The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-17

tinct sensations were furnished today |
in the -Breckinridge breach of
promise trial
The foremost was the appearance of /
the slender plaintiff on the stand, a |
witness in her own behalf. but the one |
OF The greatest interest to legal circles |
was the corroboration of the rumor, |
which has been for several days afloat.
that Colonel Breckenridge was secretly |
; married 20 Mrs. Louise Wing, in New !
York. last April, three months before |
the public ceremony in Cincinnati.
When Colonel Breckenridge was
shown the dispatch from New York,
he refused to admit its truth or to con-
trdGicI il.
His counsel and law partner, Colonel
Shelby, however, confirmed the report,
as did Attorney Stou.
The latter said, when asked if the
defense would BE- based on this earlier
marriage:
1T would not be proper to forecast
our case at this stage, but l will say
that Colonel Breckenridge is to take the
stand very soon, and it will ali be made
known; until then neither Colonel
Breckenridge nor his counsel would be
wise to discuss the defense. AS for tEa
jmarriage certificate filed by DR.. Paxton,
-SQf course that speaks for Itself.
ut is improbable that this secret mar
riags will constitute a new legal factor
in the case, for While it occurred on the
29Ih OF April. the representations which
Colonel Breckenridge mace to MIS-.
Blackburn that Miss Pollard was his
fiancee were made prior TO the secret
marriage, the promises made in the
presence of Major Moore, the chief of
police, being those which were subse-
quent to the secret ceremony.
Pollard On the Stand.
E.ellard was decidedly nervous at first,
FL notwitlls landing the strain under
which she dab5red, was rernarkab bly,
self-JosssSsed and careful in her choice
OF woSds. She looked directly toward
Colonel Breckenridge, seldom lifting her
eyes from his face. Her language and
manner ttere those of well bred lady;
she sounded heT vowels broadly with
the air heSsrd in the drawing rooms of
the -Four H%ndred.' and her answers
to the cross-exaTnination of Major But
terworth were often turned back upon
him keenly, making boomerangs Of his
questions.
Miss Pollard testified that her father
was a saddler by trade, dying in 1876
when she was 10 years old. Jie left no
estate. He was an odd Fellow and
Mason, and the members OF the grand
lodges in the state of those orders at
tended the funeral. Two of her sis
tiers were taken to the Odd Fellows
Home to live.
Then the testimony jumped to her
life a Washington, emitting the early
stages OF her acquaintance with the
defendant. He endorsed all her papers
b for a position in the civil service bu-
reau. In the last days of August, 1882
he met her at the Baltimore d Ohio
depot Washington, put his arms
around her and kissed her, took her K
a carriage and told her he was deter
mined to marry her, and she promised
to marry her. He said he married hi:
second wife fourteen months after thu
death of the first and a year afte
the death of the second he woulC
marry plaintiff. She wanted him K
wait two years and proposed TO go t
Europe with Miss Willard on a schoO
trip for young ladies. He Strenuousl,
opposed being left alone, saying tha
such desertion would be selfish, ant
she gave it up.
4 letter from Miss Catherine Wi
lard. dated Gray Gables. Buzzard
ABay, Mass, in October, 1892, and re
ferring to the proposed European TRIP
was read.
witness detailed at length the con
slant attention paid her by Breckiu
ridge, saying that he visited her daily
sometimes twice day, and often i
the evening; how he paid her expense
on a visit to New York, and how sh
accompanied him on a lecturing tou
TO New England.
: ~ First Meeting with the Villain.
Witness then went back to her frs
meeting with Breckenridge in Apri
1884, when he approached her On ca
between Lexington and Frankfor
processing to have met her before. The
came the story of her relations
James c. Rhodes, who undertook
educate her if shS would marry hin
of her sending Cor Breckenridge fl
counsel as an attorney; of the NEAR
which he took to be alone with b.
without chance of interruption; of the
subsequent intimacy; Of the birth
children in 1885 and 1883. She pr
Ciuced letters and kilograms from hi
containing words of endearment ar
closed her testimony by declaring tn;
never since she knew him had 81
been Intimate with any other man.
Before Miss Pollard left the stan
she testified that Breckenridge hs
taken her with him on several occa
ions when he went out of the city
address religious bodies. He had Civ,
her no reason for the postponement
the dates fixed for their marriage al
she never asked for any until the scel
in the office of Colonel Moore.
Prom the night be took me to Sa
abs in 1884" said Miss Pollard dr.
matically, there never was a sugge
ton of a discontinuance of those mise
able relations, until he left me with ;
@orTs of promises pleadings, and 10
ihg words, on the 9Th day of Ma
1891"
In the cross-examination, which w
conducted by Mr.. Butterworth. t
fencing between the skilled lawy
and the young woman was so keen
TO furnish unStinted amusement to t
court.
In January. of 1884. Miss Pollard hi
been engaged to Mr.. Rhodes, and VIII
asked il Mr.. Rhodes was paying
board. she said:
Gle was loaning me money for r
schooling"
How long cid that engageme
last2"
Until the following December.
Breckenridge remembers it well.
was concealed in the sitting room a
heard me break the engagement.
never. concealed thing from \