Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-22
POLLARD-BR ECKINRIDGE TRIAL.

Washington yesterday evening Attor-
Stoll read the deposition of Sister Ag-
mes Regina Brown.
The deposition had been taken at
the Norwood Convent Asylum, near
Cincinnati, where the sister had been
in 1885. She had seen all the inmates.
Some of them were yelled when they
went on the street, but none were veil
ed from her. There was one who had
been yelled from the physician who at
tended her, but this was in 1854. De-
ponent did not know Madeline Pollard
but had, for the first time, seen her in
December. 1892, in the library next to
the office, with Messrs. Carlisle and
Johnson, her attorneys, when Miss Pol
lard had asked if the sister knew her,
but the sister did not. Deponent ques-
toned her, but she did not remember
the sister, nor who had been the mother
superior. Miss Pollard had said that
she went under the name of Louise
Wilson, but when the sister had said
that no Louise Wilson had been there,
but that girl named Burgoyne had a
child there at that time Miss Pollard
had replied, ooh, that was the name
went by. There were so many OF
them | did not remember"
Then Miss Pollard had asked what
had become of the child. Had been
told that it died the next July, and had
then gone into Mysteries.
Miss Pollard had remembered the
death of girl while there, but had for
gotten the death of a sister who died
in room nearby. The sister had said
that Miss Pollard had never been there,
and did not seem to know much about
the house. Miss Pollard had spoken of
giving the volumes of Washington Irv-
ing to the convent; the sister had said
she thought the books were given by a
girl who had been there, and who
thought she had not compensated them
sufficiently for her board. They found
them in the library. Miss Pollard re.
membered having left Christmas card
from q man named Davis in one of the
books, which she found. From ques-
tions propounded by the attorneys for
the defendant at that time, it seemed
that they had tried to throw suspicion
upon Attorney Carlisle of having slip
ped the card into the book. The sister
had said that the card had not the APP
pearance of having been in book nine
wears, but looked as though it had been
rolled up. Miss Pollard had said, when
the sister suggested compromise, that
Mr.. Breckenridge had no money, and
that she was suing to disgrace him.
The said sister said that Mr.. Breckin-
ridge would still be Mr.. Breckenridge
after the trial that his friends would
still receive him, while the woman
would be ruined. Attorney Johnson
had said: "But he will not be called
upon to address young ladies seminaries
and open prayer-meetings," to which
the sister had replied that she pre-
sumed there were others at prayer
meetings as bad as Mr.. Breckenridge
was accused of being.
Miss Pollard remembered having
spoken to the priest at the convent, and
that he was deaf. The sister superior
had reproved her for speaking to him.
The sister denied that Mrs. DR.. Street
was ever called there to see patient.
Mr.. Carlisle had brought letter OF
introduction to the sister from Archbish-
op Elder, who wrote that he had
been recommended to him by Bishop
Keane, of Washington.
Attorney Overmeyer, of Cincinnati,
had called at the convent, looking for
the evidence in the case of Miss Pol
lard but had said that he must send
some startling messageto Miss Pollard's
attorneys that he had been able to
find no trace of her. A servant, named
Eliza, had not been able to recollect
Miss Pollard at first, but afterward,
when the sister cautioned her to be
careful, acted as though she might re-
member her.
Sister Agnes had said to Miss Pol
lard "What bad girl you have been,
to 90 with a man who had wife, j" to
which Miss Pollard had replied, II have
been bad girl, but better woman"
No inquiries had been made by Miss
Pollard, so far as the sister knew, about
the child she claimed to have given
birth to there. AS the sister remem-
bered, Miss Burgoyne had been shorter
than Miss Pollard, and lighter; had
seemed very fond of reading, and spent
most of her time in the library. Miss
Burgoyne was from an Ohio town, and
had been attended by DIR. De Courcey.
The girl who gave the books had
said when she was there that there was
enough money wrapped up with them
to pay for her burial if she died, so
that no one would ever know who she
was.
The cross examination of this sister
was read by Mr.. Carlisle, the sister say
ing that the writing on the card looked
like fresh writing, as though it had
been written about four weeks before.
There had been an average number of
one hundred girls year in the asylum,
many of them under assumed names.
Sometimes when DR.. De Courcey was
away midwife attended to births.
After the deposition was finished, the
court adjourned.
TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.
Miss Pollard was an early conner to
the Circuit Court this morning. She
seemed in very good spirit but remain
ed only about fifteen minutes, and then
left the court room.
The day opened without indication
of interesting proceedings, for documen-
tary testimony, no matter how sensa-
tional, does not compare in dramatic
oHaot with a1-idenoa on tho stand