The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-21
A WAVE OF SYMPATHY.
1t Comes to Miss Pollard in the
Celebrated Trial.
A GUILTY MOTHERS SACRIFICES.
She Put Her Children Away from Her at
the Command of tho Man She Loved.
Mr.. Breckinridge's Lawyers Admit the
i Secret Marriage with Mrs. wing.

Mr.. Breckinridge's Lawyers Admit the
Secret Marriage with Mrs. wing.
WASHINGTON, March 81. When the
shrill voice of the bailiff cried adjourn-
ment In the bare old circuit court yester-
day afternoon the veiled face of Madeline
Pollard was buried In her arms upon the
rough board top of the witness box, be-
hind which she had sat for three days
The only sound which had broken such
silence as seldom falls on court room
was Il sobbing that seemed to come from
her inmost heart. Three Jurors were fumb-
ling in an. uncertain way with their hand
kerchiefs, the Judge was staring toward
the ceiling abstractedly Even the law.
yer whose cross-examination had led up
TO this passage wore a look of unwonted
gravity on his fatherly benevolent face
with something remarkably like moisture
about his eyes. II there was man among
the curious hundred in the court room
unmoved he was unconspicuolls in the ma
jority of sympathetic faces, Madeline
Pollard had been telling tho most tragic
episode of her unhappy life.
"a woman can't do more than that for
man, more than give up her child for
him" she had said II laid my baby in
its coffin because it needed the mothers
care | could not give it; because he made
me put 1t away from myself. l never let
him see me cry over 1t, because"
The sentence was unfinished, and no
more questions were asked. The men
trooped from The court room awed from
their customary charms of speculation
and criticism
ALI day she had retained her composure
up to this close, telling her story with
such remarkable clcarness of language,
such perception of the strong light which
certain phases would throw upon her case
that gentlemen experienced at the bar
were constrained to comment that she was
either telling the truth or was the most
consummate actress who had ever come
under their observation.
The trial reached its climax early in the
afternoon, when Judge Jere Wilson, fac
ing Ma jor Butterworth, had thrust at him
direct the question whether his client ad-
mitted the secret marriage to Mrs. Wing
in New York, and had, after a fiery pas
sage at arms, received an affirmative an
swer From that crucial point the tesi-
mony of the plaintiff regarding the turbu-
lent days of pistols and promises follow
ing the secret marriage on the Goth of
April abounded in the most sensational
incidents of the entire story.
From the questions prompted in part by
tDe ehenLuCRlan IL QeSPlOptu tnHJ 1OllOWlnb
that marriage on the 29th of April, Col
onel Breckenridge had stopped at the Hoff-
man House with Miss Pollard, registered
as his daughter; that she had threatened
to shoot him there, and he renewed his
promise of marriage that she had taken
him from the presence of his wife in Wash
ing to the Office of the chief of police
where he had again promised to marry
her
The plaintiffs attorneys raised the CON
tsntion that the secret marriage constl-
tuted the breach of promise on which the
suit was based, and that all following
events were irreyeient and to be excluded
from consideration, but the point was
overruled, Most Of the day up to the final
interesting hour had been consumed in
reading the letters of Miss Pollard to
James Rhodes, calling upon him for
money, and although interesting points
were raised the subject had been compar-
atively lifelcss.
In her testimony Miss Pollard asserted
with great esrnestness that the letters
sent by her to Rhodes which were intro
ducsd in evidence had been dictated by
Mr., Breckenridge, the idea being to CON
ceal the relations existing between him
self and Miss Pollard She was n passive
party to the arrangement because of her
desire to shield Mr. BrecknridSe To u
reference to her mother as "ths agency of
deception in the Rhodes correspondence
Miss Pollard objected. Poor dear ID anna, !"
she said, SHOULD not be accused of that y
Another question asked the plaintiff by
Mr. Bntterworth was: "AIiss Pollard, you
said yesterday that your relations with
the defendant continued after his mar
riageS"
ft,r his aeprpt Inarrin frn u
Ibid you have any suspicious about that
marriageS"
mo- but knew he had been with Mrs.
Wing in New York and asked him about
It. lie answered by telling me there was
nothing between them, and then he ma
| ligned her. He spoke of her in language
| / cannot repeat, and that it would be hard
for any one to believe; and that she was
engaged to be married to Lieutenant
Chamberlain, of the army, and this WAS
all after his secret marriage"
'sDid you believe there WAS nothing be-
tween Colonel Breekinridge and Mrs
Wing2n
''He told me that she was a very worldly
woman, and certainly became suspicious
that he should spend twelve days with a
worldly woman"
Miss Pollard, did not you and Colonel
Breckenridge have some scenes about this
| timer"
"0h, yes," she cried scornfully, "llfe
with that man couldn't be all happiness
to everybody"
In answer to further questions Miss Pol
lard said she had never had any ambition
to become an actress, as "only pretty
women go on the stage. A plain woman
would have no chance there" Her recital
| of the visit to Major Moore, Washingtons 5
chief of police, varied slightly from Major
Moorc's account of the affair, Speaking
of letter In which Mr. Breckinridge had
written solemn pledge of marriage, she
was interrupted by Mr.. Butterworth ask
ing: Have you that letter."
Miss Pollard raised her arm impressively
while every man in the court leaned for
ward to catch her reply. ''Iie took it away
from me- she said, ION the 18th of May
with the vilest, yilest lie"
| After the letter was written and before
the l1th of May, Miss Pollard continued,
/ Colonel BreckfMidgs had sent her flowers,
had frequently talked to her of their fu-
ture married life together.