The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-22
A DEPOSITION READ.
Testimony Given by Sister Agnes
Regina Brown, of Norwood Convent.

Attorney Stoll who had been compared
to bill Nye' in facial contour, then start
ed to read the deposition of Sister Agnes
Regina Brown, when the plaintiffs at
torneys interrupted him, insisting upon the
exercise OF their right to examine the
deposition before it was read. They had
no objection on a casual glance. The depo-
sition had been taken at the Norwood Con-
vent Asylum, near Cincinnati, where the
Sister had been in 1856. She had seen all
the inmates; some of them were yelled
when they went on the street, but none
were yelled from her. There was one who
had been yelled from the physician who
attended her, but this was in 1884. De-
ponent did not know Madeline Pollard
but had for the first time seen her in 1892
in the library next to the office with
Messrs. Carlisle and Johnson, her at
torneys, when Miss Pollard has asked if
the Sister knew her. but the Sister did not
remember. Deponent questioned her, but
she did not remember the Sister nor who
had been the Mother Superior. Miss Pol
lard had said that she went under the
name of Louise Wilson, but when the Sister
had said that no Louise Wilson had been
there, but that a girl named Burgoyne had
child there at that time, Miss Pollard had
replied: ooh, that was the name 1 went
by. There were SO many of them did not
remember"
Then Miss Pollard had asked what had
become of the child, and had been told that
1t died last July. She had then gone into
Mysteries. Miss Pollard remembered the
death of a girl while she was there, but
had forgotten the death of Sister who
had died in a room near by. The Sister
said Miss Pollard had never been there
ana did not know much about the house
MISS Pollard had spoken Of giving the vol
umes of Washington Irving to the convent;
the Sister had said she thought the books
We're given by girl who had been there
them sufficiently for the board. They found
them in the library. Miss Pollard remem-
bered having left a Christmas card from
which she found. From the questions pro-
pounded by the attorneys for the defend
ant at that time it seemed they had tried
10 throw suspicion upon attorney Carlisle
or having slipped the card into the book
Inc Sister said the card had not the APP
pearahGe OF having been In book nine
years but looked as though it had been
Miss Pollard had said when the sister
suggested compromise, that Mr. Brec1in-
ridge had no money, and that She was
suing TO disgrace him. The sister had said
that Mr.. Breckenridge would still be Mr..
friends would still receive him, while the
woman would be ruined Attorney John
son had sid: But he Will not be called
upon to address young ladies seminaries
and open prayer meetings" to which the
sister had replied that she presumed there
We're We're others at PRAYER meetings as bad as
Mr.. BreckinridSe was accused of being
Miss Pollard remembered having spoken
TO the priest at the convent, and that he
was deaf. The sister superior had re-
proved her for speaking to him. The sis
ter. denied that Mrs. DR.. Street had ever
called there to see a patient.
Mr. carlisle had brought a letter of in
4 bicbo
Elder, who wrote that they had been
recommended to him by Bishop Keane, OF
cinnati, had called at the convent, looking
for the evidence in the case of Miss Pol
lard, but had said that he must send some
startling message to Miss Polard's attor-
neys, that they had been able to find nc
trace of her. servant named Eliza had
been able to recollect Miss Pollard at first
her to be careful, acted as though she
might remember her Sister Agnes had
said to Miss Pollard: What a bad cir
a wife, to which Miss Pollard had had n re-.
piled: Il have been a bad girl. but bet.
ter woman"
No inquiries had been made by Miss Pol
lard. so far as the sister knew, about the
child she claimed TO have given birth tc
there. AS the sister remembered Miss
Burgoyne. she had been shorter than Miss
Pollard and lighter; had seemed very fonC
of reading. and spent most of her time in
| Ohio town, and had beer attended bv DR.
De Courcey. The girl who gave the book.
| had said when she was there that Their,
| was enough wrapped up with them to paN
| for her burial if she died, so that no ong
| would ever know who she was
The cross-eXamlnation OF this sister wa.
| read by Mr.. Carlisle, the sister saying tina
the writing on the card looked like fresl
| writing, though IL had been writer
! about four weeks before. There had beer
| an average number of one hundred girls :
| year in the asylum, most of whom wer,
under assumed names. Sometimes WheI
| DR.. De Courcey was away a midwife at
| tended at births. After the deposition wa.
| finished the court adjourned.