The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-04-18
BRANDED A LEPER
Colonel Breckenridge Must Pay Made
line Pollard si5,OtO Damages.
STIRRING SCENES IN COURT
The Ending of the Long, Exciting and
Sensational Breach Of Promise
Trial.

Il Cole of the civil court announced a
verdict for plaintiff, Madeline Pollard
for SIS 900 damages from Colonel w. C.
P. Breckenridge for breaking contrac,
to marry her, thus ending the long and
exciting Pollard Breckenridge breach OF
promise suit. Sensations have fairly
crowds into the last day of the trial
There have been some of the most dra.
matte scenes which ever stirred up a
dlpgy little courtroom, reeking as II
was with memories of celebrated cases.
there was an approach to a personal
collision between Judge Wilson and
Charles Stoll, during the magnificent
argument of the Washington lawyer,
followed by talk of duel, and Judge
Bradley, in bis charge to the jury.
scored Colonel Poll Thompson as a
lawyer is seldom spoken 10 in court
The jury retired at 3;O7 p. m. The
first ballot taken was on the metits OF
the case, leaving out consideration OF
the question of the amount of damages
1t resulted in IL votes for verdict for
plaintiff and l for defendant. The OBJ
durate jnryma was finally overcome
from sheer force of logic. Discussion
of the financial punishment followed IN.
til compromise course was adopted,
each juror writing the amount he con.
sldered just on paper and balance was
struck. The amounts ranged from 81
to $5O, 900, and $751; 900 was the aver.
age,
During his argument Judge wilson
said Breckenridge had been to the
house of Sarah Goss with another siren
before Miss Pollard bad seduced him,
and Breckinridge broke in denying that
the statement had been made before
the Jury. There was quite converse.
tioa between the two, Attorney Stoll
finally breaking in, when Wilson said
Breckenridge knew Mrs. Rose In Louis.
vile, with the remark that '.there was
no evidence that she kept an improper
house there
Mr.. Wilson-"Ah, but he met her or
the street. She gave him her card, In.
dicating her business. He knew her
we'll enough to take my client there
Gentlemen, there were written on a
stone the commandments" said Mr..
Wilson, picking up the thread of his
argument, zone of which was, Thou
shalt not commit adultery This de-
PENDENT admits that over and cvef again
he has violated that one. On the same
stone is written. Thou shalt not bear
false Witness and ii man shall violate
one of this commandments and be
caught in the tolls of the law, is it not
possible that under such straits he
mig bit violate the other?"
Judge Wilson described defendants
CLAIM Of an understa ndlng that the con.
tract of marriage was not to be carried
ont as "a cIean.shaven bald headed
falsehood," and called attention to the
imrrcbability of woman about to be.
come a mother consenting to such an
arrangement. Then the attorney drew
a pathetic picture of the fa.herlesa
girls life. Then he pronounced the let
ter submitted by the defense as for
gerry, severely arraigning the expert
testimony on writing, and offered az
opinion of the courts of the validity OF
such testimony, which was passed up te
Judge Bradley.
Then came the statement which
caused the excitement. Wilson stated
that the Wessie Brown letter, from
which the letter in question has been
forged, had been procured by defense
and carried In Mr.. Stoll's pocket. After
a heated passage between ST. II and
Wilson, the former acknowledged h. "
ing the Wessie Brown letter.
Judge Bradley finally interposed
Nov, gentlemen" he said, II think
you had better not proceed with this. .
There was moments pause and vii
son coolly resumed the argument, hand
ing the jurors tintype OF Miss Pollard
taken with Wessie Brown in the summer
of 1884, and dwelt upon the closed car
rage incident. The storm clouds seemed
to hover over the courtroom, and Judge
Bradley evidently waited for the atmos
phere to cool, for he let the usual time
for the noon recess pass by sc veral min
utes and did not adjourn until Wilson
called attention to the time. The stem
ographer brought to Mr.. Stoll tran
script of Mr.. Wilson's remarks.
There was much talk of duel during
the noon r. cess, but = conference was
held and after the recess Wilson said
"In the heat of this discussi ion In the
presentation Of facts Ell may have
conveyed an impression they did no,
intend. / had no thought of An insinua-
ton that Mr.. Stoll forged that letter OF
had procure ed 1t I had no inter ton ia
charge 1t upon him or convey such an
insinuation.' Wilson had merely In.
tended to show how easy It was for such
things 10 appear. During the recesa
Wileon said 10 Butterworth that II he
had appeared to say anything rejecting
on Mr.. Stoil he would retract 1t and the
latter expressed himself Is being salts.
ded Mr.. Wilson concluded his address
at $3.50 and at 3:11 Judge Bradley
charged the jury.