Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-22
POLLARD CASE HAS A DULL DAY.
Madeline Excused and the Defense Out
lines Its Claims.

Madeline Excused and the Defense Out
lines Its Claims.
WASHINGTON. March 22-It was a field
day for the colleagues OF Representative
Breckinridge. Of kentucky. Congress- had
taken n recess. ostensibly to sail down the
Potomac on an excursion to witness the
trial of some big guns ut Indian II cad, but
the trial progressnS in the circuit court
held greater charms for many than the
iunket on government guuhoat. Gray
heads and naldEcads were in a ma iarity
in Judge Bradley's court. but the spccta-
tors were disappointed 10y one Of the least
sensational days of the trial. although
they heard the defense OF Colonel Breckiu-
ridge outlined by his law partner, Attur-
ney Colonel John !. Shelby, and the lest
of Madeline Pollarti'S story
The last words il Miss Po.lard's story
were not very important She said she
had never paid Rhodes any of his money
back; that their correspondence had con
tinued after she came to Washington: and
that she used Breckinridce's name on her
card by his permission. When the defense
WAS through the prosecution said it did
not care to re-examinc her, thinking hgr
story complete enough as it was 4 con-
sultation between the counsel for Breck-
inridce took place and then Shelby got III,
to make the preliminary statement for his
distinguished client
lie said: Il am authorized by the de-
PENDANT to say, and it. will be corroborated
By his solemn oath. that he did not seduce
the plaintiff; that ii was never made known
TO him that she ever had any children bv
him until the filing OF this suit last Au-
gust, nor did he ever under any circum-
stances make any promise OF marriage to
her. The defense did not intend, Colonel
Shelby said, to condone whatever was
wrong in the relations OF the two. and il
WAS only 10y the truth the defendant want
ed to be Judged. She had made the first
advances to acquaintauceship: she had
admitted Illicit relations with Rhodes at
her first interview with the defendant.
She had asked defendant to take her u
Vine street entertainment at that frs
interview, and when they start I'd had SUI
gested ride, and in the course of that
ride tie Illicit relation was established in
that way which occurs when the woman
Is not uyerse to such things The outline
also contained the explanation that she
trapped him into the promise to marry
her under the mutual understanding thai
the promise was only Il device by which
she was TO withdraw from his lite and he
able to break OH her relations with Mrs.
Blackburn. The long-coutinued Illicit re
lations between the two are admitted with
out excuse or palliation, except reference
to the inherent weakness of human IA
ture.
But the defendants spokesman repre-
scented that he was often anxious to break
them Off, but was always inyeiglcd into
continuance by the young woman; that
she followed him. demanded money from
him, and compelled his promise to marry
her rnder threats-scveral times repeated.
and emphasized by Il display of pistols
Moreover, it is promised to be shown thai
Miss pol!ard's early life had not been one
of virtue before the silver-t0nSUed orator
crossed her path. This in substance is the
defense, but it has many branches and
side issues.
Then followed the deposition of Sister
Agnes Regina Brown, of the Norwood
convent asylum, near Cincinnati. TIE
deposition was taken to prove that Made
line Pollard was never in that asylum, she
having sworn that she was. Sister Agnes
did not know Madeline, had never seen
her in the convent III the year claimed,
and she SISTER Agnes had seen all the
patients, unveiled; they were never yelled
from her. The sisters deposition was
strongly against the plaintiff and yet not
conclusive.
The volumes of Hawthorne came i'll here,
and Madeline had said to the sister that
she could prove she left them there, be-
cause there was a card III one of them she
could describe. She described il, but Sister
Agnes says the card did not have the APP
pearance of having been in book for nine
years; looked like it had been rolled up
The writing. also, on the card looked
fresh. Miss Pollard had said when the