The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-08-29
MRS. TAGGART WILL
TELL STORY TO-DAY
OR ELSE SATURDAY
Much Sensational Evidence Was
Brought Out by the Testimony
Thursday.
A NEoREss SERVANT SAID
TAG. TORE WIFE's CLOTHES
She Also Told a saIaelous Story About
the Major and the Filipino
Maid.
HE HAD CLOTHES TEARING HABIT
Girl Said Mrs. Taggart Wanted Him
Locked Up Until She Could
Get Away.

Get Away.
Wooster, o., Aug 24.-The famous
Taggart divorce case is rapidly draw
ing to close, and all Of the evidence
will likely be in by the latter part OF
next week. II was announced tonight
that Mrs. Taggart will take the stand
either tomorrow afternoon or Satur-
day morning.
Much that was sensational was
brought out today, and Emma Lytle, a
negress servant, the chief witness for
Mrs. Taggart, told of Major Taggart
violently tearing his wife's clothing,
beating and abusing her. Mrs. Tag
CART came home late" said the wit
ness, "and as soon as she stepped in
side Of the door Capt. Taggart grasped
her by the throat and slapped her face.
Then he tore her clothes off and
showed her out of the door, yelling:
Go to the gutter, where you be-
long, you yellow curt
"Then he pulled her back into the
house and beat and kicked her until
! finally Culver came down and interfer-
ed.
"One night I caught the captain and
Augustine Cthe Filipino servant) under
the dining room table, lying on the
floor together. I watched them, but
did not say anything, nor interfere.
saw the same thing in one of the rooms
on another occasion. They saw me
looking and smut the door in my face"
How could you tell what they were
doing in the room when you could not
see through the walls and doors?"
Heard them, and / could tell from
the noise what they were doing"
Witness, telling of Mrs. Taggart's
driving trip with Lieut.. Fortesque,
Roosevelt's nephew, said that when her
mistress returned home Taggart
grabbed her and tore her clothes off
and showed her upstairs to her room,
where he choked her on the bed and
kept asking ner, Don't he hate me?"
Culver finally said, Tell him yes,
mother, and maybe he'll quit" -
Taggat then relented and went to
his room and went to sleep.
Witness said she stood at the head of
the stairs and watched the whole pro-
ceedings. She also added that during
this fight the major stuck revolver
in Mrs. Taggart's face and said he
would shoot her and Fortesque also.
THE next day Col. Miner and Col
Hoff came to see Mrs Taggart. After
they left Mrs. Taggart told me she
had told them to keep the major locked
UP until she got away, and then turn
him loose, but to let him stay in the
army and die o hero. Mrs. Taggart
also told me that they wanted her to
take the children and go away. / do |
not know whom she meant by they"
Emma had been in the Taggart home |
for about nine years. She was some
what nervous and waved constantly a |
large palm leaf fan. She answered |
quietly and intelligently. She had gone
with the family from Ft Thomas on
their various journeys and even ac-
companied them to Manila. Cooking
and tending" the kitchen and looking
after the children were her duties, she
said. In Manila Capt. Taggart treated
his wife pretty nice at first, but toward
the last he treated her pretty rough.
do you know, Emma, what caused
this?"
"Yes; the Filipino woman was the
cause"
did you see anything wrong be-
tween the Captain and Augustina?"
"Yes, SIR"
Emma here described several circum-
stances which indicated very improper
relations between her master and Aug
ustina. She said Augustine left and
was gone from the Taggart home
awhile.
Emma told or an Incident which oc-
CURED on a ship when the captainl
called Augustine from her room by
rapping on the floor with cane. She L
said the captain had been very bad
across the water, and, on the other
hand, her mistress had been very nice.
The captain very frequently was pretty
drunk and gave some instances.
Coming back to Orrville, this eolored
told aboutSonditions there. The
hrst of April, after leaving the hotel,
The party moved into house.
Emma only saw Billy Taggart once
1t Father Taggart's, and that was the