The San Francisco call., 1905-08-03
Army Man S Fight
For Divorce is
Begun
Many Regulations May
Be Shattered Dur
ing Trial.
Counsel Presents Series of
Sensational Accusations
Against the Wife.
Special Dispatch to The can.


WOOSTER Ohio. Aug. "A prelirnin-
ery skirDlish IN the Taggart divorce case
occurred to-day, when Judge Esson took
up. the question raised by Attorney Tyertz.
&C unset for Major Taggart, who asked
that AL letters and papers passing be-
tween Major TaggaYt 6nd his wife and.
between Mrs. Ta'ggart and William Tag
CART correspondent and cousin Of the
plaintiff, be produced in court. Judge
Eascn refused 10 feqsiiTe the Droduction
Of all letters and papers. bun ordered the
oeIe1oa.nt L produce those that passed
between. the PARTIES named during the
months of June, July ard August, 1903.
The opening. act Of the trial began at
CLOCK p2fore a cOiEEtroom crowded with
n'en.. No women were present with the
exception Of Mrs. Taggart. her sister.
Mrs Shields, and a friend Mrs 'Vose of
Fort Sheridan, Chicago who occupied
seats az the sable with Congressman
eject NJ l. Sulyser and Captain J. 3.
Jaylcr, counsel for the defendant
attorney Wertz stated. that it was the
pla1Dtins desire that the case be heard
.oeland closed d6crs- IN giving his reason
for this request he said:
There viii be lots. OF evidence reflect
ing. on the honor of many people"
Jbdge Smyser objected. saying:
II IS too. late now 10 ask that Many
serious charges have already been made
The charges have already gained much
pQphcity ana w-s don't care to have the
light oT investigation t1rned down"
CoURT sUSTAINs OBJECTION.
Judge Isason sustained the objection
and the case viii BE conducted in open
court @
Attorney. Wertz made his preliminary
statement, IN which he recounted the
events in the career or Major Taggart
trom carly 'boyhood up 70 the time when
he was. married To. Grace Ctriver the
adopted. uaugbter Of William Culver. Two
o. children were. born of this union He said
the plaintiff. expected TO show that at
various. times Mrs. Tageart associated
WITH persons Of unsaEory reputation
against the remOnstrances Of ner hus-
banc;.tkat Al, Fort Thomas she 'consorted
with one Lieutenant Richter, a friend Of
the family, which conduct on the part OF
his wife did not become known to Major
aaeSaTt until after his separation from
her; that IN Chicago in 1901 her relations
wish q man named Spencer and with
Lieutenant Bash were reDrehensible in
the highest degree.
The frsr charge made. against her in
ColTes William Taggart, She also is ac-
cuSeo OF being associated with Mr.. and
Mrs. Poore. persons Of alleged bad repu-
rastorr, at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It is
further alleged that they afterward
6hcFed UP at For Eeavenworth. Kan
sas, where Mrs. Taggsrt renewed their
acQusintanceS that certain clandestire
meetings occurred at Fort Leavenworth
between BIS. Taggart and Charles w.
Miner commander Of the post; that she
vas at various times found with Lieuten-
Aat FortesQue in places that would ex-
cite suspicion; that she was at various
fines found in an intoxicated condition: 4
that she was addicted TO cigarettes; that
q barrel Of empty quart whisky bottles
was hauled away from her home
IN Orovillei that she never attended
church. a dozen times in her life until
she came TO Wooster, where she Joined a
church; that afterwsrd she was unduy
intimate with the son Of a prominent
Wooster merchant spending the Fourth
or duly with the merchants family at
Silver Lake. near Akron. Ohio.
DENIES ALL ALLEG ATOMS.
Judge Smyser in his opening statement
denied ali the allegations Of the plaintiff, /
stating that. the stories Of Mrs Tag
CARTS indiscretons came from the
"emanations Of the half-crazed brain OF
t1Te plaintiff"
He said that Major Taggart had OBJ 4
taiued possession Of the children in San 4
Francisco under the pretense Of taking .
them out 20 dinner ard abducted them. /
bringing. them to Wayne County. where +
be was compelled to surrender them on .
.abeas corpus proceedings.
Judge Smyser also declared that the
major was guilty Of extreme cruelty and I
drunkenness, and that clothing which he
tore from Mrs. Taggart's body at Fort
Ieavenwerth viii be produced in evil
desce.
Tw0 uni;nportant witnesses were heard
at the afternoon session.