The Washington times., 1894-04-13
MASTERPIECE OF ORATORY
Major Ben ButterWorth's Great
Speech in Defense of Breckinridge.
PERSUASIVE AND DRAMATIC
Appeals to the Jury in the Name Of American
Mothers and the Home Fireside-Nearly
Nine Hours Of It-Judge Jere Wilson Will
Begin His Speech To-day.

The defense Of Col. Breckinridge, which Ben
Butterworth made yesterday, Is concluded,
even by his opponents, to have been one OF
the greatest speeches ever made in WASH
ton court.
It was effective as masterpiece OF oratory,
and was made such largely by the winning
personality Of the orator. MIR. Butterworth
was persuasive, was dramatic, was friendly.
conciliatory, and artful. Whether he was
convincing remains to be seen when the
twelve men who are to pass upon the case
return their verdict Saturday night, for 1t will
be Saturday night when they are called upon
to decide.
Men were saying last night that If the jury
hangs fire Col. Breckinridge can thank the
eloquence OF his winning Quaker friend from
Ohio. Particularly is this the expression OF
the lawyers who heard the speech, and it
was probably the finest compliment that the
ex-Congressman could have received that so
many of his professional colleagues were will
ing to stand all day to listen to his utterances.
For nearly nine hours Major Butterworth
carried the speaking part in the great case.
He conjured by the name of mothers. the fire.
side, and American womanhood most efiec-
lively, making it appear that all OF these
forces were enlisted on the side of his client
Through all the speaking the white-haired
member Of Congress from Kentucky sat fncing
the jury, much of the time with his face
shaded by his hand, occasionally nodding as
sent to the points scored by the speaker.
The slender plaintiff has heard none Of the
denunciations Of herself. and her attorneys
have sat smiling throughout the onset of the
opposition.
Judge Jere Wilson is living sphinx, i'm
perturbable as stone. and no one could guess
how he was taking the assaults upon his
client. He did not care TO begin last night
after the close Of the Butterworh speech, and
will commence to-day. consuming the greater
part OF two days in his argument. His
style is as different from Col. Phil. Thomp-
sons or thnt OF Mr.. Butterworth as can be
imagined-cool, deliberate, analytical and
generally effective. That his style is different
from Mr.. Butterworth's is probably well for
his cause. for he could hardly expect TO over
shadow that gentleman in his own particular
field.
Major Ben Butterworth had the floor again
when the Pollard Breckenridge case was resumed
yesterday. He began with the consideration OF
Miss Pollard's letters to James Rhodes, which,
he said. were the foundation of the case. He did
not care anything about the top, he said. IL there
was no foundation for IL TO rest upon Alter
reading some of those letters at length, he came
to the ones which were dated in New Orleans
and which she had said were written in Clncin-
natl and sent TO her mother to mail 10 him. lie
laid great stress on these transactions, declar-
ing that there was great mystery surrounding
the letters, and exclaimed:
There is one human being alive and well who
could clear up the mystery OF those letters; that
is the mother who gave birth TO this woman, and
she is not called. That woman is alive and well
in Kentucky, and she is not called They may
ask why we did not call her, but we do not go
into the enemys camp for soldiers and aInmu-
nition.'
He dwelt particularly on her demands for
money from Rhodes, and when he came to an
alusion in one OF the letters TO her great enjoy
ment at reading Washington Irving, Mr. Wilson
made the request, ':Give me that Washington
Irving letter, please
In addition 10 reading the letters, Mr.. Butter
worth consumed much time threshing over the
testimony of Miss Pollard from the record and
pointing out few discrepancies on minor points
There was a little passage between the speaker
and Mr. Wilson when the former expressed doubt
whether the books had ever belonged 10 Miss
Pollard.
MIR Wilson suggested that since Mr. Butter
worth would not have a chance TO reply to him.
he might answer question which would be
asked, why Miss Hoyt and Miss ketcham had not
been a chance 10 identify the books.
This Mr.. Butterworth answered after The Yam
kee fashion by another question, namely, why
Miss Pollard had not described the books before
they were unsealed, and why Miss Pollard had
not gone before the sisters for Identification
when she was within the tinkling of a bell
That shows all you know about ii" replied
Mr.. Wilson. 'She was not there and neither was
Breckinridge"
.Breckinridge did not claim TO have been con-
fined there" was the reply, and this sally drew
laugh which provoked Judge Bradley 10 threaten
to clear the courtroom again
The attorneys for the other side would claim
Mr. Butterworth resumed, that the woman was
dominated by a stronger mind They would say
that she was moral potentiality, "a pawn on
a moral chessboard"
According to Mrs Lowell, the Capitol type
writer, and of Miss Pollard herself, Col Breckin-
ridge had endeavored to conceal his letters TO
her in 1856 by first writing them in his own hand
taking them to a woman TO copy on House of
Representatives paper, and then signing his
name to them in lead pencil.
When the noon recess came Mr. Butterworth
was lust working up TO the coming of Ma feline
Pollard to Washington. She had testified that
Col Breckinridge insisted upon her coming.
..Oh, they will say, but he did it." exclaimed
the lawyer, dramatically. THAT is a cowardly
surrender of womanly qualities, base betrayal
of womanly courage, TO say that he did IL"
Soon afterwards, as the lawyer was speaking
Of the child born in Washington, Col Breckin-
ridge leaned forward over the table to correct
him. "You are mistaken" the colonel said, Il
didn't know she had living child until Miss Pol
lard testified / had heard she had n miscar-
riage"
mites to elevate herself here in Washington
which Miss Pollard had before her If she had
only minded to embrace them; how she should
have shrunk from continuing life of shame
with man with wife and family lie told next
a dramatic incident of how man had met him
on the street the day before and talked with
him about the case. Ben, i don't see why
Breckinridge didn't break this thing up right
here the man had said and he (Butterworth)