Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-04-05
BRECKENRIDGE THROUGH
JUDGE WILSON AS THE INQUIsIToR.
Line by Line Mrs. Blackburns Damaging
Evidence Was Held Up to the Colonel.
Dared Not Deny 1t FlatIy-Judge Brad
ley Scores the Spectators.


Evidence Was Held Up to the Colonel
Dared Not Deny 1t F1atIy-Judge Brad
ley Scores the Spectators.
WASHINGTON. April 5.-The inquisition
| differed by Representative Breckenridge
1t the hands of Judge .Jere Wilson regard
ing the testimony of Mrs. Governor Black
ourn would be the talk of the city but for
,ome remarks from Judge Bradley which
| ,nliVened the close of the days proceed
ngs and have obscured all other passing
| features of the trial in their interest. He
Icored the spectators in unmeasured terms.
| This lecture from the court was followed
| on an early adjournment because the cross
examination of the colonel, who had oc-
| .upied the center of the stage since last
! Thursday. was finished, and his attorneys
wanted council of war before proceed
| ng.
! 1t had been a hard day for the colonel
because Judge Wilson spent most of it in
/ detailed comparison of the testimony of
| Mrs. Blackburn and the defendant, com
! 1elling him to reconcile or explain their
| differences To spectators it looked at
| lines as though the attorney was heading
/ .hings toward a kentucky tragedy. such
is Mrs. Blackburn intimated would have
obvated the occasion for her appearance
II the witness stand had lIer husband been
living. He seemed to be seeking from the
defendant a statement that Mrs. Black
burn had trihed with the truth, but the
questions and answers furnished one of
he finest exhibitions of hair splitting on
.ecord.
Colonel Breckenridge averred that Mrs.
Blackburn's description of nearly every
one of the material occurrences when their
!
led his denials by the statement that she
1ad confused times and places; had put
constructions not intended upon his utter
inces: had attributed to him things said
oy Madeline Pollard, but inserted a saw
ng clause that she had no doubt honestly
.ndeavored to give her recollection of
events.
The Coloners Denials.
Il deny that that occurred in that way
and in that connection was his answer
when Mr.. Wilson pinned him down to a
1irect statement regarding his story to
Mrs. Blackburn that. being a man of hon
". he had been obliged to propose mar
'iage to Miss Pollard on discovering her
feelings toward him.
Now. Mrs Blackburn says that she
old you you had an unusually high sense
If honor in that connection. Do You deny
hat" Mr.. Wilson persisted
Il deny that | have any recollection of it
having happened III that way.
Colonel Breckinridge's version of the
conversations between himself and Mrs.
Blackburn regarding the trip to Europe
differed radically from that lady 5. as did
his memory of what she had said about be
.ng Obliged to withdraw her protection
from Miss Pollard unless they were more
discreet in their conduct. That did not
happen in that form and i'll that cOnnec
lion" lr4 said. and his answer was sub
stantially the same regarding his (Breck
nridges) requests that Mrs. Blackburn
should go to New York with the plaintiff
until they We're married.
Twas urging her. so far as | could with
0ut exciting her suspicion, to get the young
woman out OF town. l endeavored to leave
she impression on her mind always that
We were engaged. If l may use such
word, l was honestly endeavOring to carry
put the contract with Miss Pollard to de
:eive her, and do not blame Mrs. Black
burn for feeling little acerbity."
DO you deny that Mr.. Wilson de
handed after reading Mrs. Blackburn's
testimony regarding his description of the
interest he felt in Miss Pollard and of the
standing of her family.
Il have no recollection of that. and my
recollection is that it happened in differ
ant way" was the final answer, and later
The witness said. Mrs. Black burn puts
her own construction on my words, in
commenting on this part of her testimony.
Reading to him the testimony of Mrs.
Blackburn that he had told her that he
had never paid the slightest attention to
Mrs. Wing, but to have it repeated that
ne was engaged to her would familiarize
lN-N -itb ba of a1.r.
and when congress adjourned he was go
ing home to make arrangements for his
marriage, Mr. Wilson asked for the wit
ness recollection on that point.
Part of that WAS never said by me &c
,Ording to my recollection, and part of it
was never said at all, was the answer.
Congress had already adjourned, so that
shows that Mrs. Blackburn confuses these
conversations. although she honestly en-
beavers to repeat them.
DO you deny that you told Mrs Black
burn you were not to marry Mrs. Wing"
Differed With Mrs. blackburn.
Il do most emphatically deny that ever
said that. Mrs. Blackburn gets the diff
ferent conversations commingled. can
not remember myself the exact words of
conversations after few weeks.
The colonel was sure that Mrs Black
Miss Pollard that if his attentions to Mrs
Wing were as she had represented he was
villain. lie said: Il am sure Mrs. Black
burn did not use such an offensive word in
her own parlor to a visitor. Mrs Black
burn was lady have known for years.
and as hostess she would not have said
such u thing
Whether it was proper for a lady to call
a man a villain in her own parlOr if the
circumstances warranted was : question
Of ethics, Colonel Breckenridge said, which
he did not care to discuss.
Mr.. Wilson endeavored to pin down the
colonel to a denial of the statement that he
had told Mrs. Black burn he had no love
for any other woman than Miss Pollard
and finally secured the answer, II am sure
that no such conversation occurred"
You donOt remember :" said Mr.. Will
son.
We'll, will say that do not recollect
that such a conversation happened"
Regarding the scene when Miss Pollard
had asked him to name the day, called
him Willie, and he had stroked her hand
affectiOnately and had said. mo demon
STATIONS before Mrs. Blackburn" he said,
such a scene did happen, and it was a SUI
perb piece of acting"
Waltz interrupted Mr. Wilson. ION
your part or Miss Pollard's?''
"On her part and possibly little on
mine"
You were both playing partt"
My part was ended. That was an act not
down on the bills. Thought she was going
too far and was angry. 1 rose and said,
My engagements are such that | cannot
say when will marry this young woman
l did not say that l would come back and
name the day
Mrs. Blackburn had said that he ended
the scene with the last statement. Mrs
Blackburn's memory and mine do not
agree on that, he said when asked if he
remembered that on a subsequent visit.
when Miss Pollard had again pressed him
to name the day, Mrs. Black burn had said
that Colonel Breckenridge had already
promised to name to her the day, and that
was sufficient.
When Mr.. Wilson asked why the colonel
had not said all those things on direct ex-