The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-11
T~HoMPsoN's ARGUMENT.
A Kentucky Colonel Attempts to
RIncken Miss PoIInrd's Character.

BIacken Miss POIIard's Character.
When Calderon Carlisle concluded his ar
gument Col. Philip Thompson, Of Kentucky,
arose to speak for the defendant. The Col
oneI started of with the proposition that
his client was not responsible for dragging
this case into court; that it was not the
province Of the jury to punish his client for
immortality. although he asked no leniency
at the bar of public opinion. Who was it.
he asked, who had brought into court this
mass of fifth, spreading it through the news
papers before the daughters of the family?
Il want you to try this woman as a bawd
and a wanton, as she acknowledged her
SELF" declared Mr.. Thompson. DO you
want to encourage every bawd and wanton
in the country to bring their filthy suits
into this court and corrupt the community
He asserted that the suit had been brought
with revenge as it's prompting motive, and
told the jurymen that If they had nEed
with the woman, as Colonel Breckenridge
had. they would not have taken her into
their family, among their daughters, ana
placed her at the head Of their table. Ev-
cry decent man would sustain the Colonel
in his refusal to do that: Beginning with
Madeline Pollard's age, since, he said, she
had claimed to have been led astray by the
Colonel at the age of seventeen, he inquired
|, why her mother and the family Bible had
not been brought forward as the best proof
of her age. Back at the time when she
claimed she was seventeen she had been as
sociated with Mollie Shinglebower, and he
could not understand why so much had
been said about Mollie Shinglebower, who
was as good as the strumpets she had as
ISOLATED with. a good deal had been said
about so many witnesses for the defense
having been in evil resorts, but Colonel
Thompson had no doubt that many a good
fellow had been in such places, and could
tell the truth about what happened there
as well as if it had happened in a meeting
house. If people wanted TO find out what
happened in these places they must go after
the panyla NUhO had HGa1 fhnra
Turning TO the occasion of the mock mar
riage at Squire Tfnsley's, he said that Miss
Pollard had been in a state of debauchery
and drunkenness, but claimed that she was
sick. People generally said that they were
sick under such circumstances Mr.. Thomp-
son had been there himself. he frankly adj
mitted. Julian was a pretty good sort OF
fellow, although he had shot out his eyes
in one Of his drunken sprees. He had not
wanted TO tell what he knew about the
girl, but it had been dragged out of him.
and he had half apologized for her, saying
that she was as good as the other girls in
AS the attorney was proceeding to the dis
cuSsiOn of the subsequent events, he de-
mach money to prosecute this case-ai the
necessary expenses to hire these eminent
counsel-and he promised to show that the
money-getter every step of the way, and
was trying TO get money now. She seemed
always trying to get money and go to
school, had been talking about going to
4 Sc0OOl at BGrIln clear up 10 last Idll. linen
married. nnG hsl T would ha TSsn married. MrRFinS old man Tn5
Rhodes 'if he could have showed up the
Thompso did not believe that her mother
had sold her out TO Rhodes as a Chinaman
SeT a hii w gdri- si nd nad her Pef fo i in5imat ie T Wit6
faith, intending 10 marry her.
REBUKED BY THE COURT.
The counselor had some good words for
Hiram Kaufman and JOHN Brandt, whose
character. he said, had not been impeached.
When Miss Pollard said she did not
write that letter to Breckenridge she had
lied and lost her case. The letter showed
that he had come to the school on her in
~vitation. 1t had been said that this timid
little girl would not approach such a big
man as Breckenridge, but she had told how
she introduced herself in the same way
to Roselle, telling him that she had heard
of him from Nellie Oliver. and asked him
10 take her to the school. Mrs. Brown had
come forward to purify the atmosphere of
the school. and nobody could blame her.
because the plaintiff had left a trail of
impurity behind her wherever she went.
Speaking of the PLAINTIFFS being under con-
tract to Rhodes-'Engaged to one man, and
another mans mistress and bilking another
out OF his money" Colonel Thompson ex-
claimed. And a school girl at that. My
God, II she ever gets out of her short
dresses. what a robber and a plunderer she
will be-
Juu5t DIduiey mere interrupted the speech
with a remonstrance. Now, Mr.. Thomp-
son, please take care not to use such ex-
preSgions as that" he said.
| lawyer inquired.
You said My Cod"
Il beg pardon, that was an inadvertence.'
Colonel Thompson then resumed and dis
cussed the imprObability of the young
woman accompanying Colonel Breckenridge
she claimed the day after a drive, when
he made improper advances and she had
After the noon recess Colonel Thompson
resumed his speech. characterizing Miss
Pollard as 1.-The most skillful adventures
VINO ever made a track through a court
room" He argued from dates that Colonel
Br2ckinridge could not have been the father
Of her first child. To give the plaintiff a
Vefdlct would be 10 convict Mollie Single
bower. John Brandt. Hiram Kaufman and
the defendant of wilful perjury. He re-
ferred to Miss POllard'S statement TO
Claude De La Roche Francis that Colonel
Breckenridge was a loveable and noble man,
and said that the defendant had been the
soul or generosity throughout his dealings
with the woman. Her letters TO Rhodes, he
said, were blind and wooden letters to the
man who had led her astray, and she was
demanding the money OF the poor old man.
She went at Rhodes booted and spurred.
and it was stand and deliver with her. tell
unless he put it up. Were those the de-
mands of a schoolgirl TO a generous old
man who was furnishing money for her
education?
THOMPSON CORRECTED.
Colonel Thompson. continuing, said that
Miss Pollard had deliberately said that she
had brought the suit for revenge. whereup-
on Mr.. Wilson corrected him.
Judge Bradley said: There is no evil
dence to that effect in the case" and Mr..
Butterworth said: IT think she did not
say that"
Co, mel Thompson said he hoped the judge
would correct him if he made any mis-
takes. as he had not tried a case for fifteen
| years and did not pretend TO be up in law.
| He told how Miss Pollard had gone TO the
convent last year. not knowing that her
! child born several years ago was dead.
The frst-born of a person that pretands
to be a human being" he said, after eight
or nine years, when she had never raised
went into Mysteries. Oh, inhuman woman"
he exclaimed. 'Inhuman monster. In order
10 hide Der own conduct she lays IL on this
man. We are appealed 10 by this woman
in stage play by the sacred name of mother,
trying to coin crocodile tears over children
whose deaths she had forgotten, to coin
money out OF the pockets of the man with
whom she had lived in equal disgrace"
Colonel Thompson referred to the life Of
Miss Pollard at Miss Hoyt's, in Lexington,
when she played the innocent schoolgirl to
the landlady. Then he came TO Miss Low
ell. the typewriter at the Capitol, and pro-
duced her memorandum book TO show that
1t only covered from 1885, to 1855, so that II
the transaction had occurred Ii had not
been in 1886. h charges in the book