Connecticut western news., 1894-04-19
MISS POLLARD WINS.
VERDICT AGAINST BRECklNRlDGE IN
 THE SENSATIONAL SUIT.

| VERDICT AGAINST BRECKENRIDGE IN
 THE SENSATIONAL SUIT.
 She Is Awarded s15,ooo Damages-MAny
 Offers From Theatrical Managers Refus- ed by Her-she Is Suffering From Nerv- ous Prostration Now.
 WASHINGTON, April l6--The foreman, | Charles R. Cole, of the circuit court jury at 445 o'clock Saturday afternoon announced & verdict for the plaintiff, Madeline Pol lard, for $15, 900 damages from Congress man w. c. P Breckinridge for breaking his contract to marry her, thus ending the long and exciting Breckinridge-P Pollard breach of promise trial. The jury was | nearly unanimous in it's conclusion upon | the merits of the case, only one juror lean- | ing toward the defendant Ninety min utes were consumed in coming to an agree ment upon the amount of damages to be | awarded, and 15 ballots were taken in this time, each ballot bringing the jurors near l CT an amount to which all would agree. The first ballot taken was upon the mer- its of the case, leaving out of consideration the question of the amount of damages. It | resulted in II votes for a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and one vote for the defend nb. I was figuratively cornered by his col leagues and for some time was argued at. | In speaking of this discussion afterward, Foreman Cole said that the jurymen dis played fully as great familiarity with the points of the testimony as had been evidenced by the lawyers in their argu- ments. They laid the case fully before the | obdurate juryman, called for the grounds | on which he based his belief and were | finally able to overcome him by sheer force of logic.
 The next question to be settled was the | figure at which the damages should be | rated, and upon this matter there was the widest possible difference. Two or three | jurors thought the full amount sued for, | $50, 900, should be awarded. Foreman Cole said that verdict for s1 would vhdicate Miss Pollard and punish Mir Breckinridge | sufficiently, and he thought 1t was unneces- | sary to impose any great financial punish ment upon him.
 Fixing the Damages Discussion of this matter followed until the usual course was adopted, each juror | writing the amount he considered just | upon a slip of paper and a balance being | struck. The amounts ranged from S1 to $50, 900, and S15,000 was the average. Eff teen ballots were taken before the final re- | suit was reached. After finishing their business and scaling the verdict the jurors agreed not to divulge the secrets of the | juryroom. Consequently they were not at liberty to reveal the identity of Colonel Brecknridge,s solitary friend
 Almost at the moment the jurors enter ed from the outer door at the judges left was thrust the silvery head of Congress- man Breckinridge, surveying the room for an instant before he entered. Following | him came his son, Desha Breckinridge Colonel Phil Thompson and Attorney w. A. Mckenzie, the partner of Colonel Enoch Totten, originally the counsel in the case, who has played g silent part in the suit. Colonel Breckinridge took his usual chair, with Colonel Thompson and his son at either side.
 The clerk called the roll of the jury and then grumbled loudly an interrogatory, which, being interpreted, was, 'Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon your verdicts"
 The Verdict Announced We have" responded Foreman Cole, rising and thrlsting out his cherished blue envelope. We find for the plaintiff" :" An inarticulate murmur started, which | the bailiffs quickly hushed. It was merely | mixture of vocal sound and crowding
  except surprise.
 | Finally the judge asked, "For how muchs'
 Fifteen thousand dollars" announced the foreman of the jury.
 Another rustic like the first arose. but was speedily quenched. One man near a window shouted to the crowd outside, Fifteen thousand dollars for the plain tiff" but he was not reprimanded.
 Colonel Breckinridge rose slowly to his feet, and all eyes were turned upon him. | All those who saw his face say it was near | ly white as his beard, but his voice was clear as usual when he spoke in a hesitat- ing way. saying, "I do not know the prac- l tice of this court, but I wish to give the usual notice of a motion for new trial !" | He dropped into seat beside his son hard | ly less pale than himself.
 | Judge Bradley thanked the jurors in the stereotyped formula for their attention and services in the case. The clerk yelled like the warwhoop of an Indian above the rush of the crowd for the door, Gentle men of the jury, step into the marshaps office and draw your fees"
 Nobody waited to hear the formal ad. | journment. The jurors filed out. Colonel | Breckinridge pulled his slouch hat over his eyes and followed after them, with his son in his wake, elbowing their way across the hall to the marshaps office. The jurors were just ahead of him in the outer office, and he pressed through them to the green
 baise door before the private office. There was no handshaking in congratulation of l sympathy between the colonel and any | one else.
 Miss Pollard Hears It. Where was Madeline Pollard, That | question was heard on every hand. Made | line Pollard had been peering across from a window in the tall building opposite, | pressing her face against pane most of the afternoon. She was exceedingly nerv- ous, but not at all hysterical, her counsel said afterward. When the messenger broke into the room with the news of the verdict, she burst into tears, womanlike, exclaiming, "Oh, isn't it goodl Isn't it goodp' Attorney Carlisle's outer office was soon filled with newspaper men, but the plaintiffs representatives said that she did not care to say anything, as she was in a most nervous state.
 Moreover Mir. Wilson added, 'it is
 her desire to efface herself from the public eye entirely after this trial Naturally we are greatly pleased with the verdict. That is about all we can say, guess. Our cause | was just, and our hearts were in it." Aft | erward, in conversation, he remarked that his sympathies were all with the present
 wife of Colonel Breckinridge. and said that
 he and MT. Carlisle had avoided references
 to her in the case as much as possible.
 Judge Wilson and Mir. Carlisle stepped
 into the inner office to shake hands with
 their client before theS>left and as she
 was seen through the open door she was
 smiling, as she had not been seen to smile
 since the beginning of the trial. She shook
 hands with her attorneys and thanked
 them in profuse terms for their work. The
 sidewalk in front of the office was block
 aded with friends of the attorneys waiting
 to congratulate them as they stepped in
 their carriage.
 I WASHINGTON, April l6.-Miss Madeline