The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-18
PENlTENT LETTERS.
Those Which Taggart Wrote to His
Wife Again in Court.

Wooster, o., Aug. 18.-The love let
tiers of Captain Taggart to his wife,
written when he was confined in the
hospital at Fort Leavenworth and
again appeared in court.
This time an attorney for Captain
Taggart held the letters. The letters
were read in full. each one was num-
bered and the complete letter offered
in evidence by the plaintiff. There are
eighteen of the letters.
Taggart said that when these letters
were written he was locked in a room
on the third floor of the hospital and
he wrote them under the advice of
Colonel Won Hoff, who told him that
he must write some mighty penitent
letters to Mrs. Taggart if he wished
her influence with Colonel Miner.
Il was nervous wreck at the time I
was writing to my wife these letters
he said 81 was willing to do or say
anything in order that 1 might get to
see my children again.
Captain Taggart took the stand for
examination in chief upon the letters.
feeling of interest prevailed through
out the large audience present on ac-
count of the vital Importance attached
to them. Attorney Sterling then read
a letter in full. The letter was a most
pathetic appeal to his wife to inter
| cede in his behalf with Colonel Miner.
'Let Tag OUT
Tell Colonel Miner for Gods safe
to let poor Tag out" and an admis-
| sion that liquor was the cause of his
troubles
Now, captain, where were you
| when you wrote this?" said Sterling.
In the hospital prison.
Why and when were you confined
THEREOF
ION the 1st of July Immediately
after Colonel Miner and Colonel Won
Hon had been to my house. The in
formation that I received was that
Mrs Taggart had told Colonel Miner
that [ had put her out on the street
naked. 1 understood a court-martiaI
would be based on that statement
when that letter was written" The
witness said he had not drank a drop
| the night of June 80, the might the
| trouble at the house occurred.
L had advice from the officer in
1 charge of me to protect my wife in re-
| gard to another story Which had gone
around the post the night before and
| was advised to write letter OF most
| humble apology; that Colonel Miner
would do just what my wife said"
why did you write that letter."
"My first motive was to protect my
wife from story 1 had heard the
night before, and also to avoid a court
martial"
what else 80
81 also desired to get out of prison.
Letter No. 8 was read in full by At
| torney Sterling 1t was replica al
most of the last. Some sentences were,
| You may say, as you know, my trou-
| bic is drink, and ask to put me on the
hear word from you. 1 will now
send you my supplication, which
means my life or death. 1 love you
as you are all in the world for me, and
send me a word
''Where were you when you wrote
that?"
81 was in the same place where I
wrote the others. The first letter was
T
was incarcerated. The other was
| written the next morning. 1 got no
answer to the first
what purpose had you in writing
that letter ?''
ITO have the charges withdrawn and
the. release subsequent upon it,"
PLAINTIFFS Case Closed.
The plaintiffs attorneys practically
closed their case with several deposit
tions which deDosed to the captain s
good character.
c. J. Brugnier appeared by deposit
ton He is a mariner. He was mas
ter of the United States hospital ship
Relief at the Philippines when the cap
tain was Quartermaster. He gave the
quartermaster a most excellent reputa-
ton for sobriety and a family man.
Massillon Harrison, another mariner
on the same ship. was with the captain
on the ship Relief one year and two
months. He waS first officer. He
never saw a more devoted father OF
husband.
H. B. Mulfot- cashier of the Amer
lean bank. deDosed and said he knew
the captain well. Was major of Ninth
infantry, United States army. Was an
inspector of police. Was superintend-
ent of police afterward. He had nc
hesitancy in saying his character was
all 0. K.
Attorney wertz asked for an at
tachment for Alice Thatcher, custodian
of the Christ hospital records, saying
that a subpoena had been issued fol
her, but she had disappeared.