Warsaw Independent
February 3, 1906
Warsaw, Gallatin County, KY
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Monday afternoon,
the town of Sparta was wrought to a high pitch of excitement by
an
awful uroxicide which carried a beautiful young life into eternity,
to be shortly followed by the unhappy soul whose being caused the
sorrowful earthly ending of both. Wm. F. Taylor shot and killed
his young wife and then turned the deadly pistol against his own
life. There was no particular reason for the rash act, only the
disappointments in life that poverty brings to ambitious people.
Wm. F. Taylor was born and reared in this county on Sugar Creek
and, on October 31, 1905, led to the marriage altar Miss Rowena
Baker, one of the prettiest young ladies of the Sparta neighborhood,
the ceremony taking place in the parlors of the New Seelbach Hotel
at Louisville. Young Taylor had been reared on a farm, and having
no means of consequence, he had an ambition to go to a new country
and try to get a better start in life. His young bride who knew
little of the responsibilities of life, and having always had the
comforts of a good home, refused to leave the old homestead, saying
that as long as her parents lived she would continue to make her
home with them. So the young couple settled down with her parents,
Mr. And Mrs. Morton Baker, on their farm in Owen County near Sparta.
Taylor was 24 and his bride was 18. It was not a great while until
the action of Mrs. Baker toward young Taylor caused him to renew
his efforts to get his wife to go with him to a new quarter, and
the discussion last Monday led to almost a quarrel, in which he
left the house and went to the home of his father, John C. Taylor,
on Sugar Creek, who prevailed on him to return and live in peace
and quietude with his young wife, going with him Wednesday to plead
his son’s cause. Shortly after their arrival at the Baker homestead,
and a reconciliation being in doubt, young Taylor requested his
wife’s little sister to ask her to come into the parlor and give
back his letters written during their courtship. The young couple
were alone in the room and what was said between them is not known.
Suddenly Taylor drew a revolver and shot his wife over the heart
and she, realizing that death was the intention of her husband,
turned and ran out of the room as Taylor again fired, the shot
taking effect in her back, and she fell dead in her father’s arms.
Taylor then turned the pistol on himself and fired a bullet into
his right temple, producing a ghastly wound. He was taken to the
residence of Mrs. Gran Brook, where he died that night a 7 minutes
to 9 o’clock. Both parties are well connected and young Taylor
only recently resigned the position of attendant at the Lakeland
Insane Asylum. An inquest was held on the body of Mrs. Taylor and
a verdict rendered in accordance with the above. Her funeral took
place yesterday, the service being conducted by Rev. N. F. Jones
of the Baptist Church, after which the remains were taken to Owenton
for internment. The funeral of Taylor took place Thursday. The
remains being brought to Warsaw and laid to rest in the Odd Fellows
Cemetery, a large attendance of friends being present to show the
esteem with which he was held. He was a handsome, manly fellow,
and the awful tragedy is greatly deplored.
NOTE: William Franklin Taylor, s/o John Crampton & Sarah
Alice (Rossell) Taylor
Rowena Baker, d/o Morton E. & Ecca (-) Baker |
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