Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-04-13
POLLARD ECEINRlDGE TRIAL

record, and pointing out few discrep-
ancies on minor points.
Mr.. Butterworth worked up to the
coming of Madeline Pollard to Washing
ton. She had testified that Colonel
Breckenridge insisted upon her coming.
ooh. they will say, But he did it, "
exclaimed the lawyer dramatically.
That is cowardly surrender of wom-
AMY qualities base betrayal of wom-
anly courage, to say that he did it."
Soon afterward, as the lawyer was
speaking of the child born in Washing
ton. Colonel Breckenridge leaned for
ward over the table and corrected him.
You are Mistaken" the Colonel
said: II did not know she had a living
child until Miss Pollard testified. ! had
heard she had a miscarriage"
Then Mr.. Butterworth portrayed the
opportunities 10 elevate herself here in
Washington which Miss Pollard had
before her if she had only been minded
to embrace them; how she should have
shrunk from continuing life of shame
with man with wife and family.
Mr.. Butterworth then went on to tell
of the weaknesses of Robert Burns, III
spite Of his brilliant talents: to tell how
men who controlled empires and
framed financial systems had been una
bic to resist their passions. You have
all heard how the poor tired soldier
Welding 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
the military laws, he was taken ont 10
be shot. But never was soldier to be
shot because another man had slept at
his post.
He drew another picture of Colonel
Breckenridge "crouching helplessly at
the womans feet" and went on to say
how horrible and revolving was her
story that he could meet his mistress
before the mould had gathered on the
grave clothes of his buried wife, and
that he had taken her to q bawdy house
for Two hours to convey to her the
tender message that she was 10 follow
in the footsteps of that wife.
YES, and that's what makes it so
bad. y Interrupted Mr.. Wilson.
''Yes, and that's what makes your
manly manhood know that that's not
So, retorted Mr.. Butterworth.
If such things are true, why don I
they send another deluge to wipe out
this pestiterous wretch 1t implied
that a woman Of currupt life from
choice, who had had doubtful relations
with Rhodes, who had illegijimate
children at sundry and divers places,
and miscarriages at others, was to sit
at his table in union that was the
acme of all that was vicious and con-
temptiblen
That woman, who had lived 10 years
without earning cent, as the mistress
of his life. wanted money, and nothing
else. Mr.. Butterworth firmly believed
that the woman knew Of that secret
marriage in New York on the 18th Of
April.
Mr.. Butterworth required to the first
meeting at the house of Sarah Cess
quoting the testimony of Miss Pollard
that she thought that since she had
successfully resisted Col. Breckenridge
twice, she could do so again, and her
later statement that she had deliber'
atelv waited there half an hour for her
would be seducer to return and consum-
mate the purpose of their trip, arguing
the improbabiity and inconsistency Of
the two statements. Advancing to the
life of the pair in Washington, he rel
resented that Col. Breckenridge Was
one Of the busiest men in Congress,
without time for the constant associa-
ton with her which Miss Pollard had
described. He thought that the attor.
neys for the plaintiff had been skillful
in pushing to the front the few estima-
BILE characters they had been able to
get into the case, that they might OBJ
scure the background of the beginning
of the relations.
Mrs. Blackburn was an estimable and
cultured lady, but she had been i'm
posed upon. She had been for two
years friend to Miss Pollard, moved
by generous impulse to protect Ken
lucky girl, but no one had pretended
that Col. Breckenridge has introduced
Miss Pollard to the lady. 1t was asked
why Col. Breckenridge had not led Miss
Pollard away from her, but he had no
more power to lead her than the
lawyer had to guide a cyclone by its
tail. Mrs. Blackburn had natural
ly felt indignant at having been
imposed upon, and she had confused
some of the things said to her, because
everybody knew that it was out of the
range of possibility that those things
could have been said, under the circum-
stances. Miss Pollard knew it and had
been told so. A marriage under the
circumstances would have been impos-
sibe and infamous. The other lawyers
had expressed horror because the pair
had lied The two were in the business
of lying at that time.
"The course of those two was justi-
fled and sanctioned, because their de-
ception injured no one and extrlcated q
family from ruin said Mr.. Butter
worth. at was to rescue a home; to
rescue woman to open to her bet
ter life, and it was more than justi-
fed
The visits of Mrs. Blackburn had no
other purpose. Rightly, Mrs. Black
burn had visited her resentment upon
Col. Breckenridge in full measure.
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 New York to marry Mrs.
Wing. and about this little matter,
which only concerned one household,