The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-08
MISS POLLARD'S SUIT
Trial Begun in Her Case
Against Congressman
Breckenridge.
SEDUCTION AND BREACH OF PROMISE
Every Allegation Denied By the
Kentucky Represent tiye-
The Claim for $4,000.

WASHINGTON, March S, 1S~94.-Congress-
man William C. P. Breckenridge, of Ken
lucky, was placed on trial today in the be-
ginning Of the suit which Madeline Vinton
Pollard has brought against him to deter
mine whether he shall pay her $4,000 for al
legged seduction and breach Of promise. Ever
since the suit was brought in September last,
and particularly during the past few weeks
while the attorneys for the plaintiff and the
defendant were taking dispositions Of wit
nesses, details of the case on each side have
been widely published and read by reason OF
the prominence of the defendant, whose elo-
quent speeches in the House of Representa-
tives have made him known throughout the
Union.
THE CHARGE
He stands charged by Miss Pollard with
having accomplished her ruin when she was
q school girl of seventeen and he is a dlst1n-
guished public man nearly the half century
| mark; with being the father of several chill
| dren born to her, and with making and
breaking a promise to marry her. h al
legged contract of an engagement is claimed
by Miss Pollard to have been made shortly
after the death of the defendants wife, and
broken less than a year later, when he mar
ried Mrs. Louisa Wing of st. Louis.
On the other hand, Colonel Breckenridge,
in his answer to Miss Pollardls charges,
denies that he at any time or place, by wlleS
and articles and protestations of affection,
or by any other means, attempted to take
advantage of the youth and inexperience OF
the plaintiff OF that he seduced her. He
also denies that there was at any time any
engagement, contract OF understanding OF
marriage between them.
MISSsPOLLARD'S AGE.
Miss Pollard aynps that wha0 she met
Colonel Breckenridge, shortly before the
alleged seduction, she was a schoolgirl OF
| seventeen. He claims that she was then a
young woman between twenty and twenty
two years of age. This was in the spring of
1884, so that Miss Pollard's age now would be
twenty-seven, according to her own state
ment, and between thirty and thirty-two
according to the estimate of Colonel Brock
inridge. On this disputed question there
will be evidence given at the trial, and much
interest is shown in its settlement as tending
to establish whether or not the plaintiff was
of a responsible age when the alleged offense
was committed.
The trial is being held in the largest court
room in the United States courthouse here,
which is known as the city hall from the
fact that it was once the municipal building
when Washington had a municipal govern
ment. 1t is a quaint, sedate old structure,
painted white and built IN the southern
l IlduOI AOuSS phil VI JIG J
| period. 1t has been the scene of many SEN
sational trials, notably that of the assassin
GuiteaU. The spacious courtroom was
packed.
BREcKINRIDGE's COUNSEL.
Mr.. Jere Wilson, an ex-rnember of Con-
| gress, and one of the ablest and best known
| lawyers of the country, is the principal coun-
sci for the plaintiff. He is a tall man, about
| sixty years of age, his thin face accumulated
| by q prominent Roman nose; keen eyed as
he is keen witted. Beside him sat Calderon
| Carlisle, a younger man, but not less digni-
fed, who stands high at the bar, and was
counsel for the British Government in the
| Boring Sea case in the United States Supreme
| Court. Col. Enoch Totten. the principal at
| torney for Col. B~reckinbridge, is i'll in
| Florida, and will not be back in Washington
| for a week, but Phil Thompson, who was
one of Col. Breckinbridge's colleagues from
| Kentucky in the House and who is called
Colonel by Kentuckian courtesy, was there
to look after the interests OF his client. Col.
| Thompson is a Kentuckian all over, from his
accent to his high arched insteps, and he has
a firmly established reputation as a criminal
lawyer.
CASE ADJOURNED.
Judge Wilson and Mr.. Carlisle, the plain
tiR's counsel, were the first actors in the
case to appear. They came some tim be-
fore Colonel Breckenridge entered the court
room. He was late in arriving. He was &C
companied by ex-Congressman Benjamin
| Butterworth.
The jury was sworn, and at thirty-five
minutes past ten the court adjourned until
tomorrow to allow the new counsel in the
case to familiarize themselves with it.