The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-03-28
THE DISPUTED LETTER
Alleged to Have Been Written
by Miss Pollard.
SHE DENIES ITS AUTHORSHIP
The Testimony of Experts--The
Letter Will Be Offered
in Evidence.
SHE DENIES ITS AUTHORSHIP
Associated Press.


Washington, March 27.-The defense
in the Pollard rd-Breckenridge trial took
new tack today and ventured upon
the troubled sea of expert testimony.
Two witnesses well known in Washing
ton, DIR. %. M. Schaffer, deputy coroner
of the District of Columbia. and Ed
win b. Hay, an attorney, who is some
thing of local Chauncey Depew an
peared for the Kentucky congressman
and their statements were directed TO
support the contention that the hand of
Madeline Pollard penned the black-bor-
dered letter written in 1884, which she
has most emphatically denied twice on
the stand. Great stress is laid by the
defense upon the authenticity of this
letter, not because it runs counter to the
testimony Of the plaintiff that Col
Breckenridge first called upon her at
the Wesleyan academy of his own voli-
ton, but because they think that she
has been proven false on one important
detail, and that her whole statement
viii be impeached The signature to the
letter also goes to support the opinion
of the statement of the defense in
minor detail, that Miss Pollard had
adopted at that time the name of
Breckenridge as a middle name. This
letter, which figured in the case and
which the defendant will fight to get
before the jury. is as follows:
Wesleyan College, July 20, 1884.
ITO Dear Col Breckenridge: Your LETT
ter came to me Saturday l am glad
you told me it will be inconvenient to
come out here to college, for If you had
gone to ever such little trouble to lis
ten to what sometimes overburdens a
school girls mind, you might be in
elined to be provoked with yourself. A
preachers opinion of any little affair of
mine would cause premature gray hairs,
where your opinion might clear away
Ill doubts and fear and let me be quite
again. I have prepared
you for divorce case, but listen it is
worse than that. If certain person
should advance funds for my tuition
lere at school for three years, under
promise that marry him at the expira-
ion of that time, could he do anything
I'll he had advanced? know you think,
Why the deception? But on no other
erms will agree. When a girl wants
lothing but good education and the
means to obtain such are denied her,
What is she to do but take the only
hance she is ever likely to have?
liked your face and / am sure / would ;
Ike you, and if at any future time you
re in the city, and would care to come ,
round, remember that home faces are
lways welcome. l am, very respect
ully yours, ,
MADELINE B. POLLARD"
For the first time, today keen cross
by Judge Wilson, whose
york has been awaited with interest by
is fellow-lawyers, was brought into
lay. It was first exercised on Major
foore, chief of police, who was called
ack to dispute some Of Miss Pollard's I
tatements regarding two interviews in I
is Office. during which Col. Brecken-
Idge repeated his promise to marry her 4
nd afterwards Mr.. Wilson stirred up i
UGH cloud OF verbal dust around the r
xpert testimony Of Dr. Schaffer that
ne witness hardly knew whether the
tier purported to have come from the
laintiff or defendant, or the reverse.
bids fair to be the great day t
the trial, when 1t is expected the sill
ar-haired defendant himself viii take !,
lie stand.
THE MICHIGAN AND YORKTOWN. y
Vallejo. March q. 7.-Te,egraphic orders y