The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-28
BADFOR THE Oldham
Breckinridge's Witnesses Can't
Stand Cross Examination.
the ALLEGED FORGED LETTER.
Is4ey eAo Aged LssAaTio WIN &c On
sAs osaaA-His Defence WFsssAsA
1hus Has.

WAsHlseroS CrTY. March 1.-THE de-
fsnss in the ard-Breckinrides trial
took new tack today and ventured upon
the troubled So Of expert testimony. Two
witnesses well known in Washington City.
Dr.. Z y. Schaefer. deputy coroner of the
District Of Columbia. and Edwin B. Hay,
IN attorney. Who 10 something Of . local
Chauncey Depew. appeared for the Ken
lucky congressman, and their statements
wers directed 70 support Of the contention
that that the hand of Madeline Pollard
penned the black.bordsred letter written
in 1854. which she has most emphaticaily
denied twice on the witness stand.
Great stress - laid BY the
defense upon the authenticity
OF this letter, not because 1t
runs counter 70 the testimony Of the
plaintiff that Col. Breckenridge first called
upon her ut the Wesleyan academy Of his
own voiitiou. but because they think II
she can Be proven false on one important
detail her whole statement will b i'm
peached. The signature to the letter also
goes TO support the opening statement of
the defense on . minor detail. that Miss
Pollard had adopted at that time the name
Of Breckenridge - . middle name. This
letter. which figures in the case and which
the defendant will file to get before the
jury, is a. follows:
WESLEYAN COLLEGE. July 20. 1854.
ITO Dear Col. Breckenridge: Your letter
came to me SATURDAY. am glad you told
me IL will be inconveniens 70 como out
here 70 the college. for if you had gone to
even such . little trouble to listen TO what
sometimes overburdens . schoolgirls
m nd he 10 h.
voked with yourself. A preachers opin-
ion Of any little affair Of mine would
cause premature gray hairs, where your
opinion might clear away all doubts and
fears and let me be quite free-hearted
again. have prepared you for divorce
case, but listen, IL will be worse than
that II . certain person should ad-
vance funds for my tuition here at
school for three years, under the promise
that l marry him at the end of that time.
could he do anything il | would not marry
him. and refund all he had advanced?
know you think, why the deception? But
on no other terms will l agree. When q
girl wants nothing but good education
and means to obtain such are denied her,
what Is she to do but take the only chance
she Is ever likely to have? l liked your
face and l am sure I would like you, and
II At any future time you are in the city
and would care to come around remember
that home faces are always welcome. l
am very respectfully yours,
MADELINE b. POLLARD"
For the first time today the keen CROSS
examination Of Judge Wilson, whose work
has been awaited with interest by his fel-
low lawyers. was brought into play. 1t
WAS first exercised on Maj. Moore, the
chief Of police. who was called back to
dispute some of Miss Poliard's statements
regarding the two interviews in his Office,
during which Col. Breckenridge repeated
his promise to marry her. and afterward
Mr.. Wilson stirred such cloud Of verbal
dust around the expert testimony Of DIR.
Schaeffer that the spectators hardly knew
whether the letter purported to have come
from the plaintiff to tho defendant or the
reverse.
Tomorrow bids fair to be the great day
of the trial. Unless the cross-examination
IS too long-drawn out, the silver-haired de-
iendant viii mount . rostrum of . kind in
which he has not figured before, and will
begin his version of the long intrigue.
At the opening of the case this morning
Chief of Police Moore was put on the stand
by the defense. He denied that at either
OF the two interviews IN his Office between
Miss Pollard and Breckinridge the latter
said anything about Miss Pollard bearing
two children 10 him or being pregnant.
On Contamination he admitted that a
great deal was said during those inter-
views and il was entirely probable that he
forgot part of it. He also reaffirmed the
statement made by him when . witness
for Miss Pollard rs to Breckinridge's prom
Use In his presence to marry her. The
bearing of the parties was not such as to
lead to a belief that this promise of mar
riage WAS merely q scheme between the
parties not made in good faith.
DIR. 4. NJ. Schaeffer was called as an ex-
pert In handwriting to testify as to letter
introduced in evidence, the authorship of
which Miss Pollard disclaimed. After
comparing il with several other specimens
of her omitted ehirography he expressed
the opinion that all were written by the
same person. He examined the Christ
mas card said TO have been pressed for
nine years I'm a book in Norwood convent.
aud said the ink of the words written on
IL had the appearance of not being over
three or four years old. The defense nut
in an exception to the acceptance of his
testimony. on the ground that he was not
a qualified expert.
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