Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-15
IS IT BLACKMAlL?
STORIES ANeNT THE BRECKENRIDGE
POLLARD SENSATION.
what They Say in Washington ana E'se-
where-rhs Plaintiff In the Case
rs SCHOOLGIRL.
rv.,h,or,op Evening star OF Yesterday

~ n SCHOOLGIRL.
rwssh,oqton Evening star Of yeaierdayl
Few things have transpired in this city
which have caused such genuine sensa-
ton "a the suit fled on Saturday By Miss
Madeline Y. Pollard against Congressman
w. c. p. Breckenridge. Of Kentucky.
charging him with breach OF promise aud
seduction. In the gossip which II oc-
casioned the financial situation. when
has enGrosse1 the public was iost
eicht Of and the suit was the
tonic of discussion in It's every detali.
The particulars Of the charges, as seq
forth IN the SUIT. aud which were printed
III SATURDAYS .Tlv. gave the nFst accNIHl'
information. The prominence OF the per-
son charged with the fence makes me ciso
an interesting one from one ehd OF ne
country 10 the other, WINE ID thE w!
and IN kentucky. where MIS- foHIru h o9
many acuuaintances. the affair was even
more ensatlOual
Many friends Of Colonel Breckenridge
refuse TO believe the story. and CLAIM II -
a black mailing scheme. as the Colonei Is
n religious man. q noted defender OF "a"
Presbyterian faith, and recently WAS the
orator at the national meeting OF Tue
Young Peoples Cnrstlan-EndeaVor DO
cIcty.
4 number Of people can now be found
who are ready % relate stories about tie
deleudaut's playing the part OF The s4y
ICfharIo for manv years. Ole Story y
told OF bis last election 10 Congress.
TIE CoSGEEssNAN's NERVE.
II seems that the masses Of the people IN
his district had been informed a. 10 the
claracter Of hi4 private life. and t5cre was
consequently a reaction against nm. MS
supporters. fearing that he would rose tho
election, called upon hlm to defend MN
self and make public denial OF tue
charges.
The REPRESENTATIVE assented, and a
rroat mnss-mertlug was called On the
evening IN question the hall was packed.
as the object Of the meeting mad been
pretty well understood. SEEING To" splvn-
did opportunity to impress bis audience
Mr.. Breckenridge made one Of mo
most brilliant political speeches OF MS
career, fairly electriiving ms hearers
by his eloqueuce. Just ut the conciu-
SION. in the quickest and coolest manner,
he pic6ed up "A box lying on the table ana
said:
MY friends. YOU are acquainted with
some faults of mine. | should Ike 10 pre-
sent this box of cigars 10 any man who Will
come forward and state that no mas never
been guilty Of the same offence
Naturally no one claimed the pre-, but
rumor saws that person present ieeO'y
shouted Il don't smoke Inc nerve DIS
PLAYED at that time was so much admired
that his election by Il large majority was
tie result.
Representative Breckenridge was mar
ripd only few weeks ago 10 Mrs. Lou -
WING. The announcement created sur
prise in Washington and no niue GOSSIP.
4 great many persons here had long e3-
ueetcd his marriage with Miss Pollard.
his was probably due 20 public an
nouncement here that the marriage OF MT.
Hrecknridge and Miss Pollard would take
place some time next winter. which state
mon, Mr. Breckenridge took occasion 20
deny at the time
TIE PLAINTIFF.
Miss Pollard Is a brunette Of medium
w.. very slender. and has rather heaYy
features. Her halr is verv beautiful. Oo-
iug most abundant and of dark chestnut
color. lic- eyes are dark brown. She mas
never been considered beauty but her
face lights up wonderfully when IN con-
ycr-atlon. She has been looked upon ds q
rather attractive young woman. She mas
been well known III the kentuckian soclal
circles OF the capital, to which Il IS sad
that she was introduced by the one sue
now charges with breach of promise.
Miss Pollard mas always been very TREND
ly with the members OF the BrcchinridSe
family and was often at .helr home.
II was populGrly supposed ct that time,
and. indeed. until she filed her bill. that
the Representative was her guardian, an
imurcsslOu which seems 10 have been en-
c1Ilragcd on both tides. After losing her
place in the department she did society
newspaper work tor some OF the southern
papers. 4 special dispatch from Louisville
says OF Miss Pollard:
Miss Madeline Pollard was born near
Frankfort. Nv, telng the daughter OF tho
iate John Pollard. She was lett al orphan
and pennies when quite young. James
Rhodes, an employee Of tue Eastern Lu-
nate ASYLUM here, took fancy to bcr
when she wa about 10 years old. lie sent
her to school.
After finishing her education she began
g. write for the local newspapers. and d.d
considerable work IN that line.
She then obtained a position as clerk in
the Interior Department, but was DISMISS
ed bv President Harrison. She atterward
went 10 New York city. where she engaged
IN literary work.
Yesterday neither party TO the SUIT
could be seen. SIR. Breckenridge remained
at the hotel. but 10 all calls from reporters
he said that ne had nothing 10 add. bliss
Pollard had been s,OpplnS at 81 east Capt.
tol street. but sac lett there on saturday
az about noon and the residents OK iue
house pf0te-scd that they had no idea ~
10 her present whereabouts. II Is beue'ei
that she IS still IN the city, but Is remain
IN hid from the public.
10 Is SAID that the story which was
brought out IL the suit has been IN the
possession Of some persons III this city tor
some time, and that the aunOunceinent
was no surprise TO them. Those VINO mad
tins information also say that the affair
nearly took another even more sensational
form, as a brother of Miss Pollard, VINO
recently came into possession OF the al
leped facts. arrived In this CITY for the pun
pose II using pistol on the Congress man.
lie WAS. however dIssudded from TINS PLAZA
when be reached here aud II was decided
that the law should be applied 10. Mem
bers If the detective force have boon
secretly protecting Congressman Breckin-
ridge at the Capitol since the extra session
began.
The Representative has told his friends
that it H. a case Of blAckmail. which tho
complainaut's friends Indignantly DENY,
stating that no one knows better than she
that Mr.. brcckluudse IS not worth a
dollar.
A prominent lawyer said to-day that he
thinks Miss Pollard has u very strong case,
as he happened 90 know that every point
alleged II the bill Is backed up with docu-
ments n Miss Pollard'5 possession which
are a.l-convlnclug. In addition to these
papers valuable witnesses arc at hand.
MISS PoLLARD Al SCHOOL.
A special from Cincinnati says: Dr..
Brown. eX-presidelt OF the Wesleyan
Female College of tins city, gives some eE-
tremely interesting information concern
ing Miss Madeline Pollard who has sued
Congressman Breckenridge.
" Miss Pollard IS the daughter Of q har-
ness-maker of Frankfort. n.y.. now dead.
Tie was IN modest circumstances, bat money
was provided hberatly for his daug liter
education. When she was about Is years
old she was placed IN convent 1T Read
ing. suburb Of this city. She escaped
from the convent and her escapade WAS
the subject OF newspaper articles. She
refused TO return 10 the convent. and then
entered Wesleyan College. That was II
1884.
Miss Pollard was then pretty girl
with "A fancy tor somewhat theatrical
toilets, of which she had several. She
told DR.. Brown that her guardian. a
wealthy. mlddle-aged southern man, was
paying her bills. The guardian never