Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-31
Mr.. Breckinridge's Account of Some
Exciting Interviews.
THE MEETING At TIE HOFFMAN HOUSE
How the Unhappy Couple Came
to Go to Major Moore.
HER DESPERATE TALK

mony yesterday afternoon after the report
of the Pollard-Breckinridge trial in The
Star closed. At that point he had narrated
the circumstances which led to his agree
| ing TO go to Mrs. Blackburn's with the
plaintiff. and pretend to her that they were
engaged
| He then said he told the plaintiff that
whatever was the understanding Mrs.
| Blackburn had, there must be no msunder-
standing between herself and him; that she
knew that after what Rodes had told him,
she could never be his wife; that she could
never enter his household as his wife; that
| a marriage with him was impossible; that
she knew that he had not seduced her, and
| that she had not come to him as a maiden.
| In view Of her promises to go away, he had
| agreed to this pretense to engagement.
| The defendant here described the visits to
Mrs. Blackburn.
/ After the interview, he said, he told the
J plaintiff that she must leave Washington
before he did. He was then arranging to
| go to Boston to make a speech. There was
no misunderstanding between himself and
plaintiff during the next ten days about It.
She was preparing to go away, and he be-
lieved she would. He was to furnish her
with money to settle up her bills and go
| away. The defendant left Washington
April 10. and returned April "a.
The Hoffman House Incident.
Defendant next described his meeting
with the PLAINTIFF at the Hoffman House
In New York. on May 1. two days after his
marriage In New York to Mrs. Wing. He
had gone to the hotel to get his clothes.
| Il went up to my ROOM" he said, land
| opened the door. ard found that the door
| between my room and the adjoining room
| was ajar. There was a bathroom between
| the two rooms. and the door at the end of
| the bathroom was opened. When l went
to the adjoining room to see what was the
matter. and pushed the door open. 1 found
| the plaintiff in that room, partly dressed.
and apparently only just walked up. AS
| soon as she was thoroughly aroused she
demanded excitedly where 1 had been, and
all over New York looking for me. / an
| swered he- perhaps more rudely than I
| should substantially that 1t was nothing
| to her where had been.
| las turned, she had a pistol leveled at
| me, about the distance of the end of the
| bathroom, and was rushing with Ii upon
| me- i pushed the door Of the bath room
shut quickly and turned the catch. She
| turned the knob Of the door. but was I'M
| able to open the door, / then touched the
bell in my room, and, speaking to her
| through the door. said, have rung the
bell and am going to get the police and
| have you put into the Tombs.'
"She said she was going to shoot through
| the door. l said: Shoot away. 1t will only
give me additional Justification for having
you put into the Tombs' She said she
| wanted to talk with me- and L told her she
| could not talk with me while she had that
pistol in her hand. had tried that before
Just then some one knocked on a door on
| the opposite side Of the hall. 1 could tell
where the knock was, but she could not
| and evidently supposed it was knock
| at my door. in answer to the bell.
Now said. If you will put that pistol
down, go into your room and fasten the
door, 1 will take the pistol and see what
can do. heard her put the pistol down
and go into her room and shut the door
| Then 1 Unmatched the door. picked I'D the
pistol. which was lying on the floor, and
placed 1t in my pocket. Just then the boy
came and raped at the door. I opened
it and 1 said to the boy: Bring me
| possible under the circumstances. 1 then
| went to her room. knocked at the door
| and she opened it, and we had a talk 1t
was agreed that she should go to No 7
3lst street and telegraph to Mrs Black
| ourn The next morning. he said con-
| tinuing his narrative. he went to the hotel
and ne was surprised to see that she
was still there.
The defendant then gave an account NJ
the interview in New York with Mrs
BIackourn, substantially agreeing with the
version given by Mrs. Blackburn, and then
brought the story down to the occasion
| on the 18th of May when Miss Pollard call
ed at the house in Jefferson Place, where
ne was then stopping with the present
Going to Maj. Moore
Il and my wife Gprmerly Mrs. wing)
were in the dining room of the house when
| the plaintiff walked In and said: Excuse
| me, Mrs. Wing, 1 want to see Mr.. Brock
| inridge alone on a matter Of great import
| ance. 1 turned to my wife and said that
/ thought 1 had better go with her As
walked out by Lafayette Park she said:
I intend TO end this matter. I intend to
| kill you I said: All right This is the
/ last day. And she went on Her state
| ment that malgned my wife said any
| thing disrespectful Of her Is an absolute
| fabrication, without shadow of truth on
which to hang it.. Not word was said
| about my wife. She said she intended to
end this thing by killing me, and as we
walked along, she said it would be a good
thing TO end it by that kind of a scandal
| and she was going to kill herself too She
| did most of the talking. There had been
no effort on my part to calm her fears; no
protestation of love; nothing about her
| being a nervous, excitable child
| When we got to Maj. Moores office /
| asked If he was in, and, being told he was
| L went in and the plaintiff followed me.
said to Maj. Moore: 1 need the protection
| Of the law. This lady threatens to kill me
| l will tell you how / came to be in this
| position, and l want you to put her or Inc
under arrest He said he hoped it was
| not as bad as that. He went over to her
| and she held up her hands and said: L have
| no weapons but these and then said to
| Maj. Moore that / wanted to relate all
| the circumstances, so that he might de-
| eide whether to arrest her or me. Then
| she broke out into flood Of hysterical tears
and said oh. don't tell him; Is it neces-
sary? l said 1 intended to tell him every
| thing, when she put her hand on my shout
| der and begged me not to tell him. took
| her hand of and turned to her and said ::
| Will you do exactly what 1 demand II
| do not tell him.. She said she would, and
| / turned to Maj Moore and said: I think
We can settle this ourselves"
Col. Breckenridge said of this side remark
in the scene before Maj. Moore that he
| thought he had made 1t loud enough for the
major to hear; that he certainly intended
to, but 1t seemed from the majors testi-
mony that he had not heard what he
| (Breckinridge) had said.
The Third Attempt to Kill Him.
After leaving the Office with Miss Pollard
he had told her that there could be no more
terms between them; that she would have
to look to some one else for support and
that he did not intend to give her another
dollar, for, as they had gone to Maj. Moore
1t probably would come out in the papers
They had talked together Of the child that
was to be born She said she wanted to
get rid Of the child" ne related; but 1
said No. If 1t is my child, have the great
est interest in II, and when II is born l can
tell whether II Is mine or whether 1t is
not He said that If II was his he in
tended to care for II, DIS that would be part
OF his punishment
Then the witness told Of Miss Poilard's
last attempt TO shoot him when he had