The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-14

docks.
Major Taggart told about the time he
brought the children to Ohio, and he
| said he did this to get them within the
! jurisdiction of this court that he might
institute proceedings for divorce He
arranged for them to live with his
parents in Orrville-
The Captains 'sDen.''
The subject of the arrangement of
| Taggart'S house at FIT IeavenWorth,
| with reference to the room entered by
Lieutenant Fortesque. which had been
previously known as the Captains
.den," and told about by Thomas
Moraldo, the Filipino, was then brought
up.
This room was used by the family
said Major Taggart, Ito sit in or stop
in when we were not dressed, and not
to entertain guests in"
The prosecution went back at this
point to the period just subsequent to
his discharge from the Leavenworth
hospital
when 1 left the hospital I resumed
my duties" he said, ''as Captain of In
fantry and remained at the rife range
as commanded by Colonel Miner He
! then told of his physical condition for
six weeks during which he could neith-
er eat nor sleep. He was again ordered
to the hospital
"I remained there said he, "eight
days. Repairs were being made there,
and as there was no heat I was removed
/ 10 my mouse. L was dII61Q6Q ny
trained nurse. 1 was much of the time
unconscious. When I entered the hos
| pital I weighed 165 pounds and two
months later weighed 115 pounds.
when about to die, asked to see my
children
How near to death were your"
Il did not think I would live"
Did you send any report to your
wife?"
| It did,"
Through whom?"
1.-The surgeons"
| A telegram returned to Taggart from
chief quartermaster of the department
| of Missouri was introduced as evidence.
| The defense demanded an identifica-
ton of the telegram and Taggart said it
was an official telegram sent on an Of
! fetal telegraph blank In this manner
Taggart sought to show that he was de-
MED by his wife while he was at the
point of death the privilege of seeing his
children, who were with their mother in
San Francisco and in this manner prove
extreme cruelty.
| The defense took the witness and
Judge Smyser began his cross -exami-
nation. Taggart's educational and mill
tary advantages were gone over rapidly.
| At the age of 20, while at West Point,
he had occasionally taken a drink of
| beer or whisky.
According to Law
1.-The government kept you and fed
you from that day to this, did it not?"
''Yes-according to law"
During your four years cadetship
did you drink?"
I was not permitted to drink except
on occasion of my vacations. I spent
one vacation in New York with 20 to
| 80 cadent and we drank about every
thing in sight.
Did you enjoy it?''
II did,
Judge Smyser inquired into his drink
habits at FIT. Douglas, Utah. A laugh
| fad when T9OQaTf asked
how he drank at FIT Douglas.
About the same, I take it, as you
would, had you been in my place."
! well, l drink beer, whisky wine and
I sampled all those articles, 1 be-
lieve''
Were you ever drunk there?"
| No"
would you tell me if you had been?'
Yes. It's nothing to be ashamed Of
! The witness was then asked as to
drinking at Camp Highwood, Chicago.
| Taggart said he kept whisky there for
/ alone
Did friends come fast?"
"They did,
Did you always drink with them?'
Yes"
What was your limit?"
t'Sobriety."
Then Smyser led up to the wooing and
winning of the wife and the fact that
nGE pdteTndl 1dIIllly iGNSL kept
or countenanced drinking. Taggart said
he had drunk beer with his wife at her
sisters (Mrs. Shields) house. He ad-
mitted that his wife, early in their we'd
/ ded life, worshiped him, but he said she
did not show this same devotion at FIT.
Leavenworth.
did you induce her to drink beer at
Plattsburg?"
.I did not She had trained nurse.
She was frail and had been i'll.
The First Cocktail.
where did Mrs. Taggart get her first
i The major couldn't remember. AS to
keeping wine and ether drinks at home he
admitted the custom.
Judge Smyser brought out the facts that
Mrs Taggart had for a long time played
the organ at Ft. Thomas at Sunday devo-
tional exercises and that she belonged to
the Episcopal church. He said, when ques-
toned, that he did not attend church, but
that he and Chaplain Springer of his reg
iment had always been the best of friends
mixed and given to his wife the first cock
tail and the first drink of whisky that
ever passed her lips, and if his own par
ticular cocktail was not famous on land
and sea as an especially fine bunch of
DOPE
Taggart denied having been the first to
. tempt his wife to drink, but admitted
that he knew the making of the cocktails
that follow the flag.
Young Rope Released.
In police court the case of the youth,
Taggart, was taken up. The boy, it will
| be remembered, testified that he saw Mrs.
Taggart come to the side door of the bar
room in Koch's cafe, order three beers,
drink one and give one to each of the
boys. At the hearing on Monday last
Mayor Van Nest, in the absence of testi-
mony in favor of Rope, was about to bind
him over when. on motion of Attorney
/ Sterling, the case was continued until this
afternoon.
Major Taggart was put on the stand and
, testified that he had often seen Mrs. Tag
| civ IN "a oni
Rope reiterated the story he told in the
court of common pleas. Charles Heffelfin-
ger the bartender, had sworn that he new
er sold liquor to boys under age. Lloyd
Sidle, boy of II, swore that he fire.
quently bought beer of the bartender. Sew
, eral witnesses gave testimony that Rope
, had told them of the beer-buying incident
before he went on the stand, one declar-
ing that he had urged Rope to go to Major
: 2 srer.ll-f and taIl asfcnr-