Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-04-19
CONTRADICTING TESTIMONY


CONTRADICTING TESTIMONY
husbands Version Of tHnirS Does
y" >arrc with Thnt of the wife
| The witnesses in the TAFT divorce case
on trial in county court Friday were
Mrs. Il. W. Taft. the Rev s $. Brigham
of Fairfax, father of the petitioner. r. ".
TAFT, Lcona cook and Mrs F. = Taft
widow of the late chief Judge Taft, whose
life size photo was suspended above Judge
Mi"s's chair and looked down upon the
domestic difficulties of his son and daugh-
Itcr-in-law.
The morning session was opened with a
fWher examination Of Mrs Taft. This
had t" d" with photographs taken by Mr..
Tart of his son at tairfaN and nothing
Iot AN Interesting nature developed.
Miss cook. the domestic employed by
Mrs. TAFT. told of hearing Mrs. Taft cry
ont ono day while she was upstairs. Miss
Cook ran To tn" second floor and when she
arrived Sh" found Madam Taft with her
bands fastened in Mrs. Taft's hair. They
separated and Mrs. Tart returned to the
lower floor. Tho matter was brought up
before MIR. Taft at dinner time and he
said he thought his mother must be in
san" After this tim" the witness said
Madam Taft had her meals served in her
room.
Mr. Brigham told Of rha nksgivinS din
nor served at his home in Fairfax AZ which
Mr. and Mrs. Taft were present. He said
the first course was pork and that Russell
ate heavily of that When the chicken pie
WAS brought on he left the table in an
angry mood bccaus" his wife had not told
him that chicken was to he served
Mr. Brigham told in detail about how
Mr. Taf, had written him asking him TO
come to Burlington to atraiehten out the
family affairs but nothing of consequence
was brought out. he said that at the den
conference Mr. Taft said that he thought
his wife had better go homo for Il while.
Tho witness said he told Mr. Taft that if
Wnona went home with him at all il
would be for good. This brought on the
question of how much her husband would
be willing TO pay and he said tina, he
would he willing to contribute So per
week. Wnond said she would accept that
amount
PETITIONER ON THE STAND.
Mr.. Taft was called 10 the stand at thc
conclusion Of MI Brigham's testimony.
the petitioner having rested. Tho alton
ton Of Mr.. Taft was called to the various
occurrences related Thursday by his VIE
and his version OF affairs did not agree
with hers.
Th" dog incident WAS brought M and
Mr.. Taft referred to the animal as a con-
meeting link with his pa and happier life
Tho animal had been in tho family for
wears. JIG alleged that tho dog had been
thrust ont in the cold by Mrs. TAFT 50
much that II contracted muscular rhcuma-
'sn and had I" hc killed. He admitted
that when talking about her treatment of
the animal he had said lie would knock
her down if she were not "A woman. Hc
explained the charge that the dog was
not properly fed by saying that his mother
said something about getting meat for the
animal. The witness SAID he replied that
If tho animal could not get along with
doughnuts he would have to go without
meat for another day. His mother had
her coat on and she expressed a willing
ness 10 so after meat and did so.
The automobile incident in which Mrs
Taft and Miss Winfred Rice were given
ride by the Presbrey boys was referred
to, Mr. Taft stating that the one specific
act was not that he objected to so much
as that he had tried TO get her to go out
afternoons with him and she mad refused.
He said he raised the question before
Mr.. Brigham simply TO show the drift of
things did not think she went 10 the
cemetery by appointment and when she
returned toh. his wife he was glad she
had had an opportunity TO ride in an auto
The cigarette pictures which Mrs. Tart
said she threw in the furnace werc men,
TONED and Mr.. TAFT said that the collect
ing of such pictures had peen fad with
him earlier in life and that he had gath
cred about l5O. lie said he had saved
them with the intention Of giving them
to some boy who wanted them or of sell
ing them for a dollar. Tic said he did
not care so much for tho pictures MS nc did
for the tact that she DESTROYED his prop
er,y without saying anything lo him about
il.
lie also testified in regard to his aHcc-
ton Tor his SON. Robert. and denied that
he had treated the boy in the manner
alleged ny Mrs, Taft when she WAS on tho
stand, saying that llc cared for him IS
much IS any father could care for a child
Mr.. Taft referred to tho conference he
had with Mr.. Brigham and said that when
told that Mrs. Taft had not severed her
friendly relations with Charles Walker,
her father was surprised and said he UNI
derstood that IA bowling acquaintance be-
tween the two was all that was to con-
tinue. The witness said Mr.. Brigham
came here in response to letter written
to him by Mr. Taft, in which the writer
said that things had not been going right,
that he could not control matters and that
II serious trouble had not already come
it might come. Mr.. Taft suggested in the
letter that Mr.. Brigham might take his
daughter home.
The witness was asked il he did not in
tend to move after he had promised his
wife to do 40. lie said he would have
movcdat amy cost if she had kept her pledge
in regard to disseminating her relations
with Walker. lie said he never told Mr..
Brigham that he would not move.
Mr. Taft said he HAD RETAINED from
SD wing things TO his wife for fear of re-
taliatlon. as that had been her disposition
even before they were married. lie said
that 1t took two 10 make quarrel and he