Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-09
LAWYERS NOW TALK
Continued from Second Page.)

Continuing, Mr.. Carlisle said that the
jury could examine the Wessie Brown let
ter. and they could never find such marked
similarites as had been pointed out eX
listing in the letter in question.
The First Meeting of the Parties.
Coming down to the first meeting of the
two parties at the Wesleyan College, he
spoke of the differences that existed be-
tween them in point of age. experience and
education. He then read from the record
to show the slater ents of the plaintiff
made on March 16 in this trial, and re-
ported at the time in The Star describing
the first visit she had from the defendant.
According to her he stated at the time of
the visit that he came in response to her
| letter
He spoke of their being in public place
| and their liability to interruption, and sug-
gested that they get up some sort of re-
/ lationship between them so that they could
| go out together. His version OF the car
/ riage ride was also given. Then Mr.. Car
| Isle read the defendants account of the
/ same interview, which was much larger and
| in more detail than Miss Pollard's story.
| According to Mr. Brecinrdges account,
| she told him then about the arrangement
with Rodes to give her support and educa-
/ ton on condition that she should marry
! him. At this point Mr. Carlisle commented
upon Mr.. Breckinridge's levty on that oc-
casion, when he laughed at her fears that
she could be compelled to marry him. 1t
was only natural that lawyer of twenty
seven years standing should be amused at
the idea that there was any binding pow
/ ers in contract of marriage, but 1t was not
surprising that young girl who had, to-
gether with her mother signed a con-
tract to marry, should be frightened when
he made threat to resort to law TO make
her keep her promise
Continuing the reading, Mr.. Carlisle quoted
! from the record of Mr.. Breckinridge's testi-
mony down beyond the point where he
stated that she told him that she had been
misled by Rodes as proof higher than
marriage of her intention of fulfilling her
part of the contract Mr.. Breckenridge then
urged that the proper thing for girl in
her position 10 do was to marry the man,
whether she loved him or not. Mr.. Carlisle
referred caustically to this part of Mr..
Breckinridge's testimony showing that
he had to make four Intellectual attempts
to leave the room before the conversation
was concluded, but was unable to get out,
as he was detained, quite against his will,
by this young girl, who CHANGED to be sit
ing between him and the door.
| That Carriage Ride.
So far as the disclosures about her rela-
lions with Rodes were concerned, Mr.. Car
/ isle said, the two statements made by the
plaintiff and the defendant as to this meet
! ing were Numerically opposite to each
| other. However, they both agree that the
evening of the drive was a hot and sultry
| one, and that he came for her in a closed
carriage. She states that she asked why
he had brought such vehicle on a hot
| night, and he gave as an excuse the con-
dition of his throat All this he denies.
but never to this day, on the stand or
| elsewhere, has he explained the reason
for his act: 1T was simply an inadvert-
ence that led to important consequences
| like SO many others that have been dis
| covered in the course of this trial" The
| only excuse or explanation of his conduct
| in the carriage given by him was that she
took off her hat aud laid it on the seat
| and that he took liberties with her because
| he was a man of passion and she was a
woman of passion. All this the defendant
| had asked the jury to believe.
The plaintiff, on the other hand had told
| of his efforts to overcome her scruples He
f1attered her, cajoled her-he a man of the
! world, accomplished and skilled, and she an
| innocent girl ignorant of the world. For a
fnan like w. c. p. Breckenridge to come to
the school to see Madeline Pollard, the
| daughter of a Kentucky saddler, was of it.
self the most pleasing sort of fiattery to a
young school girl. He, by his eloquence and
earnestness, had swayed vast audiences of
| people. What might not such a polished,
brilliant man accomplish when the theater
| or MS action was confined to the narrow
confines of a Cincinnati hack and his audi
ence restricted to one unsophisticated young
| woman? Yet she had denied fatty that he
had overcome her on that evening ride in
| the hack. On this matter of seduction rest
ed much of the Importance of this case not
| only from a sentimental point of view but
| also on the assessing of damages as laid
| Moore had testified on the stand that dur
| ing the first interview in his office MIR.
! Breckenridge made the statement that the
| first night he ever knew the plaintiff he
took liberties with her person and stayed
| with her the second night with her consent
The jury would note that Mr.. Breckin-
| ridges account of the beginning Of the re-
| lationS with the plaintiff rested only on his
own unsupported statement, while the
plaintiffs statements throughout were sup
ported by other and reputable witnesses.
| l he statements made by him in the presence
| OF Mrs. Blackburn he now claims were
| made with the intention of deceiving her
and that Miss Pollard knew they We're made
! for this purpose. This matter of the in
terview before Mrs. Blackburn placed him
between the two horns of a dilemma upon
| one or other of which he must impale
He must either say that Mrs. Blackburn s
| testimony was false and not true, or admit
that what he said to her on that occa sion
was false and not true He had chosen the
latter alternative. He had sworn on the
| witness stand that what he said then was
| false and not true What credibility he
asked. what credibility could attach to che
evidence of such a man? Where could they
| say the false left off and the true began?
His Inducements on Her Papers.
After eight or nine years of such rela-
tons as existed between them II became
necessary for him to make certain state
ments about her on his word of honor on
papers of application to the civil service
commission. knowing what had been be-
tween them he, over his own name. made
the statement that she was a woman of
| moral character and good repute and one
| whom he could trust If he had done this
because he realized that she was a good
! woman except from him and that she was
| of good repute, as all her secrets rested
| with him alone, to whom she had conse-
| Grated her life, then his actions might
| be understood and his motives therefor.
But no. He now comes upon the stand
and testifies that she was but the common
! playthng of his passion. His actions here
| and before Mrs. Blackburn were such as
| to cause every decent man to revolt.
| This the sort of witness the defend
ant was, not such one as he had painted
| him, but such as he had painted himself
/ What reason had they for placing more
confidence in his word than had Mrs
| Blackburn? Yet, he had told them that
what he had said to Mrs Blackburn was
| not true. Why then true to them?
| On the other hand the plaintiff who
while on the stand IS subjected to two
days and a half of the severest st:sin to
which the human mind can be subjected
q rigid Cross-eXamnation by a sharp and
able lawyer. There are only two things
| that will enable person on the stand to
stand such test. One of these is training
| or the experience that comes from TamiIi-
arity with public life and trials in court
| The other of these lie IN OH