October 7, 1846-February 7, 1877
Niles Mirror, Wednesday, February 14, 1877, page 4, col. 3-4, microfilm Niles District Library
DEATH OF WILLIAM R. TAGGART
Wednesday last at 20 minutes to 4 p.m. the spirit of William R. Taggart took its flight to the eternal world. He was 30 years and 4 months old. The announcement of his death cast a gloom and sadness over our city such as was never felt before. William R. Taggart was reared in this city and possessed by nature a lofty an independent mind that knew no evil, and was a guiding star for those who dare to stand aloof from the ten thousand snares set that bring ruin and degradation upon so many of the young men of our city and country. We see him in our Union School a hard student, untiring in his exertions to prepare himself for some field of usefulness in the future. He distinguished himself here for his promptness, his remarkably quick perceptive faculties, his rapid progress in mathematrics, surmounting the most difficlt problems and placing himself in the front ranks of the best minds of that institution. Circumstances did not permit him to graduate and he went to work for Mr. Miley of this city at the age of 16. Mr. H. Palmer, being postmaster, desired an efficient clerk and Mr. Miley recommended young Taggart and he immediately employed him. In this capacity his business qualities began to develope. Business men marked him as a young man of much promise. Among them was Mr. G.A. Colby, a banker of this city who offered high wages for his services as teller. This was in 1863. Mr. Palmer, not desiring to part with him, increased his wages. Mr. Colby looked in vain for a young man to call into his bank and finally offered young Taggart still higher wages. Mr. Palmer not only consented but advised him to go. Here he soon became highly competent. He won an enviable reputation among all classes. On the breaking up of Mr. Colby he had a call from a bank in Kansas City where he went and remained about two years. In January, 1874, he was employed as teller in the First National bank, of this city. The officers of this bank were not long in discovering his superior ability, and a year an a half ago he was elected cashier and held that position at the time of his death. In the beautiful language of Judge Coolidge at the Wednesday evening prayer meeting:
"I have seen him under circumstances tending strongly to disturb and irritate a young man, but I never heard him utter an improper word. I never saw him in anger. In this world, where the faults of young men are sharply marked, and where envy spreads unfounded and hurtful rumors, so far as I have known or have heard, he lived and died without a blemish upon his moral character. He has gone. I shall miss him along our streets. I shall miss him in our congregation here, of which he was a member. We shall all miss him. So long as my memory shall recall the past, so long shall it treasure up the worth and excellence of this departed youth and friend. Through the allurements of vice, which wreck many of our our young men, our young friend passed unharmed; and I here, this evening hold up his character to the young as an example for imitation in industry, in brotherly affection and in all that is correct in moral deportment.
While we all feel the loss of the departed young man, and while society will feel it, oh, how deeply will that loss be felt in the dear family of which he was the pride and the hope! A void has there been left which nothing in time can fill."
. . .
The Funeral
The unprecedented attendance at the funeral services of Wm. R. Taggart showed conclusively the firm hold he had upon the hearts of all our citizens. As previoulsy announced the burial took place on Sunday afternoon from the Presbyterian Curch of which he was a pew holder and constant attendent. Soon after 2 o'clock 6 Knight Templars bearing the beautiful casket which contained the mortal remains of their departed brother, filed into the church followed by the family, friends, bank officers, Sir Knights, Mason, Odd Fellows and citizens, filling spacious church to its utmost capacity. No less than 1, 000 persons were present in the church and session room adjoining, which was also crowded while nearly an equal number, were prevented from entering from want of space. The casket was covered with a profusion of beautiful flowers, the front of the pulpit adorned with appropriate emblems, while the pew which, until last Sabbath, was occupied by the deceased, was heavily draped in crape. After a voluntary upon the organ, chant by the choir, prayer and scripture reading, the Pastor, Dr. Eddy, delivered a brief but eloquent and impressive eulogy. Rev. Jay Huntington of the Baptist Church followed in an earnest but tender appeal to the associates of the deceased to heed the solemn lessons of the hour. The Rev. H.M. Joy of the Methodist Church was also in the pulpit. The exercise at the church, closed with the thrillingly beautiful and appropriate service of the order of Sir Knights, in which eminent Commander Boyd Thomas, Prelate J.B. Fitzgerald, Brothers Montague, Edwards and others took part. The masterly rendering of the ritual by the Prelate, rivited the attention of the vast concourse After leaving the church, the procession formed in the following order under command of H.M. Dean, chief Marshal, Brothers Montague and Gilbert being in charge of their respective divisions: Band, Master Masons numbering 186, Odd Fellows 80 strong, Knigh Templars to the number of 85, all on foot; Clergy, Hearse, with 6 Sir Knights as bearers walking abreast, family and immediate friends, officers of 1st National Bank, officers of Citizen's National Bank, officers of Buchanan and Dowagiac National Banks, all in carriages, with a long line of citizens in carriages and on foot. Arriving at the grave the crowd was so great that many of those in the procession could not reach a point sufficiently near the grave to hear a word of the service. The crowd was variously estimated at from 2 to 3, 000. The procession reformed after the interment and escorted the family to the now desolate home, then back their respective lodges and were dismissed. We have not been able to learn how many or who were present from neighboring gowns. A special train brought the Sir Knights from South Bend. Brothers were also present from Kalamazoo, Dowagiac, Buchanan, Cassopolis, Galien, Three Oaks, Berrien and other places. The event was one long to be remembered. The best of order and decorum was observed; no accident occurred and the whole reflected credit upon our community, and was a just tribute to the memory of an upright, unassuming citizen, who without wealth, great talents or influential connections, had, by his unflinching integrity, strict morality and uniform courtesy, won the love of many and the respect of all.