Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-20
M lSS POLLARD,S SUIT
Taking Testimony of Sensational Kind
in Kentucky.
A Physician Tells q Startling Story
RaktnE Up the Past-Nrs. Black
burns Deposition.

VA TIC statements MADE may never be ad-
mitted as evidence in court Testimony
gathered by the defense in Kentucky and
elsewhere is intended evidently to prove
that Miss Pollard's character was bad and
had been for long time. Dispatches from
Danville. KY, give the substance of a SEN
| sational statement made in a deposition
taken there yesterday by DIR. T. NJ. Lewis
an old physician. This deposition brings
into the case the name of the late Col A
| NJ. Swope and, if 1t is established as a
! 1act that the Miss Pollard he refers to is
| the one suing Mr.. Breckenridge, would re-
neVe ar Breckinridge of the charge that
| ne was the father of the child born in 1885.
DIR. Lewis Deposition.
= special dispatch to The Star from DAN
Vile. says: Yesterday the Breckenridge
Pollard lawyers developed one of the most
startling chapters in the whole affair. This
| consisted in dragging into the scandal the
| name OF the late Col A. NJ. Swope, collec-
| tor of internal revenue in the Lexington
district under Presidents Hayes. GARFIELD
and Arthur.
the famous encounter between him and
VIM. Cassius Goodioe in the Lexington
post of1ice. which also resulted in the death
| OF Goodloe. makes his name still fresh in
| the minds of the reading public of the Init
| ed States, and the prominent connection
which he is now given with the scandal
adds ten-fold to the sensational details Of
| the affair
Lewis, an old and well-known physician.
The Doctors statement was substantially
as follows: Early in February. 1885. /
received a letter from Col. A. NJ. Swope,
then collector Of internal revenue, with
headquarters at Lexington, in which he
stated that he desired to meet me at Dan
Vile on certain date, which / do lot
now remember. on important business.
an 20 ~,
after the receipt of the letter / met Col
Swope on Main street in this CITY, After
few informal words we got 20 business
Col. Swope told me he had become seriously
compromised in his relations with a young
lady by the name of Pollard, who used to
live at Crab Orchard. He then went on to
say that she was in a delicate condition;
that ne was responsible for her predica-
ment, and that he thought, with my aid
everything could be Strengthened out sat
tsfactorfly and no one ever BE- the wiser
He ended up by asking me so arrange for
q meeting with the young lady and PRO
duce an abortion. / at once refused to
accept such a proposition and endeavored
to impress him with the criminality of
such an act. He appeared to appreciate
the solemnity Of the situation and said
that he had not given It the thought which
1t demanded. and that I was right. and he
was sorry that such an idea had even
entered his mind
Mr.. Swope seemed to be IN grea. distress
over the turn affairs had taken and arous-
ed my sympathies to high degree
We parted, and I never saw him again
until the autumn of the same year, when
1 met him at his fathers place in Lincoln
county. Being interested in the outcome
OF his misfortune, l approa chad him about
the matter. and ne told me that the child
had peen porn and now had "A good home"
Mrs. Blackburn's Statement,
AS an offset. perhaps. to the dispositions
taken by the defense and recently publish
-hof
by Mrs Julia c. Black burn, widow of Gov.
Luke Blackburn of Kentucky. has been
given out. The contents of the deposition
said to have been made two weeks ago in
this city by Mrs. Blackburn are given in a
special dispatch from Cincinnati to the New
YORK World today. This dispatch says:
MIS-. biackpurn said that Col. Breckin-
as ne explained. by consciousness Of the
good influences that would accrue from the
association OF Miss Pollard with such lady
as Mrs. Blackburn. Subsequently he ay
pressed his admiration for Miss Pollard in
way that led Mrs. Blackburn to believe
that he was captfvated by her. He gave
MRS. blackburn such a favorable impress
sion Of Miss Pollard that Mrs Blackb
admitted her TO her circle of friends ana
chaperoned her on public occasions Mrs
BLACKBURN questioned him earnestly re-
sarolng ms intentions to Mrs. Wing, his
present wife. as common report had n that
ne would marry Miss Pollard. and he re-
piied In all apparent sincerity that his in
tention was to marry Miss Pollard, whom
he loved devotedly.
When Col Breckenridge began hurting
questions at the witness she turned on
MIN ana declared that she thought he
mad not acted right in the matter. and
that Miss Pollard had been irreparabiv
wronged. Mrs. Blackburn said thar the
intimacy Of the rela tons between the
two was attested by the fact that Miss
Pollard always called him Willie" and
hot
thereat.
The EnEageme
Continuing. Mrs. Blackburn said:
Col. Breckenridge called in to see me
about Miss Pollard and his future re-
lations to her. He said he had told her
that Of course their marriage could not
take place for some time. and then said
to me: L saw that you looked shocked
when I announced my engasement.' j
told him very candidly that was. and
said: This seems to me to be very
poor return for much devotion as Won
received. You have forgotten your wife
so soon. He then said: Mrs Black
burn. l am going to tell you something
which l never expected would pass nv
lips But for your feelings about it /
thipk that It Is due to myself. had
discovered Miss Pollard's feelings toward
me- and, being a man Of honor. there was
nothing left for me to do There is no
other way for me- My remark to him
tHeu WIZ. you take very
high view of the case. 1 do not think
that all gentlemen would do So He spoke
about it not being possible for his mar
rage to take place immedia tely, because
II would outrage his children's feelings
Il said upon one or two occasions:
Mr.. Breckenridge, 1 told Miss Pollard that
IT she is engaged to you you could not
hurt 'her worse than by your constant Wis
its: that they would give rise to scandal. i
tell you. moreover, that If you allow your
conduct to compromise Miss Pollard she
cannot receive any care or Kindness from
me-"
Did ne say anything else in regard to
Miss Pollards accomplishments on that
OCCASION
Eyes. he said she was one of the most
magnetic and agreeable women he had
ever known"
DO you recall when you next saw the
defendant, If at all, when this same sub
tect was renewed
Yes, but do not recall the exact time
wrote to Col. Breckenridge and requested
an interview with him. 1 told him that he
had not fulfilled his promise"
Lived in a Convent.
Ibid he tell you where Miss Pollard had
lived when she first came to Washington"
Yes. ne told me that she lived in a con-
vent. 1t was In speaking of how easy it was
for a woman's reputation to be destroyed
here in Washington that the colonel said
that the only thing that had spared her
from scandal of such a character was that