The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-23
Colonel Breckenridge Will Not Take the
Stand in His Own Behalf Until
All the Evidence Is In.
SEVEN DISPOSITIONS READ
All Intended to Prove the Plaintiff
Gave False Testimony,
That She Was Not at the Norwood Con-
vent in 1885 and that She Is Old
er than She Claims to Be.


low the example of their opponents by re-
serving their clients testimony for the clos
ing card in the case. Accordingly the sill
ver-haired Congressman disappointed many
people in the District Court room to-day
by failing to go on the witness stand, and
one of the disappointed was Madeline Pol
lard herself, who left the court as soon as
she learned of the programme for the day.
The entire day was dragged out by the
reading of dispositions all aimed at two
points, viz, to prove that Miss Pollard did
not give birth to a child at the Norwood
convent in 1885, and that she is older than
she represents herself to be. There will be
nothing more for the jury until Monday,
as the court intends to observe Good Fri
day and the session Saturday will be de-
voted to arguments over the admissibility
of dispositions to show THAI Miss Pollard
had been intimate with other men than the
defendant to which the plaintiff has given
notice of objections
Judge Bradley has been the recipient since
the commencement of this trial of an un-
usually large correspondence all concerning
the case. Many letters come from religious
people urging him in the interests of the
morals of the community to exclude news
paper reporters from the court, order
which the Judge says is not in his power to
give. One missive which has caused the
Judge TO smile signed by a woman
member of the bar and suggested that since
he had excluded all women from the court
when Miss Pollard gave her testimony,
that the men should be debarred and the
women admitted when Colonel Breckenridge
takes the stand.
The reading OF dispositions was taken up
again this morning when the court met, TO
the regret of many spectators who had as
sembled with the expectation that Repre-
sentative Breckenridge would tell his story.
Madeline Pollard was seated beside her law
yer, Judge Wilson talking TO him, with a
smile playing across her face, and once as
she talked she glanced over her shoulder
at the white-haired defen liant. Before At
torney Stoll had proceeded far with his elo-
cutionary effort Miss Pollard and her COM
pany arose and glided from the room, in
terrupting the reading.
SISTER AUGUSTINE'S DEPOSITION.
The first deposition that of Siste~ Au-
gustine, of the Norwood Convent Asylum,
where Miss Pollard was at first confined.
This Sister had been for years at the con-
vent, did not recognize Miss Pollard. who
had been at the convent, and said there
never had been but one Louise Wilson
there, and she gave birth to child there
last fall. During the time Miss Pollard
claimed to have been in the institution
there had been young woman there yelled
There was a rather unusual incident when
Mr. Stoll read out the name of this young
woman, who had claimed to be from a
Northern State, then apologfZed and eX-
planned to the court that the Sister had
only given the name under the condition
that IL was to be kept secret, and not to
be repeated. This Sister had been pres
ent at the interview in the convent btween
Miss Pollard, attorneys Carlisle and john
son and Sister Agnes, whose deposition had
been read yesterday: Sister Augustine also
failed 10 recognize Miss Pollard. Her recol-
ID-1l
motive for bringing the suit was that it
would secure justice.
The entries on the convent book under the
name OF Miss Burgoyne correspond with
the dates which Miss Pollard and DIR. Street
had given Of her admittance 10 the asy-
lum, the birth of the child and her depart
was Marie Gertrude Burgoyne." Accord
ing to the recollection of the Sister Miss
Burgoyne had visited the convent twice
after the child was born. The child. Marie
Gertrude Burgoyne, had died in July, 1885,
When Miss Pollard was told Of this, the
hands and run from the room, but when
she returned there was no evidence Of grief
in her face.
attorney Stoll began to read testimony
concerning the visit Of one of Miss Pol
lards attorneys. Mr.. Mallon, to the con-
vent, Mr. Carlisle objected to it as irrele-
want Whatever one of Miss Pollards at
torneys might have done at the convent not
in the presence OF the parties to the suit
but in the pursuit of his professional duties
he argued. was irrelevant. Mr.. Stoll pro-
tested that he wanted to show that all IA
clities had been granted the plaintiffs rep
resentatives for securing information at the
convent. Colonel Shelby added that the at
torney had gone in the capacity of agent
for Miss Pollard. therefore his acts were
binding upon her, a construction of the re-
lationS of client and attorney from which
the judge dissented. He also sustained the
objection of Mr.. Carlisle. 1t DEVELOPED that
attorney Mallon had examined the books
of the convent and copied some of the en-
ment of fact, but excluded the CONVERSE
ton which had taken place between the
attorney and the Sister.
A DISPUTED CHRISTMAS CARD.
The Christmas card which had been found
between the leaves of a volume of Wash
ington Irving given to the convent by Miss
Pollard was produced with this deposition
and displayed to the jury. 1t was a large
souvenir six by eight inches fringed, on
which was caught and pressed faded
rose This Christmas card is expected to
play an important part in the case, as
proof that Miss Pollard was confined in
the convent, and the defense claims that
when it was displayed by Miss Pollard,
who averred that she had found 1t in the
book, one corner rolled up in a way
impossible for a card that had been eight
years pressed In d book. Sister Augustine,
that the statue of st. Joseph in the con-
vent had perfect eyes. Miss Pollard had
recollected that eye of the statue was
out OF line.
The second deposition read by attorney
Stoll. was by Lena Schmidt who had been
employed for eight years in the Norwood
convent She had no recollection of q wOm-
an In the convent In 1885 under the name of
Louise Wilson. and had never seen Mad
cline Pollard until last December. She had
been present at the interview between
Sister Agnes and the plaintiff. but as the
former had testified, failed to identify Miss
Pollard as one she had ever seen. Accord
| ing TO her remembrance Miss Pollard had
| said of her motive for the suit: II did il
| for justice and to disgrace Mr. BreclIn-
ridge"
The deposition of Dr. w E. De
Courcey, physician at the Norwood con-
vent was objected TO by Mr. Carlisle on
by the judge. The physician testified that
he did not know Madeline Pollard or Louise
Wilson, but there had been a girl In the
convent named Wilson In 1884 and 1885,
whose first name he did not remember. and
whose face he would not recognize. He
had looked over the books of the asylum
and found no record of Louise Wilson.
At times a special physician attended pa
tents at the hospital If they so requested.
One girl who gave birth 10 a child had her
face yelled, because, she claimed. DR.. De
Courcey knew her There had been five
hundred children born at the asylum. DR..
De Courcey had not been cross-examined.
O. c.. BROWNS TESTIMONY.
The deposition of o. G.. Brown, president
of Quinn Valley College. in Ohio and son
of the president OF Wesleyan Seminary.
where Miss Pollard had attended was
read lie a young in the years
of Miss Pollard's schooling. and. from the