Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-22

slender plaintiff on the stand as wit
ness in her own behalf, but the one
of the greatest interest in legal circles
was the confederation Of the rumor of
Col. Breckinridge's secret marriage to
Mrs. Louise Wing in New York last
April three months before the public
ceremony.
When Col. Breckenridge was shown
the dispatch from New York he refused
to admit or contradict it. His counsel
and law partner, Col. Shelby, however,
confirmed the report as did Attorney
Stoll. The latter said:
ut would not be proper to forecast
our case at this stage, but l will say
that Col. Breckenridge is to take the
stand very soon, and it will all be
made known. Until then neither Col.
Breckenridge nor his counsel would be
wise to discuss the defense"
In giving her testimony Miss Pollard
was decidedly nervous at first, but not
withstanding the strain under which
she labOred she was remarkably self
possessed and careful in her choice of
words. She looked directly towards
Col. Breckenridge, seldom lifting her
eyes from his face.
Her language and manner were those
Of a well-bred lady, and her answers
to the cross-examination of Major But
terWorth were often turned back upon
him keenly, making boomerangs of
his questions.
AT the opening of the trial this morn
ing the plaintiff took the witness chair.
She testified that her father was a
saddIer by trade, dying in 1876, when
she was 10 years old. He left no
estate.
Then the testimony jumped to her
life in Washington, emitting the earlier
stages of her acquaintance with the
defendant He endorsed all her papers
for a position in the civil service bu-
reau. In the last days Of August, 1882,
he met her at the Baltimore & Ohio de-
pot in Washington, put his arms
around her, kissed her. took her to the
carriage, told her he had determined
to marry her, and she promise to
marry him.
Mr.. Breckenridge said he had married
his second wife fourteen months after
the death of the first, and year after
the death of the second he would marry
the plaintiff. She wanted him to wait
two years and proposed to go ito
Europe with Miss Willard on her
school trip for young ladies. He was
strenuously opposed to being left
alone, saying such a desertion would
be selfish, and she gave it up.
A letter from Miss Catherine Willard,
dated Gray Gables, Buzzard's Bay,
Mass. in October, 1892 referring to the
proposed European trip, was read.
Witness detailed at length the con-
slant attention paid her by Breckin-
ridge, saying he visited her daily,
sometimes twice a day, and often in
the evening; how he paid her expenses
on a visit to New York, and how she
accompanied him on a lecturing tour to
New England.
In 1884" said Miss Pollard, Il was
summoned from school in Cincinnati
to go to Frankfort, where my sister
was very i'll. Mr.. Rhodes put me on
the car. A gentleman was in the car,
and coming over to me, he said:
Your face is familiar; don't I know
you? I said: No, but know who you
are. You're Col. Breckinridge.' He
sat ON the other side of the aisle and
asked me if he might come to see me.
] said my aunt and my mother would
be very glad to see him at Frankfort.
That was all that was said" Then
came the story of her relations to
James c. Rhodes, who undertook to
educate her if she would marry him J;
of her sending for Breckenridge for
counsel as attorney; of the means
which he took to be alone with her
without chance Of interruption; of
their subsequent intimacy; of the
birth of her children in 1885 and 1888.
She produced letters and kilograms
from him containing words of endear-
ment, and closed her testimony by de-
daring that never since she knew him
had she been intimate with any other
man.
The work basket which was identi-
fed by the sister OF Col Breckinridge's
late wife as that lady's property was
next produced and Of it Miss Pollard
said:
"Col Breckenridge brought that to
me as he was leaving Washington in
the spring of 1898, saying, I want you
to have this, Madeline 1t was Lizzie's
and she thought great deal Of it "
What was your condition in the
spring of 1882" Carlisle asked. After
long hesitation the plaintiff replied
II was pregnant"
What was the result of your
pregnancy"
Family, "Miscarria ge.'
did Col. Breckenridge ever admit to
anyone in your presence that he was
responsible for your condition?
'"Twice to Major Moore and to DIR
Lincoln
In January, 1884, Miss Pollard was
engaged to Resell, and when asked il
Rhodes was paying her board at that
time she replied:
II don't like to phrase it that way
He was loaning me money for my
schooling"
How long did that enga cement
laStY
Until the following December. Mr.
Breckenridge remembered it very we'll
He was concealed in the sitting room
and heard me break the enga cement
/ never concealed a thing from Mr.
Rrec<inridpe during those Years aDC