Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-07
MRS. BLACKBURN FIRM.
Could Not Have Mistaken Col. Breck-
snridge'S Language.
MISS POLLARD TO BE HIS BRIDE,
Was the Way the Colonel Put 1t
and He Said 1t Many Times.
Mrs. Blackburn Still Incensed
at His Treatment of Her.

Luke Blackburn has just returned from
visit to the Worlds Fair, and will re-
main some time in Louisville. She is
visiting Mrs. Samuel Churchill, widow
OF her brother.
When a correspondent called on her
today she promptly granted a request
for an interview. Her nephew, Mr..
Christie Churchill, was present. When
asked to talk OF the Breckinridge-Pol-
lard case she begged to be excused from
saying more than she had said, which
confirmed In every particular the re-
cent dispatch sent out giving an ao-
stract OF her letter TO Gen. Duke.
Mrs. Blackburn said the mention OF
her name In connection with the scan
dal had been very unpleasant to her,
and had made her indignant as well as
worried her. 1t had also excited the
resentment OF her relatives and friends,
who naturally sympathized with her
for having been forced into disagreeole
relations to the parties.
After some courteous argument on
the subject. however, Mrs. Blackburn
was persuaded to say more than she had
yet said.
The full facts are just these" she at
last declared. "Col. Breckenridge called
on me In Washington accompanied by
Miss Pollard. had met Miss Pollard
before casually, as she associated with
many OF the first people In Washington,
but had but slight acquaintance with
her. COL Breckinridgs spoke conhden-
TALLY. Said he:
~ have brought this lady with me,
Mrs. Blackburn, TO request that you
will take an interest in her and give
her YOUR countenance aud protection.
She is to be my wife as soon as 10 may
be proper for me TO marry her. She Is
a young lady highly gifted and accom-
plished, both In literature aud music;
not pretty, but refined and cultivated.
l wish you TO be her friend and to show
her special consideration for the reason
that 1 have given you
"The Colonel called again and said TO
me: You seemed surprised when i
told you / was engaged TO marry Miss
Pollard 80 soon after the death OF my
wife.
"'Yes, was surprised said, and
l think, Colonel, that you mako very
poor return for the unswervng and
tender devotion which your dead wife
always showed TO you.
That is true, he replied, but let
me tell you what have told no human
being. discovered that Miss Pollard
had an affection for me, and as a gen.
tleman felt honor bound TO a6cept and
return It,
"'Then, Colonel said I, you have
high and peculiar sense OF honor. am
a woman, and perhaps view the matter
from more sentimental standpoint
than men do. But thought IL strange
you should become engaged within a
few months after you had buried your
WIFE
"He protested that he had become
engaged only under the circumstances
stated and would be married as soon as
he could do so without outraglng the
feelings OF his daughters. he called
several times afterwards, and finally
told him | was very sorry he had
thought proper to conhde in me and
that | wished he had selected some
other confdante. He apologized, how
ever, and begged me to take Miss Pol
lard with me 10 o summer resort In Vir-
ginia where / expected 10 90.
"Miss Pollard did not accom- pany us,
but ioined US later. and treated her
with ciyillty and even kindness. She
WAS very attractive. She read books
and we conversed about them. She not
only talked we'll on literary objects,
but she was very prolific OF new Ideas"
"Dld you at any time discover any
improprlety in her conduct and break
of relations with her before the puoli-
cation Of the scandAl?" was asked.
Not the slightest improprlety did i
ever discover 10 her actions or her
words. The publication astounded me.
| had no dream OF anything wrong"
Have you seen Col. Breckenridge
since the publication"
81 have not seen or heard from either
of them. But Col. Breckenridge cannot
truthfully deny the statement l have
made, nor do | believe be will deny IT,
NV. belief is that be intended 10 marry
Miss Pollard when be told me so.
talked with my sister, Mrs. Zane, on the
snbiect. and Miss Pollard talked with
her. All OF us regarded the engage
meut as fixed fact aud expected the
marriage to take place. Fortunately
did not take Miss Pollard 10 the houses
of my friends IN Washington.
IL is not necessary 10 say that Mrs.
Blackburn's relatives and large circle
Of friends. consisting OF the first people
in Kentucky, share her indignation.
No lady 10 this or any ether State
stands higher socially. She Is pains
taking and always accurate In ber
,tatements, and her word would be ac-
eeoted among all who know her as ABB
soiute and conclusive on any question
OF fact. She has brother living and
several nepheWs. She said she had re-
celved numerous letters from her
! friends, and Ene was grained a.
the assurance Of sympathy and
sense OF outrage they expressed.
Being a lady who has always lived
above any atmosphere OF scandal, she
| feels indignant that she should have
been drawn into any relation whatever
to the parties involved.
II ia understood that Col. Breckin-
will not deny any statement of Mrs.
Rlackburn even on the witness stand.
but will take the ground that she u
mistaken and that she confused the ex-
uressions OF Miss Pollard with his own.
sHe cannot dothat," said Mrs, Black
burn while talking further on I; 70 sub