The Washington times., 1894-04-13

| got the fingers of a woman In his hair how he
| sweat blood and faced RUM"
| ''Ben, your memory goes back too far" the
| man had said
"Yes, but what did he get tangled for, you
| will ask" said the lawyer to the jury. "Oh, but
| that's the sin that's TO be condemned, but is
| this man to be offered up as q vfcarious sacr1-
fce?'
/ Mr. Butterworth then went on to tell Of the
weaknesses of Robert Burns in spite OF his bril-
liant talents 10 tell how men who controlled en-
| pires and framed financial systems had been
| unable to resist their passions.
| You have all heard how the poor, tired
| soldier yielding to natures demands slept upon
his post" he continued, mot that he did not love
| his country, and You know that to answer the
| demands of military laws he was taken cut TO
| be shot. But never was soldier to be shot De-
| cause another man had slept at his post
| He drew another picture of Col. Breckinridge
| "crouching helpless at the woman's feet" and
| went on to say how horrible and revolving was
| her story that he could meet his mistress before
| the mold gathered on the grave clothes OF his
buried wife, and that he had taken her to n
| bawdy house for two hours to convey to her the
tender message that she was to follow in the
| footsteps of that wife.
"Yes. and that's what makes IL SO bad" inter-
| ruptcd MIR. Wilson
''Yes, and that's what makes your manly man
hood know that that's not So" retorted Mr.. But
| terworth. "lf such things are true, why don I
| they send another deluge to wipe out this pes
| tiferous wretch IL implied that woman of
corrupt life from choice, VINO had held doubtful
relations with Rhodes, who had mad illcSitimate
children at sundry and divers places and mis-
carriages at others was to sit at his table in
union that was the acme OF all that was Vicious
and contemplate"
That woman who had lived ten years without
earning a cent as the mistress of his life wanted
money and nothing else Mr.. Butterworth
firmly believed that the woman knew oil that
secret marriage in New York on the 29th OF
April
After the noon recess Mr. Butterworth re-
CURED to the first meeting at the house OF Sarah
Guess, quoting the testimony Of Miss Pollard
that she thought since she had successfully re-
sisted Col Breckenridge twice she could do so
again, and her later statement that she had de-
Iiberately waited there half an hour for her
would-be seducer TO return and consummate the
purpose of their trip, arguing the improbability
and inconsistency of the two statements
Advancing TO the life Of the pair in Washing
| ton, he represented that Col Breckenridge was
one OF the busiest men in Congress, without time
for the constant association with her which Miss
Pollard had described. lie thought that the at
torneys for the plaintiff had been skillful in
pushing to the front the few estimable charac-
ters they had been able TO get into the case that
they might obscure the background of the be-
! ginning of the relations. Mrs. Blackburn was an
estinable and cultured lady. but she had been
| imposed upon She had been for two years a
! friend Of Miss Pollard, moved by n generous I'M
pulse to protect Kentucky girl, but no one pre-
tended that Col Breckinridge had introduced
Miss Pollard to the lady Ii was asked why Gel
| Breckinridge had not led Miss Pollard away
| from her, but he had no more power to lead her
than the lawyer had to guide cyclone by its
| tail Mrs Blackburn had naturally felt indg-
nant at having been imposed upon, and she con-
| fused some of the things said TO her, because
everybo knew that it was out OF the range of
possibility that those things could have been
said under the circumstances.
Miss Pollard had told Mrs Blackburn that
| they were engaged and Col Breckenridge was
obliged 10 go down with her and disentangle
them from that net. marriage was impos-
sible under the circumstances; Miss Pollard
knew it, and had been told SO marriage
under the circumstances would have been I'M
possible and infamous. The other lawyers had
expressed horror beacuse the pair had lied. The
| two were in the business of lying ut that time
THE course of those two was justified and sane
titled because their deception injured no one
and extricated family from ruin" said Mr.
| Butterworth- at was TO rescue a home, TO res
cue a woman, TO open to her better life, and 1t
was more than justified.
The visits TO Mrs. Blackburn had no other pur-
pose Rightly Mrs. Blackburn had visited her
resentment upon Col Breckenridge. That Miss
| Pollard had insisted in the presence Of Mrs
/ Blackburn that the colonel should name the
day for the marriage showed the consummation
| OF her action From this scene the colonel had
gone to Eew York TO marry Mrs Wing and
about this little matter that only concerned one
household the brethren on the other side had
been greatly exercised To ask anything about
! IL was a meddesome impertinence. but Col
Breckenridge had seen fit, as he was not obliged
to do, TO explain all his reasons for it. 1t was
not of consequence that the other scenes at Mrs
Black burn should be rehearsed There could
have been hut one motive for him TO speak Of
marriage before Mrs. Blackburn when mar
riage was impossible, and that motive he had
declared.
Once when Mr. Butterworth was saying Now
on the l1th they had more pistol practice" Col
Breckenridge interrupted him with mo, the
pistol practice was on the 18Th, when went TO
Mrs Thomas" and proceeded with an outline Of
his own testimony ON that point.
Proceeding to the second scene in the office of
TIE chief OF police the 18th, the attorney de-
clared that ii the statement OF Col Breckinridge
to the CHIEF, that he had not seduced the woman.
that he had taken liberties with her the first
night and slept with her the second, had not
been true, she would have instantly resented IL.
THE letters whicn Col Breckiuridge had written
TO Miss Pollard after the alleged engagement in
1893 were produced by Mr. Butterworth and af-
iorded considerable fun, the colonel himself
laughing heartily. Mr.. Butterworth was unable
10 decipher them, and declared that man who
wrote such hand should be punished Attorney
Stoll tackled them with the same fruitless result
Col Breckinridge had two three times sug-
gested better let me read them, and was
finally permitted TO do So He rose, facing the
jury, and reread the epistles in his effective mel
low tones.
Then MIR. Butterwortk pointed out that OH her
first appearance on the stand the plaintiff had
declared that while she boarding at the
house OF Miss Hoyt in Lexington in 1885 she and
Col. Breckenridge met at the public library or
the house of Sarah Cess, but that on her second
appearance. in order to better fit the circum-
stances, she had declared that she went to his
room in the boarding house.
Beginning his conclusion, the lawyer told the
Jury that the inherent probabilities arising from
the course of human nature were 10 be consid-
cred more deeply than the statements of wit
nesses. The question was not whether William
C. p Breckinrdge had violated any ordinance
human or divine had been guilty of moral tur-
pitude conduct which should bring upon him
condemnation, but whether these two parties
had agreed that he was 10 become her husband
and she his wife. To awaken horror before the
public there had been tale that Col Breckin-
ridge had led astray guileless little girl, and
had led her down the path OF nine years OF i'm
morality TO marriage contract ruthlessly vo-
lated. the jury was TO determine whether there
had been any such guileless little country girl,
whether she had not been a mature and know
ing woman, come TO court to redress great
wrong. No wrong could be redressed in that
way Nor had she wanted the balm of money,
for she had said there was none Her motive
did not rise to the quality of revenge. nor even
of hate, but sent abroad TO every home n leaven
she knew to be vie, the influence of which was
measurable.
"For what motive does the desperate woman
walk on any stage. She deliberately turned
from everything that man or woman could
desire and proclaimed her shame his is the
vestibule of a wider stage upon which she de-
sires to enter. Is it the right Of any individual
10 corrupt public morals by the excuse Of seek
ing reparaton for wrong? What is there of rep
aration for wrong but to 20 home TO her mothers
fresde, to Him who alone can grant reparaton
for wrong?'
Her early life not what 1t should have
been, he continued, but what her letters
showed it to be. 1t would be said, "Butterworth,