The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-17
The Plaintiff Testimony in the Suit
Against Breekinridge.
SHE WAS ON THE STAND AT BOTH
SESSIONS YESTERDAY.

breckenridge on Moral Subjects
sharp Answers on Cross Examination
which Amused the Court-Co1. Breck-
inridge Secretly M arried in April.
Washington, March 16.-Madeline Pol
lard, ,attired in the same neat fitting blue
gown and the little chip bonnet that she
has worn every day at the trial of her
suit against Col. W. G. F. Breckenridge,
was an early conner TO the Criminal
court room this morning. When Judge
Wilson, the principal attorney for the
plaintiff, entered, Miss Pollard gave him
a smile and then cast her eys down,
resuming her habitual look of detection.
When Col Breckenridge entered Miss Pol
lard looked up, but apparently did not
see him.
There was a whispered consultation
for minute between Mr.. Carlisle and
the court room that Miss Pollard would
be placed on the stand as the first wit
ness, Then Judge Wilson and Mr.. Carlisle
| held, confidential talk, during which
| they examined a number of letters, and
| There was wait of twenty minutes, and
| then Miss Pollard, at word from Judge
| Wilson, rose from her seat and made her
way to the witness stand.
"Silence,n said the crier as a buzz of
excitement went up. Miss Ellis took her
| seat next Miss Pollard, who gave her
1 name in a firm manner and answered to
| Mr.. Carlisle's questions in steady
| voice that sometimes became almost too
loud. Mr.. Carlisle's preliminary ques-
| tions were about Miss Pollard's parent
| age. Her father was a saddler; when he
| died in 1886, all the Odd Fellows and
| Masonic lodges in Kentucky sent dele
| gates to Frankfort to attend the funeral.
| She told of spending time with ner
Pittsburg aunt after her fathers death,
and of going to school in Cincinnati.
! Said Miss Pollard: "In 1884 l was
| summoned from school in Cincinnati to
| go to Frankfort, where my sister was
| very ILL., Mr.. Rodes put me on the car.
| A gentleman was in the car, and coming
| don't / know you?' l sald NO. but
| know who you are. You are Col. Breck-
| inridge. He sat down on the other side
1 of the aisle and asked me if he might
come to see me. / said my aunt and my
4 mother would be very glad to see him
at Frankfort. That was all that was
/ said.n
I Questions by Mr.. Carlisle brought out
the history of Miss Pollard's engagement
| To Mr.. Rodes, She had met him and he
asked her to marry him. She said she did
not want to marry then; she wanted to
/ get an education first. He said it she
would marry him he would pay for her
| education.
Miss Pollard did not answer that she
| would marry him, but, TO use her own
words, Il told him that if be would pay
| for nv education | would either marry
| him or pay him back with interest. He
agreed. and a paper containing the agree
| ment was drawn up and signed In the
presence of my mother" Miss Pollard
81 said that she did not keep the letters
| written her by Rodes; she always de-
| stroyed his letters. Col. Breckenridge and
| Mr.. StoIl exchanged knowing smiles at
| this answer. "In one of these letters
| Mr.. Rodes said he could compel me to
| marry him or pay him back. l could
| not pay him back, and did not want to
| marry him. I did not know a man,
| woman or child to whom I could turn
| for advice until thought OF Col. Breck-
| inridge. I wrote him asking it Mr..
| Rodes could compel me to marry him.
| The Visit to Lexington,
following the appeal to Mr.. Brecken-
ridge. was then described by Miss Pol
lard. who told of Mr.. Breckenridge
| trip to Cincinnati and the subsequent
events substantially as already related
| during the trial.
Continuing Miss Pollard said that Mr..
Breckinridge suggested that she leave
| Cincinnati and go to Sayre institute.
| She told of going to see the female ply
| sician DR.. Mary Street in Cincinnati in
| 1885 at the direction Of Mr.. Breckenridge
| to make arrangements for the birth OF
her first child. She gave the name of
Mrs .Burgoyne. She took lodgings over
a mattress factory and stayed about a
month. Then after moving further up the
| street and remaining there for while,
| she went to St. Joseph's, Norwood, where
she registered as Mrs. Burgwynn. Her
baby was born May 80, 1885. Two weeks
| later she went to the house of Drs. Perry
| and Buchanan to recuperate. Miss
| Pollard identified four volumes of Wash
| ington Irving as having been given to
| her by Mr. Rodes on Christmas, 1884. She
| gave them to Sister Cecilia at the fuond-
| ling asylum. Miss Pollard told her
1 story with infinite detail as if she had
/ rehearsed it time and time again. She
looked Col. .Breckinridge squarely in the