The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-30
BRECKENRIDGE ON THE STAND
The Defendant Begins His Version Of His
Liai;On With Miss Pollard.
HOW She TEMPTED; HOW He FELL.
Reading of Several Dispositions Precedes
the Defendants iestimony-A Fight
over the Repudiated Letter.

| Onel W. &. j. Bftch-'-' 'N' -i"u'HiS
Pollard. his accuser in the Circuit Court
Of the District Of columbia to-day and
told mart ~ his version Of their inter-
course The mornlns session OF the court
was usssed in readIns depositlons by the
defence and hearing the testimony Of
two Witnesses. who were introduced by
the niain,ia 10 inn ach the evidence Of
prsrf and Kaufnai the frequenters Of
bo,sos or m-fame IN Lexington, who
said they had known MISS roiia'u AZ an
49, ,,,,-,-roon fled rapidly after re-
,o.. eor "a. word had gone around that
c,f',,-t r,r0oi,inriles would probably take
.,'. - hefore clock. Applications
for adnission were many, ana IL was
noticeable that OLD nen were III 'he III"
ioritv. When court convened every sea.
inside the bar was llied win lawyers
and outsiders who nad the necessary
pull" and the feN '1'ss J." '"e 'PSN'"
tors space were oceIiieu'
nr.cs,n,ide-'- estimony.
Nothing Of interest occurred III pro-
ccedines until Colonel bIeeAiii''us ''oA
the stand. 49,. ,,.,,at nra-
,i,,ina,, o,,estions. nat he was the de-
fendant in this case, ne NaS "Oln "e.'
psiti,,ore August E, 1851; he went TO
trerf,,cl,,, win mis- father Robert }.
proclinridqe i'm 1855. and had resided IN
T.evinrton since lsN. lie was prepared
for college I'm Lexins.on. and graduated
from Danville. Ky. IN lS5, when ne was
eighteen wears ola he began then the
study Of law.
lie took his degree from the law de-
nartment of Louisville University In 1871.
He entered the bar that year. and had
practiced law ever since. Re studied law
I'm the Office OF Major Madison 6. john
son. Of Lexington Under the law Of
Kentucky he was not entitled to license
until he was twenty-One years old, but
n diploma from the law department OF
the Louisville University was equivalent
TO d license, 50 he took that course.
Ihe Fir-I NariaGr.
He was married March II, 1859, and his
wife died i'm the following year. He en-
tered the Confederate service. and rose
through different grades until he was
Colonel Of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry.
lie was married the second time Septem-
her 10. 1861. RE was married with the
idea that he was going Immediately into
service but the Federal troops occupied
the city that night and he did not 30
into the service for several months. when
he eluded the sentries and Joined Morgan.
He had had five children. by his second
marriage, of whom four were living. AZ
ter the war he returned 20 the practice
of law. He took up the course OF the
Harvard Law School AZ his own home,
and resumed the practice Of law in No
vemhcF, 1855. He bean' irs; In partner
ship with Judge Benjamin r. Buckner
In 1875 he formed a partnership with Mr.
Shelby. Last June they took his son
Desha into their partnership lie had
served a number OF years as a member
Of the school board Of Lexington, and also
as a member Of the Council.
Colonel Breckenridge had just begun to
tell about when his law career commenced
when Miss Pollard. who had been sent
for. entered with Miss Ellis. of the House
Of Mercy. Colonel breckenridge did not
allow the plaintiffs entrance to inter
rupt him.
lie was elected 10 the Forty-ninth Con-
eress from the Lexington district. and
had served IN Congress continuously ever
since. He had been a professor I'm the
law department of the Kentucky Uni
versity a member Of the board OF direc-
tors. and connected with that institution
In other ways.
when and wherc,' asked Mr.. Butter
worth, did you first meet the plaintiff2'
When lie First Net Mis- Pol ard.
IN the spring Of 1884. Mr.. Breckenridge
said. He would say IN the latter part OF
April-he met her on the train going
from Lexington to Franklin.
10 was cool m0Ining. 50 cool that he
had with him "a light overcoat which he
had left on his seat For some reason
Doe had gone forward and as he returned
10 his seat the plaintiff addressed him.
He said he did not know her. but
az his time Of life young people grew
up Out Of their recollection. She said.
81 know YOU" and then said her name
was Madeline Brecknndge Pollard"
that her father was @ great admirer OF
John O. Breckinridge and had named her
after him. !
They had some further conver ersation, in
which she said her father was dead. and
she was going TO Frankfort to see her SIS
ter. who was dying with consumption.
When they neared Frankfort he left her,
ana dd not see where she went.
when did you next hear from Made
line Polard?' asked Mr. Butiorworth.
II cannot fix the date said Mr.. Breck
inridse. but some weeks after l re-
ceived letter from her.
The defendant said he had been unable
10 find the letter. He could state sub
stantially that II contained a request for
him 10 cor9e TO see her on matter Of
business al the Wesleyan College Wit
ness, ia reply, said substantially that ii
would Dee inconvenieni for him TO come
TO see her. and suggested that il she
would state her business he would be
glad 90 advise her
state whether you received another
letter from the plaintlng'
i did, said Mr. Breckinridge.
The X pudistsd Letter.
Was # this one?' said MAJOR Butter
worth, handing the defendant the al
iesed forged note. dated July -. 1854.
Judge Wilson Immediately objected to
having this writing placed in evidence.
and Major Butterworth passed 1t over for
the time being.
Colonel Breckinridge said the next time
he saw Miss Pollard was at the Wes
leyan University. i'm Cincinnati. He had
gone TO Covington on law business, and |
remembered this letter while there. so |
ne went across the river TO see the |
writer
lie sent up his card. and Miss Pollard |
came down almost at once and said Il |
suppose YOU were surprised 10 receive |
such letter from school girly'
said laughineiy,' said the witness, !
that | supposed she had somewhat exag-
sefated things when she thought the mat |
ter was worse than a divorce case
tThis Is a quotation, from the alleged |
forged letter.
Major Butterworth then made an ap- |
peal to the Judge TO admit the dubious |