Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-04-04
POLAR D-BR ECElNRlDGE TRIAL.


Washington, yesterday, Attorney Car
Isle rose to make another statement re-
cardine the letters called in question,
and offered to place the plaintiff, Miss
Pollard, on the stand to prove that they
had been received by Miss Pollard and
DESTROYED. Miss Pollard then took the
stand.
Miss Pollard, did you receive cor
respondence from the defendant in
1856 % Mr.. Carlisle asked.
Yes" was the answer.
"Without telling the contents, give
us general description of them,?"
Before August. 1856, the letters had
been received. Some were begun My
Dear Sister Louise and one My Lit
tie Spitfren-all addressed by type
writer.
"What became OF them? p
"They were all destroyed as soon as
had read them, because he always
asked me-
Then, on cross examination, Miss
Pollard said that she had never received
typewriter letters from any one but
Colonel Breckenridge.
did you on direct examination say
anything about letters beginning Sister
Louise - Mr.. Butterworth asked.
y was not asked directly or indi-
rectly, about the beginning of letters. ;"
Cant you answer my question y
II did not
"How were the letters signed ?"
prompted Colonel Breckenridge.
II remember very we'll how many Of
them were signed They were in lead
pencil. That was the one thing he did
write on them"
Back to the stand came the Colonel,
and, replying to the first question, said /:
There having been no such manu-
script written by me, of course | said
nothing about disparity in ages
Denials equally emphatic were enter
tanned against the questions whether he
had not often spoken of how badly he
wanted to see his dear sister Louise :
that he had cautioned her to destroy
letters, on account of people who might
look into bureau drawers that he had
told her to mail them by a certain
train. so that he would receive them
at the Capitol in the morning that ne
had written her to mail him postal
card, signing it Mary Smith, and re-
questing him to send her copy of a
evil service report or Agricultural De-
partment report.
Did you address her rs Little Spit
fire -
II did not"
Did You frequently protest your al
lection for her in those sister Louise
letters"
GAS there were no such letters, OF
course | did not
The events after Miss Pollard's COM
ing 10 Washington in the fall of 1887
were retraced. The Colonel told how
he met Miss Pollard near the Catholic
institution where she was sheltered,
and had taken her on long drive,
when they had met "as woman in her
condition and man supposing himself
to be author of her condition would
meet he explained; had discussed the
arrangements for her comfort, and
home affairs in general, Miss Pollard
inquring whether anyone in Lexing-
ton suspected her condition. Arrange
ments were then made for sending her
money, which was always accompanied
by note, generally signed "Bge," a
contraction of 'Breckinridge. which
ne used in endorsing his papers.
His relations with Miss Pollard had
been resumed in 1889; he had met her
at three places, one on H street, one on
Fourth street and again with certain
woman the plaintiff was willing to
trust, who had moved several times.
THE plaintiff was solicitous that our
relations should not be known, to
which l cordially assented," he ex-
planned.
"Then, you and the plaintiff were
equally solicitous to conceal your rela-
tons ?''
"Well, l thought at times she rather
preferred to have them known. Some
times the plaintiff would come to the
gallery at the House: would send her
card to me, and I would meet her in
the library or a corridor. If l may say
so without levity, those things seemed
to arrange themselves.
"Did you ever have room in the
northwest section 2"
eve did try that experiment, but OF
all the unsatisfactory experiments, that
was the worst l ever tried. We had
not been there three or four times be-
fore the plaintiff said that it seemed
that every window within three blocks
had eyes when we went in there, and
I was sure that people were standing
on every doorstep in sight every time
I went. am rather a pecnliar-look-
ing man, so people remembered me; so
we gave that up"
While Miss Pollard was stopping at
Gen. Ricketts's their relations had con-
tinued.
Ibid they continue while she was
stopping at % Lafayette Square,
house kept by most excellent lady,
who keeps an excellent house, with a
high class of people 2"
II can endorse all you say Of Mrs.
Meiners, for have boarded there my
self. A most excellent lady"
Now, you have criticized Miss Pol
lard for telling those people false
hood, in saying she had been to dinner
at your house, to explain her absence
with you,n said Mr.. Wilson. "Would
you have wanted her to tell what she
was really doing at those times 2"
The Colonel declared that he had
done everything but marry her to keep
secret their relations. but did condemn
her for having hrnnmht A1rs Mainer in