Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-08
TOM TAGGART is
OUT WITH DENIAL
DEMOCRATIC LEADER, WHOSE
NAME WAS MENTIONED in
CASE, DECLARES HE NEVER
HEARD OF HIS AccusER.

Chicago, July IL US sSueotiohoi
Wellington hotel bathroom incident
was reached in the trial OF Ella
Gingles in Judge Brentanos court
here today. Her story in substance
follows: She visited the Wellington
hotel February 16 to collect eighty
three cents due her from Miss Arnold,
who occupied room 545. While in the
room waiting for Miss Arnold to put
in an appearance man came In the
room and said: Miss Arnold was
expecting you. She's in the bathroom.
Walk right in :,
when opened the door," said
Miss Gingles, "he pushed me In the
bathroom. He put something burning
on my face. | didn't remember any
thing more until Miss Barratte and
another woman came in. l was un-
dressed except for the night gown.
NY head hurt in the back. When they
went out of the bath room l reached
over and picked UP my purse. found
an envelope and wrote on 1t, Come
quick. Ella addressed it to Miss
Joyce, put q stamp on II and threw
1t out of the transom. When Miss
Barrette came in the man said to her,
WHY were you late and she said
something about cards keeping her.
Then they opened bottle and man
and Miss Barrette talked about me.
He handed me $50. That was nearly 2
o'clock in the morning.
Miss Barrette was under the In
fluence of liquor. don't know who
the other woman was.
Before the woman came the man
{l1I Won
not to tell what happened UP here on
the night of January d. said, what
hurt my head"
Girls story UnprintabIe.
.sMiss Donahue came in then. Then
some one threw bottle over the
transom and said 1t was to help me.
1T had an awful taste. The man said
there were knockout drops in it. The
stuff had a greenish tint They took
the label off and then they put tow
el over my face Here the testimony
became unprintable. The girl said
when she refused to remove her
gown Miss Barrett and the man cut
her twenty-tbree times and she show
\ ed scars on her arms and head. She
told of additional mistreatment by her
alleged assailants. Just before the
noon adjournment Miss Gingles said in
answer to a question concerning Tom
Taggart of French Lie. Springs that
he had never written her letter or
harmed her in any way.
Tasgartrs Name Mentioned.
The name of Tom Taggart, of
French Lick Springs, Ind, former
chairman of the Democratic national
committee, was brought into the rec
ord Of the Ella Gingles trial here,
The young Irish lacemaker, on cross
examination, had told of the alleged
search Of her room by Agnes Barrett,
her accuser, and the late Mrs. Cecilia
] Kenyon, looking for the lace which
y Miss Barrette claimed Miss Gingles
Shad stolen. This brought the story
around to Miss Gingles' visit to Miss
Barrettes room at the Wellington
hotel on the subsequent occasion when
according to Miss Gingles she was
forcibly disrobed by Miss Barrette and
Mrs. Kenyon.
did you fight against them" asked
Assistant States Attorney Short.
Woman Makes Fight.
Yes, until was worn out with
crying and my exertions."
Was any man mentioned?"
Yes, it was Tom Taggart, be
lieve."
isn't it fact that you were told
that name to make a sensation in
your story?"
No. sir
'9Who mentioned the name?"
miss Barrette. She said: If Tag.
gift was only here"
Tasgart Denies Knowing Girl.
Syracuse, n. Y, July Thomas
}Taggart paaSsd through here last
might, and when shown the Associated
Press story of Miss Gingles' trial con
Meeting his name with her troubles
said he never saw, never knew or
never heard of Miss Gingles name un
til the name appeared in this case
and have since never seen her" He
knows Miss Barrette, she having kept
curio stand at French Lick