Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-26
POLAR DIR ECKINRlDGE TRIAL.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 26.-When the
Pollard Breckenridge trial began this
morning interest centered il the de-
cision of Judge Bradley with reference
to the admission of certain dispositions
taken in Ohio and Kentucky in behalf
OF Col. Breckenridge to which objection
was made Miss Pollard's attorneys. Ar
guments on the legal points was heard
on Saturday. Judge Bradley this morn
ing rendered his decision. He cited
atatutes to show that circuit and dis
trict courts Of the United States had
the power to authorize dispositions to
be taken de 5ene eSse. The right of an
individual TO take dispositions was a
right which he might exercise or not at
his will and with which the court had
nothing to do, but when dispositions
were presented to the court, it became
the duty Of the court to determine
whether it was right to permit them to
be read. This was slight victory for
| Miss Poliard's attorneys, who contend
ed that the dispositions had been taken
de bene esse or subject to consideration
| BY the court as TO admissiblity Judge
Bradley then took up the specific OBJ
iections made to parts OF testimony
contained in the dispositions. The
first OF these Objectionable dispositions
was that man named Brand, who re-
fused to answer whether he and Miss
Pollard had maintained improper rela-
tons. very odd refusal, so Judge
Bradley said, in view of the fact that he
had admitted that though married
man, he frequented houses OF prostitu-
ton. What objection the deponeut
could have to answering the question
! the Judge could not see.
4 deposition of one Kaufman was
admitted, but Judge Bradley said if he
could have suppressed the dispositions
of Brand, Coffin and one Hawkins on
the ground that they were too filthy to
be read he would have done so, but I'M
fortunately he could not overlook their
legal rights.
The deposition of John O'Toole was
oyerruled because it was based or hear
say, and so also were those Of DR.. Green
and DR.. Lewis
The dispositions Of Mrs. Miller and
". W. Resell were not overruled, but
were admitted subject to objections to
specific questions when they were read.
After rendering his decision, Judge
Bradley spoke in reference to the press
reports of the trial. and suggested that
newspaper men refrain as far as posi-
bic from printing the more disgusting
details which would necessarily be
brought out.
Mr.. Carlisle took exception to the
ruling of Judge Bradley with reference
TO the dispositions that were not over
ruled. The decision caused long
wait while Col. Breckinrdge's attor-
ney's went over the dispositions admit
ted, making changes in some Of them
to conform to the decision of Judge
Bradley. The first deposition read wa
that of Joseph c. Bailey, Of Versailles
Ky, who is clerk Of the Woodford
county court, vino produced his records
to show that w c. P. Breckenridge was
attorney in a case on trial in that court
at the time Miss Pollard alleges the
Colonel met her at an designation house
in Lexington. The dispositions Of E.
u. Wallace, lawyer, and of Rodney
Hagan showed that Col. Breckenridge
was elsewhere at times when Miss Pol
lard says he was with her. A number
Of other dispositions were read to the
same purport.
Sister Marie Hyacinth's deposition
was read next. Sister Hyacinth said
she had no recollection of Miss Pollard,
but books of the convent at Reading,
O., produced showed "Mat Pollard
entered in September, 1888, and left
latter Christmas" There was nothing
important in this deposition.
Sister Agnes, the mother superior Of
the convent, deposed that she did not
know Miss Pollard or of her record at
the convent
The deposition of VIM. G. Wood, o
carpenter of Lexington, was read next.
He had met Madeline Pollard, he said,
at the house of Mrs. Kean at Snick-
away, near Lexington, about May, 1852.
and within a couple Of months he and
Miss Pollard became engaged to be
married. The engagement was subse-
gently broken, the deponent refusing to
take her to Europe should he marry
her.