The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-28
poLLARD,s UNsAvoRY RECORD.
A Specimen Democratic Appointment Unde
Investigation by the Senate.

Specimen Democratic Appointment Under
Investigation by the Senate.
Washington Special to New York Tribune.
The President has been singularly unfortunate
in his judicial appointments. Tho Senate COM
,nittee on the judiciary, l understand, has its
lands full examining the charges made against
he different judges appointed under the new ad-
ministration. 1t had scarcely got through with
batch of indictments which put o. w. Powers,
the new Supreme Court Justice of the Territory
of Utah. in rather a strange light, to say the
least. when it was called upon to listen to some
revelations regarding Charles r. Pollard, recent
ly appointed Associate Justice in Montana.
This man Pollard is an intimate friend of the
Attorney general. He was also recommended
for the Office he now holds by Senator
VOORHEES,. He is Southern man
by BIRTH and of course a confederate
ibrigadier, though his enemies say that he fled
before he was called upon to do any fighting
After the war he went to Indiana and began the
practice of law. The following story illustrates
better than anything else. perhaps, the kind of
man Pollard is. 1t forms part of the record now
before the judiciary committee, and is based
upon the proceedings in an Indiana court:
A few years ago. it appears. Pollard was en-
ployed by ore Robert NJ. Barley, then living in
Jasper county. Indiana. to collect draft
amounting to So, 800. After the suit was begun
Barkley went to Missouri and subsequently to
Texas. where he died, leaving widow and four
children. Pollard got himself appointed ad-
nlinistrator of Barkleys estate in Indiana,
and was substituted as plaintiff in the action
then pending to collect the draft. The action
terminated in judgment for the plaintiff Pol
lard was paid, in satisfaction OF the Judgment,
So $780, which, together with $500 he had OBJ
tanned from Barkley as pay in advance for his
services in this matter, made So 600 in all which
he had received. The regular judge of the court
was, of course, familiar with the condition Of
the various trusts pending in his court for set
Element. This Pollard knew. He, therefore
waited until the bench was temporarily occupied
by Judge not familiar with these trusts before
ne presented his report for final settlement. the
report represented the estate as absorbed in the
payment of his own claim. The proceedings
were entirely ex parte. The widow and children
were in distant State. There was no one to
represent them, and consequently Pollards
port was accepted without dis
pute. While Pollard was ENJOYING
his il-gotten gains the widow toiled to
3ut bread into the mouths of her fatherless chill
,lren. She repeatedly wrote to Pollard, but
never received satisfactory reply. His answers
we're vague and evasiye. No settlement could
be obtained from him. AT last the widow wrote
TO her brother-in.law, who lived in Jasper county
She told him her troubles and her suspicious.
He hunted up the court records, saw the presid-
ing Judge of the court, called on Pollard himself,
and discovered. that his sister in-law had been
defraaded, and that Pollard had withheld from
her the knowledge of the settlement. as well as
the collection of the draft He employed an at
torney who demanded of Pollard that he re-
store TO the widow and orphans the patrmony
of which he had robbed them. Pollard de-
INJURED. He found excuse after excuse. At last