Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-31

riage between us, and this affair, if you
persist, can only end in public scandal
that will destroy us both"
when did you first hear that the plain
tiff claimed you had engaged yourself to
marry herr
I'm a communication to that effect in the
Washington Post, w ich | understood was
inspired by her, and thereafter l received
several letters from her to the same effect"
Now" interposed Mr.. Wilson, rising,
1--WE want those letters"
II have destroyed them. returned the
defendant. Il have produced all the let
tiers l have from her to my knowledge
There were replies to those that she may
have
Mr.. Butterw orth asked what the witness
knew of Mr.. Claude de la Roche Francis
who had already testified inithe case and
Colonel Breckenridge replied that he had
met the gentleman couple of times at
Mrs. Thomas The first time the plaintiff
had gone TO entertainment with the
gentleman. On the second occasion when
they met the witness and plaintiff came
down stairs from the library and found
Mr.. Francis in the drawing room.
Mr.. ButterwOrth asked a bollt the alleged
conversation between the defendant and
Miss Pollard which Mr.. Francis said he
had overheard in which mention was made
and witness.
'Of course" said Colonel breckenridge.
that did not occur, because there was no
engagement between the plaintiff and my
self about which such conversation could
happen"
The testimony then dritted into the cir
CumStanceS. and conversations attending
the efforts of the defendant to induce the
plaintiff to leave the city TO prevent the
scandal which would certainly come soon
err or later if Miss Pollard remained in the
city.
Then he related Il conversation when
Miss Pollard had come to him in distress
because Mrs, Fillette and another lady had
been talking about her, the witness say
ing: Il told her that this was what had
always expected; that such affairs always
must come to an end. and urged her to &C
away, as she had promised so many times
and to let the scandal blow over.
My name was not coupled with that
but l said it would be if the thing went
on. Mrs Fillette had not mentioned my
name. 1t was other parties. She said that
she could not have such scandal against
her name; that she had revolver with
which she had intended to kill herself if
such stories ever came out | made light
of that. She told me afterward that she
had gone to Mrs. Blackburn: that Mrs.
Blackburn had talked with Mrs. Fillette
and found that the charges did not affect
the chastity of the plaintiff; that she was
charged with being an adventures: that
it was said she lived by her wits: had no
known means of support and did not pay
her debts. She insisted that must go TIC
Mrs. Black burn and tell Mrs. Blackburn
that the relations between us We're such
that Mrs. Blackburn must stand by her"
She Had Threatened Suicide.
About the latter part of February-abo
the time he had decided to leave his room,
the plaintiff having got in the habit of go
ing there at all times, making it impossi-
BILE for him to remain there-she had asked
him to go to Mrs Thomas and talk it over.
On several occasions, the witness said,
the plaintiff had declared her intention tc
commit suicide, saying that she had de-
stroyed all her manuscripts, including the
manuscript of a novel she was writing
and that sheAhad given away her clothes.
She had once said to the witness that il
he did not help her out in the matter she.
did not intend to let him live; that she did
not intend to bear the disgrace alone. He
had told her there would be no difficulty
about it if she would leave Washington,
as she had so often promised, and that he
would pay her expenses wherever she
went. In one of those conversations, when
she had apparently consented. she got up,
went into the library, came back shortly
and presented pistol at him, threatening
to kill him. By some agility he had beeli>
enabled to take it away from her before
she could do any harm. He kept the pis-
toll, and it was the same weapon which she
had taken from his travelling bag, with
which she attempted his life in New York
city.
That scene, he said, was followed by al
almost immediate revulsion on the part of
the plaintiff. She broke into a flood of
hysterical tears and declared that she had
not really meant to kill him. Colonel
Breckenridge said he had expressed the
hope that she would not make such a
demonstration again, for in her nervous
condition and with self cooking pistol it
might go Off and kill him.
Colonel Breckenridge was inclined to be
jocose over this incident and said: Il told
her that | hoped she would conclude to
kill herself first and then me afterward;
that l was afraid the revulsion of feeling
would come after she had shot me. Hys-
terically she said that she did not intend to
bear all the disgrace if exposure came.
She asked me not to marry any body else,
but to continue our relations and be happy
with her. If would not do that, she said
she did not intend to live and bear all the
disgrace alone"
He had taken the revolver away from
Miss Pollard, and that night she had come
to his house with young man and left a
note expressing her regret at what had oc-
| Cured When next he saw her two or
! three days afterward, she had proposed
| again to leave the city, and he again offer
ed to pay her expenses.
After an interval, during which he had
moved TO the Riggs House, she came there
i to see him. They held a perfectly friendly
| conversation, in which they discussed what
would be a good climate for her, as her
health was bad. She was exceedingly
nervous and thought she had heart dis
| ease.
Colonel Breckinridge then added There
was period of 10 or - days of entire
friendliness, during which we met daily
and discussed various places. One propo-
sition was that she should go to school at
Bryn Mawr, near Philadelphia. Meantime
she had obtained money; had paid her bills
| and exhibited the receipts to Mrs. Black
burn; said she thought she could go away
with no stain on her character, and
thought the problem was solved"
She Told Mrs. Blackburn.
The coloneIs recollection of his inter
view with Mrs. Blackburn regarding the
scandal against Miss Pollard differed from
Mrs. Ble.kburn's. He thought he had
opened the interview by saying that he did
not know what Miss Pollard had wanted
him to call for; asked Mrs. Black burn to
urge her to go away, which that lady had
promised to do, and he had spoken kindly
of the young woman. He supposed when
he left Washington on March ~, 1898, that
their relations had ended; that Miss Pol
lard was going away to study and lead an
honorable life while he provided for her.
Later in March he had met her in Gin
cinnati in response to a telegram from her
| She then had told him that she had been
obliged under Mrs. Blackburn's cross ex-
animation to represent that she was en-
gagged to him. He told her that he would
go right back and say to Mrs. Blackburn
that it was not true, but under her impor-
| tunities he promised to keen his mont il