The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-30
EACH A SLAVE TO PASSION.
Breckenridge Takes The Stand and
Offers Only One Excuse.

ToWn Read in Behalf OF the Defend-
-Breokinridge's Story Discon-
tinued Until To-Day After His 40
count of the Carriage Ride With the
Plaintiff.
Washington, March 29-Col. w. c. p.
Breckenridge faced Madeline Pollard, his
accuser, in the circuit court of the dis
trict to-day, and told part of his version
of their intercourse.
The morning session of the court was
passed in the reading of dispositions by
the defense, and in hearing the testimony
of two witnesses who were introduced by
the plaintiff to impeach the evidence Of
Brant and Kaufman, the frequenters Of
houses of ill-fame in Lexington, who
said they had known Miss Pollard as an
inmate of ono of them.
Col Breckiuridge, when called to the
stand, spoke easily, softly, earnestly,
with just a touch of that musical ring in
his voice, which has helped give him the
reputationof q spell binder He told his
story without attempt at dramatic finish.
When he entered the box he was cool and
calm, but this demeanor changed to ner-
vousness, when he was asked TO tell the
beginning of the illicit relations between
the plaintiff and himself He had only
finished his story Of the carriage ride on
the night of the day he first called on
Miss Pollard at Wesleyan college in Gin
cinnati, when the court adjourned for the
day.
MADE NO EXCUSES.
Col. Breckenridge made no excuses for
himself in telling the story of how he and
Madeline Pollard began their guilty rela-
tions. II was a man with passion, she
was woman with passion" was all he
said that could be construed as extenua-
tion Of himself
During the recital, Miss Pollard moved
uneasily in her chair with plain manifest
ations of an intention TO break in upon
the story. Calderon Carlisle, her attor-
ney, who sat beside hor managed with
diuiculty to keep the enraged woman
quiet
The event of the day closed at point
where the defendant testified that at the
end of the rido he enclosed $40 bill in an
envelope and handed it to the plaintiff,
who at first refused, but eventually ac-
cepted it.
LENA s1NGLEToN's RESIDENCE.
BY agreement between counsel two wit
nesses for the plaintiff were heard to-day
out OF their regular order, because they
wished to return home, having been here
a week.
The first of these was John E. Benck-
hart, of Lexington, Ky. John Brant,
whose deposition was read yesterday,
deposed that he met Madeline Pollard
frequently at the house of Lena Single
ton on Third street, few doors south of
Upper street.
Benckhart was placed on the stand to
show that Lena Singleton had never
lived at the place described by Brant.
Benckhart said he had never seen or
heard Of Lena Singleton, and was posi-
tive she occupied no house near tn ird
and Upper streets. Benckhart's brot her
was In business on the corner of Third
and Upper streets and the witness was
familiar with the neighborhood.
Stephen Dunn, a colored man residing
on North Upper street, near Third and
Lexington, corro0orated Benckhart's tes-
timony with reference to the occupants
of houses in his ighborhood during and
since the time Brant and Kaufman To-
Gated Lena Singleton's house of i'll fame
there, where they claimed TO have seen
Madeline Pollard. If Lena Singleton had
occupied an assignation house in his
neighborhood he would have known il.
On cross examination, Dunn said he had
never heard of Lena Singleton.
WOMAN or THE TOWN.
Stephen Dunn's testimony was fol-
lowed By the reading of the deposition of
Mrs. Mollie Miller, nee ShingleDaeur, of
Memphis, Tenn, who said she came to
Lexington to testify at the request OF
Col. Breckenridge Mrs. Miller said she
knew Miss Pollard. She also knew Miss
Polard's aunt, Mrs. Stout, with whom
she lived at the Capitol hotel in Frank
fort, and afterwards in Bridgeport, KY.
This was in 1877 and 1873, and she had
met Miss Pollard just before Christmas,
1877, at Mrs. Stout's Miss Pollard then
appeared to be about l6 or II years old in
1877. This would make Miss Pol
lard about 33 years old now.
Mrs. Miller said she knew Lena Single
ton, and had once stayed at her aSsigna-
tion house in Lexington for about ten
days. This was i'll 1880 She knew
James G. Rhodes, meeting him at tho
house of Lena Singleton, who was sup
posed TO be his mistress. Brant and
kaufman, whose depositions were read
yesterday, that they met Madeline Pol
lard at Lena Singleton's in 1888 On
crOss-eXamination, Mrs. Miller admitted
that she was public prostitute, and had
lived as such in Lexington, Chicago and
Memphis.
CROWD IN THE COURT.
The court room filed rapidly after the
recess for the word had gone round that
Col. Breckinridso would probably take
JlG Witness SIdDQ DClOfG o CLOCK. Inc
applications for admission were many,
and it was noticeable that old men were
in the majority. When the court con-
vened every seat inside the bar was filled
with lawyers and outsiders who had the
necessary pull, and the few seats in the
spectators space were occupied.
BRECKINRIDGE TAKES THE STAND.
Nothing Of interest occurred in the pro-
ceedings until Col. Breczinridge took the
stand. To Mai. Butterworth ne said he
was born in Baltimore 50 yelis ago,
moved to Kentucky and obtained dip
Iona from the Danville, Ky, university.
He was married, he said, on st. Patricks
day. March II, 1888, and his first wife
died in April, 1860, just after
the birth of her cnild. he
said he entered the confederate service
under provisional order by Gen. John II.
Morgan, authorizing him TO raise COM
pany IN Georgetown. Ky, and he passed
through the various grades until he be-
came colonel of the Ninth Kentucky
cavalry. The defendant said he was
married a second time to Miss Desha, in
Lexington, on Sept. 10, 1861 the marriage
being hastened so that Col. Breckenridge
could 90 into the war. He had four liv-
ing children, two of whom were in at
tendance.
MISS POLLARD ENTERS.
Col. Breckenridge had Just begun to tell
oh rrrh Ia