Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-04-03
PO[I,ARD-BR ECEINRlDGE TRIAL.

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recess, to enable him to look over his
notes; so the recess was announced
earlier than usual, until 12:45.
"Take the Witness" said Mr. Butter
worth al the beginning of the afternoon
session. and Mr.. Wilson, reminding
Col. Breckenridge his early education
al advantages, asked him what pre-
paratory schools he had attended, and
then asked, "You had unusual educa-
tional advantages"
every unusual was the reply.
Col. Breckenridge then answered
several questions as to his early life,
and his connection with the Presbyter
ian church.
By questions concerning the colonel's
residence in Lexington in 1854, Mr..
Wilson elected the information that his
home was on the same street with the
house of Sarah Cess, four blocks away.
Then he asked
How long had You known Sarah
Guess?" to which Colonel Breckenridge
answered son, l can't tell; perhaps
twenty years.
Did YOU know the character of her
house?n
81 did"
''Had you ever been there before you
went with the PLAINTIFF"
Il was"
"Then, understand that before you
met the plaintiff YOU had for years
known Sarah Cess, known the charac-
ter Of the house. known the location Of
the house, and had been there before
You went with the PLANTING
each of those statements is true
Turning to the letter produced by the
defense and purportirg to have come
from Miss Pollard, Mr.. Wilson asked
where the envelope was, and Colonel
Breckenridge replied it had been lost
Ii was his general custom to preserve
all his letters, but the first letter from
The plaintiff he could not find.
You have received a great many let
ters from herr
II have
And you are only able TO produce
OF all OF them, what is called this wood
en- or dummy letter."
- do not admit that it was q dummy
letter. | have not said so. After the
relations which grew up between the
plaintiff and myself on the lst of Au
gust, 1881, ! did not want to preserve
the letters, because of many references
in them
Interference to his first visit TO thieves
lcyan Seminary Col. Breckinridge said :
There is an impression on my memo
~, although | cannot remember her
language after ten years, that she said
she had given Rhodes even higher
proof OF her intention 10 marry him
Then told her that she could not az
ford not to marry him."
And that same rule would apply
to man under the same circum-
stances 2"
"Well, that is question of casuistry
or sociology would not care to an
swer. II you ask me whether would
advise young woman who had sexual
intercourse with man TO marry him,
| would say yes; but with man it
would be different. for The knowledge
OF it by the public would destroy the
woman, and only injure the man."
/ w QUIZ HOU UuIl lut HAL
"Oh, it would not injure him so much
as the woman. Society looks upon
these thing differently. If young
man should come to me under certain
circumstances, | would advise him TO
marry woman; under other circum-
stances, l would say to him, Better
death or hell am not talking of the
justice OF -"
Are you a member of the Masonic
fraternity"
81 am
"You knew that Miss Pollard's father
was Mason 2"
81 did not knew that he was an
Odd Fellow"
Are there any obligations to the
widow or daughters of members grow
ing out of membership in those organ
izations?"
Phil Thompson objected to this ques
ton, and the objection was sustained.
After questioning Col. Breckenridge
about the books he had received, Mr..
Wilson said:
81 assume that when Mr.. Butter
worth asked you about George Eliot
he had some object in view. l want to
know what it was"
"Well the plaintiff said" continued
Col. Breckenridge, that she consider
ed the life of George Eliot with Mr..
Lewis a protest against mawkish senti-
mentality concerning what were often
considered improper relations, and said
that she had rather live as George Eliot
did than sew on buttons, churn
butter and live the life of a woman in
somewhat straitened circumstances on
a kentucky farm. 1t was on the lst
day of August, 1854. She said that
George Eliot was the authoress after
whom she intended to pattern in speak
ing of her aspirations"
In preference to the ride in the closed
carriage, Mr.. Wilson asked, "When
you put your arm around her, had
there been anything of suggestive ma
ture?n
"Well, l cannot answer that def
nitely. There was no particular word
or act that l could lay my hand on.
There was just something internally
that moved me to. If she had reprov-
ed me could have said, You have en-
couraged me, and yet | would have
been surprised if she had resented it."
81 want to know how long you held
her in yonr arms?n
The transaction could rot be stated
rs to time. 1t was all one transaction.
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