The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-03-31
COL. BRECKENRIDGE STC2Y
THE CONGRESS MAN DEFEND
ANT ON THE STAND.
HOW He AND MADELINE FIRST NET.
The Coioners Narrative Different In
Many Resppects From the Pisintin's
Their Relations Candijly Ad-
mitted-The Cross -Examina-
tion by Plaintiffs Council
VIII He without Gloves

WASHINGTON. March 60 Congress
man w. C. T. Breckinridgc of Ken
tuclxy went upon the witness stand yes
terday in his own behalf in the $50, 900
breach of promise of marriage suit
brought by Madeline Pollard and will
surely engross the attention of the
district court for the next three days
and possibly longer. The attorneys
of the plaintiff will, IL is generally un-
derstood, handle him without gloves
and the testimony of the distinguished
defendant is sure to be sensational.
Mr.. Breckinridge's examination was
conducted by MIR. Butterworth. After
giving narrative of his life, Mr..
Breckenridge said lie first met Miss
Pollard in the spring of 1854. 1t was a
cool morning on a train between Lex
ington and Frankfort | had an over
coat on back seat of the car, and as
| passed down the aisle to get it she
accusted me in perfectly proper
way. said: Il suppose l ought to
know you, but young persons grow
up SO soon we forget their
faces She said: Il am Madeline
Breckinridge Pollard;' that her father
admired my father; that il she had
been boy he would have named her
John T. As 1t was he gave her the
middle name of BrecLinridge She
said she was going to a sister who was
dying of consumption. | expressed
my sympathy and passed on"
when did you next meet her?"
IL do not remember exactly. re-
ceived letter from her. have lost
that letter but the substance of it
was request that | would call on her
at the college on some business of
great Importance to her The sub
stance of my reply was that it would
be inconvenient for me to call at the
college but that If | could give her
any advice | would be glad to do so,
and 10 she was in Lexington she might
call
"Did you receive another letter."
81 did"
'Is this the letter." asked Mr.. Rut-
terworth, handing up the black, bor7
dered epistle.
at would be affectation in me to
examine that. | am familiar with it,"
Apart from the letter, Breckenridge
continued, he could not relate the con-
versation which he had had with the
plaintiff when he had called on her at
the school a few days afterward. He
could not well give the purport of the
conversation c)ncerniIg this letter
apart from the rest of their talk
"The plaintiff" Breck nridge be.
gan, referring to Miss Pollard by the
legal term, saidI ! suppose you were
surprised 10 receive such q letter from
school grip Laughingly | re-
| sponded that perhaps she over exag-
gerated the Importance of the matter.
| Then she said: But all this time you
are standing, and invited me to take
a seat"
NOW, we propose" said Mr. But
terworth, ito offer this letter to the
jury that they may examine 1t with
the admitted specimens of plaintiff's
handwriting in evidence. Even IL we
has. produced no expert testimony on
The point, under the ruling pf the su,
preme court 1t would be admissible. :
This brought on lengthy arguments
by Butt, rWorth and Wilson for and
against it's admission, after which
Judge Bradley decided to admit the
letter, Mr.. Butterworth then read
the latter, which has already beer
published.
1hio tOlOtlti
described what had become of the
letters. lie had kept three files, one
at his office, one at his house, and on,
partnership file IL was his recollec
tion the two had been placed on tn.
file at his office,
Returning TO his visit to the Wes
leyan seminary, the defendant ex
planned it had been made. while on 9
business trip TO Coyington, on Friday
August /, There being no hotel 40
oommadations IN Covington, he haC
gone 10 Cincinnati TO stay over night
After dinner, remembering the lette
of Miss Pollard, he strolled up to tn,
college. ~ sent my name up" h,
said, twas invited into a room an,
in q Jew moments the plaintiff
cama down. We shook hands. Sh,
said she supposed she had astonisheo
me by the substance of her letter; tina
il was worse than divorce case. w
took seats, she on a divan, | on
chair, IN the pear Of the room, Sh'
narrated the circumstances pnde
J which she had made the agreemen
with Mr.. Rhodes. Until then l ha,
not known who her mother was.
had known her father, but no
who he married. AS soon as she toll
Ipeo she was living with her aunt
; Mrs, fpFk Keene, ] know who he
mother was, besides her paole, Yapl
Keene. had been in my brothers regi
ment Because her father had die,
in Strengthened circumstances, an,
her life with Asc aunt had not beef
pleasant, she we 1ted TO leaye. Mr.
Rhodes had fallen IN lave with her
but she had respected him, as an olde
man, but had not loved him. Sh
wanted TO know whether he coul,
compel her 20 marry him.
Il treated the matter with som
levity; said knew of no law in thi
day by &hieh she eogld bs compelIe
90 the Speeifie BefforlRance of a mar
riaRe contract, She grew grave
looked as though she felt like cry ng
took out her handkerchief, put il I
her face and got up and walked tn
room. | asked her II her mother wa
alive. had not seen her mother.
never have, in fact; but she said tina
heg mother had not approves
81 rhe contract end i ha
msde pnpleasantneSs IN tn
family, ] spoke Of her grandfather
! kaew her grandfather and he
uncles. She had ceased 20 walk th
room; she was sitting on the d.vaI
and ! was standing beside her.