ
lection tG the offering of the pledge,
claiming nat it was given under du-
ress, and that it was the only method
the MAJOR lad of getting his release.
III the closing hour this afternoon
great deal was made of the charge
made as sdpgt Clinton Spencer of Chi
cago. Ia answer to rigid cross-eXam-
ination, Tagssrt said: 81 would not
think anything of the fact that some
men had Cscor,ed Mrs. Taggart from
Chicago Ia Kentucky, but when |
know that man was Clinton Spencer
and know that he would have only one
object for taking a woman on such
trip, rhen | I'm convinced that there
was something wrong"
II first Lrgan to doubt my wife's
word" said Iaggart, when she came
up from the cellar with Lieut. For
tcsque one time"
About 80 or 40 gallons of punch were
consumed at their party at Fort Thom-
as Mrs. iaggart was not drunk at
the party, seid the major, "but got
drunk after they went home. After
the rest had all gone upstairs she
staggered, and | put my arm about
her and CARED her to her room"
THE next dance on the boards was
the one at which Lieut.. Fortesque
brought Mrs. Taggart up from the eel
lar" he continued. Fortesque, while !
sitting beside Mrs. Taggart, drank
high halls. She drank whiskey. He
look his wife to task with regard to
her suspicious relation with Fortes-
que after the guests had departed. He
will be on tie stand again tomorrow |
Major Taggart spent the morning on
the witness stand under the heavy fire |
Of Judge Smyser's cross-examination. |
Though savagely assaued more than
once by yuttinS charges he kept his
temper we'll, His only manifestation
Of wrath Sas an occasional deep flush !
and clinching iet
Only twice did Major and Mrs Tag
gart face one another His eyes were
fixed on her as he testified, but she
kept her back turned toward him and |
scribhled on iad of paper. Part of
the time she drew little grotesque pic
lures, and again she wrote and re-
wrote sentences and words that had
come up in the trial
When Taggart, however told that
while drunk she had fallen headlong
on the stairs at Fort Leavenworth, she
rolled her prominent eyes at him and |
tossed her head. Another time when
he spoke of her relations with Lieut.. |
FortesQue she looked at him and
smiled-not a very cheerful smile, nor
an attractive one. Then she leaned
across the table and whispered to.l
Mrs Saffarans, her close friend, who
laughed with her.
The most interesting stage of the
days proceedings was when Smyser
tried to make Captain Taggart admit |
that when he brought suit for divorce
he did not possess the information on
which the suit is being prosecuted.
Taggart would not admit that. He
said he knew everything then, but |
had learned much since
II was also developed that when they
separated in San Francisco they had
made an agreement concerning the
children, and that 1t was because Mrs !
Taggart broke this agreement that the !
divorce proceedings were begun.
The ten days public torment which |
Captain and Mrs. Taggart have under
gone since the commencement of their |
trial here has set heavy seal OF years
upon their features,
A murmur arose In the court room |