The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-11
CAPTAIN TAGGART
tcontlnued from Elrst PAGES

E Ng EaALsy -
a top carriage with the top partly
down. The only n ] could see was
the driver. l called TO the driver to
move on. Captain Bash stepped out
and asked in a loud voice who ] was
talking to. ! replied that ] had been
talking to the coachman but that |
was now talking to him and that he
could move on and not come back.
When ] entered the house Mrs.
Taggart was In the front room. She
said II she was Mr.. Bash she would
have come back and given me a good
~thrashing. ] told her that was his
privilege, but l thought a man who
would stand beside my wife and talk
as he had done was more intimate
with her than she had led him to be.
lieye. ] told her not to see Bash again.
We became very angry. She cried and
promised not to associate with him
again.
One evening early in August, Mrs.
Taggart was away when l returned
home to dinner. The servants put the
children to bed. l retired about ten,
and was awakened at about two by a
knocking at the front door. Some one
let her in. ! looked out Of a window
and heard Captain Bash. say good
night. When Mrs. Taggart came up
stairs ] asked her II that was Bash
with her, and she said it was. She
said she did not know 1t was SO late.
l said she would have to explain where
she had been that might verify what
she said.
She said she would not discuss
the matter. ! shook her by the arms
and said l would shake her until she
told. / slapped her cheeks with the
tips Of my fingers. She then said
she had been no place but only driv.
ing.
Il said l believed what the servants
told me was true. And again she
promised not to see Captain Bash
again, and to the best of my knowl.
edge she never did. l never learned
where she went that night"
The next questions introduced Colo.
mel Charles W. Miner. Captain Tag.
CART said Miner was his superior Off.
Ger at Fort Thomas.
Il saw him nearly every day. We
saluted when we passed, but we were
not on speaking terms. When / re.
turned from the Philippines he was
my commanding officer in the Sixth
Regiment, at Fort Leavenworth.
Il knew Of associations between
Mrs. Taggart and Colonel Miner. The
next day / heard Mrs. Taggart at my
house talking to a lady friend in the
next room. She was relating her ex-
perienee at the dinner party when she
sat next to Colonel Miner. She said
Colonel Miner had pinched her leg
until 1t was sore, and that when his
hands were not busy with eating he
rubbed against her. said nothing,
but went out and stayed an hour.
When l came back I told Mrs. Tag
CART would like to speak to her. 1
asked her II what she told her lady
friend was true. She said ii was.
She said, 1.-The old fool was drunk"
The young ladies visiting at my
house often referred to him as the
"leg feeler."
Lieutenant F~ortescue, kin OF Presi.
dent Roosevelt, was introduced by
the next question. Captain Taggart
said:
Il think ! first met Fortescue at
Mrs. Taggart's dancing party. I
met Fortescue at other par.
ties. At receptions Mrs. Taggart and
Fortescue would go and sit together
through the entire party. There were
three such occasions. One evening
some young people came to my house
for supper after a hop, and remained
to about three A. NJ. Mr.. Fortescue
was one. There was beer and whiskey
but no champagne that l recall. +
think everybody drank.
Mr.. Fortescue and Mrs. Taggart
sat together at the table and left to-
gether. had been out on the front
porch and after about ten minutes.
vent to the dining room again and
saw Fortescue and Mrs. Taggart COM
ing up from the basement. Mrs. Tag.
CART had a plate of ice. Mrs. Taggart
was in front and Fortescue came up
behind with a candle. That was about
half past two. Both had the appear
ance of having been drinking. They
went to the table and each had a
highball. Previously l had told my
wife that her intimacy with Lieuten.
ant Fortescue was very conspicuous.