The San Francisco call., 1905-08-23
o-Respondent Miner, on
the Witness Stand, De-
MES All the Accusations
Made by Captain Taggart
SAYS HIS CONDUCT
WAS NOT IMPROPER
Allegation That He Left
His Subordinate's Home
Via the Back Door Is
Declared to Be False
Special Dispatch to IN. Can

WOOSTER, Ohio, Aug. 22.-The central
figure In the Taggart divorce case to-day
was Brtgadier General Charles Wright
Miner, U. s. A, retired, who Is named as
correspondent and who Is accused by Ma
jor Taggart Of having maliciously i'm
prisoned him at Fort Leavenworth-
General Miner was accompanied by his
wife. He was not called to the stand un-
til late this afternoon. He was asked
about the famous dinner party, at which
the alleged improperly between himself
and Mrs. Taggart took place. General
Miner said he sat at the head of the
table, which was flfty-four inches wide,
and that 1t would have been impossible
for him to take improper liberties with
Mrs. Taggart He said he had called to
see Mrs Taggart on one occasion only.
and that was to deliver message from
his General Miner's) wife. This took
twenty minutes, he said He denied that
he had ever gone out the back door of
the Taggart home or any other back door
except his own. He denied having gone
to see Mrs. Taggart when her husband
had been detailed on flood duty In May,
1903 In Kansas City.
General Miner denied in toto, upon
questioning by Smyser, any indiscretions
whatever with Mrs. Taggart. as charged
In the amended petition of Captain Tag
CART, and any conspiracy with others to
falsely imprison the captain at Fort
Leavenworth.
THAT DINNER TABLE EPISODE.
General Miner described the famous
scene at Fort Leavenworth, when he had
Captain Taggart before him on the day
after the trouble occurred between Cap
tain and Mrs. Taggart. Captain Poore
had officially reported the affair to him,
he said. When he asked Taggart about
Ii, the captain said he must have been
crazy, and spoke of Mrs. Taggart being
las white as the driven snow" and called
upon God as his witness that he had
never struck his wife before.
General Miner said he did not prefer
charges against Taggart at the court
martial. He went TO the Taggarts home,
and Mrs. Taggart pleaded with him, Tor
the sake of the children, not to prefer
charges.
Upon cross-examination General Miner
said he did not consider himself a MEM
ber of Governor Herricks staff He said
he considered Captain Taggart good
officer. Mrs. Taggart had asked him to
order the captain not to communicate
with her for three months, but he con-
sidered that he lacked the authority, and
did not do so.
General Miner was shown a letter he
shad written to Taggart after the latter's
return from Kansas City. The letter was
couched in fiattering terms and warmly
praised Taggarts work there
ADMITS BIAS IN HIS REPORT.
Before this he was aksed why he had
mentioned the bad things concerning
Taggart and had failed to mention the
good things Taggart had done He said
he supposed 1t was an oversight In max
ing out his report.
In reply to another question, General
Miner said that If Taggart had been
court-martialed at the time of the Fort
Leavenworth affair he would have been
dismissed from the service
Mrs Miner also was a witness this aft
ernoon. She denied the dinner-table cpl
sode and said nothing occurred that was
improper She never witnessed any i'm.
proper conduct on the part of Mrs. Tag
CART while at Fort Leavenworth.
When court convened this morning Mrs.
yose. niece of Mrs. Taggart, completed
her testimony of yesterday She reiter-
ated her charges of indiscretions by Tag
CART and Augustine de la Cruz. the Fill
pino girl, at Manila; described the alleged
scenes fully, and said she had not told
Mrs Taggart of them at that time, nor
did she until some time afterward. be-
cause she did not wish to come between
her and Captain Taggart-