The morning call., 1894-03-20
OF MISS MADELINE POLLARD,
Progress i'm the Notorious Breach
of Promise Suit.
THE PLAINTIFF ON THE RACK,
Instead of General, Sweeping De.
nial the Kentucky Colonel Will
Sling Considerable Mud.

WASHINGTON, March 19.-Madeline Pol
lard faced her correspondent in the wit
ness-stand to-day and a continuous fire of
cross questions, and the trial was like
play in which one actor is starred to the
exclusion of all others. Major Ben Blu ter
worth, the eX-Congressman from Ohio,
played a minor part as questoner. all the
interest centering about the slender, black
robed plaintiff in the case. II was the
most interesting day of the sensational
trial, and ii was made more so by the
masterfu, display of in ntellectual resources,
OF quick perception and of telling replies
which flashed forth at each turn of the
plea as the lawyers followed up every pos
sible trail which might lead to admissions
casting any sort of shadow on the life of
the woman apart from those pas>ag
which hsd been identified with the career
of the Kentucky Congressman.
Miss Pollard has shown herself to be a
wonderful woman. Whatever op Mons
may have been held by The men (most of
them of high standing in the community
who sat listening all day as thouIh to the
revelation of fascinating story rather
han a woman's recital of sorrow and dis
grace. all of them were constrained to ad-
nit their admiration of her intelligence,
her quick perception and her effective COM
mann of words. Seldom does witness
manage tn give replies so telling in sup
port OF her Own case and keep within the
limits of the courtroom regulations, and
several times the plaintiffs attorneys ad
monished her to confine her statements to
answers to the questions which were put.
Miss DOilar6 auaip IN thu M
der direct examination. She related in
greater detail than before the attempts of
Breckinridge to betray her. he {. Id her
she had wonderful intellect and had
brilliant future. II seemed to be CON-
pletely under the influence of his wonder
full power of persuasion" she said. He
promised TO oversee her education and re-
pay the money paid by Rhodes for her
schooling. at was when we were in Gin
cinnati that intimate relations were first
s'ab'shed. and they continued until May
II. 1898" the last time she saw Breckin-
ridge. 1t will he remembered that this
date was subsequent to Br-ckin'idge's
marriage to Mrs. Wing, which occurred
secretly April %. 1898.
Then the crOss-examination was re-
sumed by Butterworth. He went into
minute details of tie plaintiffs life, to all
of which she returned replies which could
have given no comfort 10 her opponents.
During the afternoon session Attorney
Butterworth continued the cross-examina-
tion, and was often skilfully parried by
the plaintiff. Often when asking leading
questions she would answer H. Yankee
fashion by appealing to the defendant:
"How was it. Mr. Breckinridge"
For the second time, in answer to ques-
tions, Miss Pollard told complete story
of her aequain ance with Breckinridge
from the time he accosted her In street.
car in Louisville till he deser ed her years
later in Washington. The court adjourned
for the day with the cross-examinatiop
still unfinished.
From the indications thus far II is evil
dent that Congressman Breckinridge in
defense will attempt to prove that Made
line Pollard was bad woman when he
6rst met her; that she was bad when he
left her, and that his promises of mar
riage were made under duress because he
feare1 she would Kill him. The friends of
Breckinridge say that this will be his de-
fense.
II so. it will be merely plea in mitiga-
emily to be made to deny that this distip-
guished Ken'ucky Congressman, leading
lay member of the Presbyterian church.
lecturer to young men on social purity and
all the rest, maintained intimate relations
with this woman for period OF years (his
wife then livine) and introduced her into
society. to his grown daughters and to his
friends.
Such plea will. Of course, staFtle those
who had expected a general denial of the
allegation. and not a defense which admits
them. The lawyers expect that Judge
Bradley will rule out a great deal of the
testimony taken by depositions by Breck-
iDridge's lawyers, in which the attem pt is
made to backen the character OF the
plaintiff. II that shall be done and the
trial restricted TO the facts set up in the
complaint the trial will not last long. The
lawyers say that if judgment shall be
awarded for plaintiff and it be not paid.
the defendant can be imprisoned.
Breckinridge is Sc years OF age. while
Madeline is exactly half that. But il is
only the whiteness of his hair and beard
that makes him look old. His cheeks are so
rosy and his blue eyes so shining bright.
that If his hair was DARK, thirty years at
least would seem to drop from his score.
His son. Desha Breclinridge, whose Jet
black beard and hair contrast strikinglv
with his fathers suow-white locks. stands
by him manfully. The good looks seem all
TO be on the Breckinridge side. Madeline.
though she is ACCOMPLISHED and clever, is