Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-21
MISS POLLARD'S CLIMAX
She Ends Her Dramatic Life His
tory In Tears.
DESCRIBED THRILLING INCIDENTS.

DESCRIBED THRILLING INCIDENTS.
She Tells of the Time When She Threatened
to Shoot Colonel breckenridge and of the
Time When the Senator Sought Protec-
! tion In Washington
! WASHINGTON. March 2l.-When the shrill
voice of the bailiff cried adjournment i'll
! the bare old circuit court, the yelled face of
| Madeline Pollard was buried in her arms
upon the rough board top of the witness
box behind which she had sat for three
! days. The only sound which had broken
such a silence as seldom falls on a court
room was sobbing that seemed to come
from her Utmost heart.
Three jurors We're fumbling in an uncer-
tain way with their handkerchief, and
the judge was staring toward the ceiling
abstractedly. Even the lawyer whose cross
examination had led up to this passage
wore a look of unwonted gravity on his
fatherly, benevolent face, with something
remarkably like moistu about his eyes.
If there was a man among the curious
hundred in the courtroom unmoved, he
y
pathetic faces. Madeline Pollard had been
telling the most tragic episode of her I'M
happy life.
All day she had retained her composure
up to this close, telling her story with such
remarkable clearness of language such
perception Of the strong lights which
certain phrases would throw upon her
case, that gentlemen experienced at the
bar We're constrained to comment that she
was either telling the truth or was the
most consummate actress who had ever
come under their observation.
The trial reached its clir1SN early in the
afternoon when Judge Jere'N ilson. facing
Major Butterworth, had thrust at him di-
rect the question whether his client admit
ted the secret marriage to Mrs. Wing in
New York and had after fiery passage at
arms received an Affirmative answer.
From that crucial point the testimony of
the plaintiff regarding the turbulent days
of pistols and promises following the Sc
cret marriage of the 29th of April abounded
in the most sensational Incidents of the
entire story.
The Hoffman House Scene.
The plaintiff attorneys raised the con-
tention that the secret marriage constitut-
ed the breach of promise on which the suit
was based and that all following events
consideration, but were overruled. Most
of the day up to the final interesting hour
had been consumed in reading the letters
of Miss Pollard to James Rhodes, calling
upon him for money. Although other in
teresting points We're raised. the subject
had been comparatively lifeless.
Miss Pollard reached the most interest
ing point of her story when she told how
Colonel Breckenridge had come to her at
the Hoffman House in New York and said:
Madeline how soon can you get ready to
marry me? l may have to leave suddenly
tomorrow for Europe" Il said, Willie, l
can marry you right away After he had
gone again l found a revolver in his tray
eling sack, and it awakened my suspicious
because be had told me so many lies. l
had telephoned TO Whitney x Fairchild
and found that they had not seen him and
did not expect to; had found that there
was no private car on the track where he
said there was one waiting for him. He
acted so queer too"
Mr.. Butterworth-Did he act as though
he was in his right mind?
AS much so as he has any day since
then" ILaughter.l
Continuing. she said: He acted SO
queerly that nay suspicious were aroused.
l am not surprised now, considering the
to keep your solemn promise to marry me?
If not, l am going to shoot you and myself
with the revolver l found in your bag
He said. MI@larling, am going to marry
you on the last of this month. After that
he wrote me solemn letter renewing his
promise to marry me.
Mr. Butterworth Gnterruptingr-IIave
you that letter:
Miss Pollard raised her arm impressive
ly, while every man i'll court leaned for
ward to catch her reply. He took it away
from me" she said, 'on the 18th day of
May with the vilest. vilest lie a rising
infection in her voice
After the letter was written and before
the 18th of May, Miss Pollard continued,
Colonel Breckenridge had sent her flow
ers; had talked to her of their future mar
ried life together The next Monday she
and Mrs. Blackburn had seen him driving
in Washington. but when we next met
him." she said, he lied to us and said he
had come Tuesday"
Speaking of this meeting. she said. point
ing her finger directly at the white haired
congressman sitting with his head bowed
on his breast and the eyes of the rOomful
of men focused upon him: Il think l saw
something nearer look of pity on his face
that day than l had ever seen before l
I q
was really sorry for what he had done
Never Studied For the Stage.
Did you and he ever have any scenes be-
fore these unfortunate occurrences" Mr..
Butterworth asked.
Life could not be altogether pleasant
with any one living with Colonel Breckin-
ridge. People had sent me anonymous let
tiers telling of his relations with negro
women" [Laughterl.
From this reply Mr.. Butterworth SHE'D
off to inquire again about Miss Pollard's
earlier aspirations, asking her if she had
not intended to study for the stage.
"Oh, no. 1 never thought of such a
thing" she replied naively. Only pretty
women go on the stage. A plain woman
would not have any chance there. And
then have never studied elocution in my
life"
"But have you not studied Delsarte or
something of the kind?"
"No, / never have"
This little desultory shot having proved
fruitless, Mr.. Butterworth veered around
his cross questioning to the visits of Miss
Pollard and Colonel Breckenridge to the
office of the Washington chief of police.
Miss Poliard's story of these visits differ
ed in a few minor details from the recital
of Major Moore and was in greater elabora-
| ton. She had gone to the house in Jeffer-
son place, where Mr.. Breckenridge was
stopping with Mrs. Wing. She strobe into
the room where they were, and both of
them covered behind the door. Repro
ducing the imperative tone in which she
had spoken, Miss Pollard continued, II
said to him, Come with me, Willie, and
he came"
This recital evoked a shout of laughter,
although it did not seem to have been in
tended for that effect, which the bailiffs