The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-25
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
Judge Bradley Hears Arguments Con-
cerning Certain DepOsitiOns.


WASHINGTON. March 2t-Judge Brad
ley executed bit of strategy on the news
paper men who had gathered to-day to
hear the arguments over the admissibility
of certain dispositions taken for the defense
in the Notwithstanding case. Since
nothing sensational was expected the gen.
eral public had scarcely any representation.
only newspaper men and lawyers appearing
in the court room. Just before the hour
for court TO open whisper passed among
the lawyers and they slipped, one by one.
into the judges consultation room adjoin-
ing the court room. A uniformed bailiff
standing at the door denied admission to
all but the legal forces. Colonel Breckin-
ridge and his son Desha. The party was
eloseted in the judges room two hours
There are three depositions to which Miss
Pollard's attorneys make their principal
objections, the point involved being the
relevancy of testimony bearing upon Miss
Pollard's character. One of these deposit
tions was made by Alex. Julian, the young
blind man TO whom Miss Pollard alluded
In her letter to ''Wessie'' Brown as her
davit taken in Kentucky that a mock mar
riage was performed between Miss Pollard
and himself at Squire Tinsley's. in Bridge
port, on Christmas day. 1888; that after
drinking egg nogg freely he suggested that
married couples usually retired, and that
thereupon the two did so. Miss Pollard
testified on cross-examination that her
uncle accompanied her to Squire Tinsley's
on that day. and denied the incident of the
mock marriage.
The second deposition was made by W.
w. Roselle. to whom Miss Pollard was en-
gagged to be married in 1884, when she was
student at Wesleyan Seminary, and at
which time she was intimate with Col.
Breckenridge. Roselle has deposed that
he he took liberties with Miss Pollard in the
library of the Wesleyan Seminary, and
that when he left that city for Chicago
Miss Pollard begged him to take her with
cross-examination Miss Pollard denied that
RoselIe had done more than kiss her and
denied that she had asked him to take her
TO Chicago. In one of the most character
istically spicy dialogues between herself
and attorney Butterworth she attributed
Roseue,s motive in opposing her to the
OF collector OF internal revenue in Repre-
sentative Breckinridges district
Ihe other deposition to which the plaintiff
is particularly opposed was made by DR..
Lewis, OF Lexington, who affirms that the
Iate CoIonel Swope once approached him
with request that he perform a criminal
operation on woman whom he called
Miss Pollard" The Doctor did not see the
woman nor could he identify her with the
plalntlff, so the objection was made that
there is nothing to connect the deposition
with the principal in this case Colonel
SWope was the Republican candidate for
Congress against Colonel Brecknridge and
was Killed in duel with Cassius Goodloe
VINO, also, was fatally. wounded. Parts of
other depositions are also objected to.
The reason for secret hearing rega rding q
these depositions is to keep their contents
from the jury in the case till the court de-
cides upon excluding them. Although the
jurors have been cautioned not to talk with
any one concerning the case nor to read the
newspapers, the judge probably thinks that
the headlines of newspapers would be too
much for human curiosity to resist if
spread before them Sunday morning and in
the discussion of the affidavits their con-
tents are naturally threShed over These
underground proceedings are not an innoya-
ton in the District Court, as some months
ago a precedent was established by Judge
bradley OF keeping from the public the de-
tails of a scandal.
The arguments before Judge Bradley con-
tinued for five hours, and he took the
questions submitted under consideration TO
decide them Monday morning when the
court meets again. Most of the talkino
was done by attorneys Johnson and Car
Isle for the plaintiff, and Butterworth and
Shelby for the defendant. Miss Pollard's
counsel surprised the defense by making a
sweeping objection to all their depositions
on the ground that they had been taken in
an Irregular manner. Mr. Johnson made
this point, and argued that the mere notice
given To opposing counsel that depositions
were to be taken at certain
sufficient legal authority to give them
standing in the case. This practice has
always been followed by the Circuit Court
and before the attorneys had finished their
arguments Judge Bradley told them that
he did not care to hear more on the ouea-
ton, SO that his opinion upon it is evidentIv
fixed. Beside this ground of contention the
dispositions mentioned We're objected to and
specihc objections were made to parts of
other depositions. The testimony of Dr
Lewis and of others who testified thai tho,
had seen or heard of a certain Miss Pollard
in questionable resorts brought forth the
objection that they did not even prove tha :
the person referred to was the plaintiff in