The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-10
Not One Woman Among the Audience of
Fashionably Dressed Men That
Filled the Court Room.
MRS. BLACKBURN'S EVIDENCE
Breckenridge Repeatedly Said He
Intended to Marry Madeline.
Story That Will Outweigh Barrels of
Kentucky Observation-Disclosures
Testimony of Major Moore.

enough of sensation and scandal in the
trial of Madeline Pollards breach-of-prom-
ise suit against Congressman Breckenridge,
of Kentucky, to-day. to satiate even the
most expectant in the fashionably arrayed
masculine audience which crowded the Cir
cult Court. Witnesses well known to all
Washingtonians detailed the secret history
of the life travelled by the snowy-bearded
Congressman and the attractive young
woman who, seated only an arms length
apart, were magnets for the curiosity which
always surrounds the personages Of such
a case. Except the half dozen connected
with the case. there were no women In
court but long lines of men, like the crowds
before the box office of a theater, waited
outside for the doors to be opened. These
men seemed to regard the trial altogether
in the light of a theatrical entertainment,
apparently unconscious of the fact that
there was an element of human tragedy
about the affair. Saturday is motion day
in the Circuit Court, so the Washington
populace will be denied further opportunity
to satisfy it's curiosity until Monday.
One of the first persons to enter the court
room this morning was Miss Madeline Pol
lard, the plaintiff. This was the first sight
of the plaintiff vouchsafed to the scandal
lovers who crowded the court, and for
quarter of an hour before the trial began
she was the target and the subject of
many curious comments. Miss Pollard is an
attractive looking young woman, whose ap-
pearance would indicate that she has at
tanned thirty years, with slender, girl
ish figure which was enveloped in a long,
black ulster. Her face was nearly colorless,
with small, piquant mouth, upturned
nose, flashing black eyes and heavy, dark
brown hair. She wore a small black bon
net. Two women accompanied her and sat
beside her at the table, with her counsel.
directly in front of the judge. One of them,
an elderly woman, dressed in black, was
one of the Sisters of the Epscopaliap House
of Refuge, in which Miss Pollard is shell
tered The other, who sat beside the plaint-
iff, was a well-dressed woman of middle
age, who figured as friend of Miss Pol
lard, but whose identity no one could dis
cover. Miss Pollard seemed quite at her
ease Her face was covered with thin
veil, which in no way concealed her fea-
lures She talked with her lawyers most
of the time prior to court convening.
Colonel Breckenridge was late in putting
in his appearance Finally he came, with a
small satchel of documents on his arm,
fresh and smiling accompanied by his son,
Desha Breckenridge. The number of law
yers made it necessary to have two rows
of two tables, the front line devoted to the
Pollard forces, the second row occupied by
the Breckenridge party, so that the white
haired defendant sat almost directly back
of his young antagonist.
CARLISLE OPENS FOR PLAINTIFF.
The trial was really commenced when
Mr. Calderon Carlisle faced the jury, lean
ing languidly against a table, and, in de-
liberate conversational tones, outlined the
matters which the plaintiff would endeavor
to prove He contrasted the positions of the
two parties-one man of family, of polit-
ical prominence, high in the councils of the
Presbyterian Church, famous throughout
the country as an orator; the other friend
less young woman. Something said
about the legal aspects Of the case. Then
he began to read the declaration, which
was published in full when the suit was
brought how Colonel Breckenridge had
taken advantage of Miss Pollard's youth
when she was a girl of seventeen, at the
Wesleyan Female Seminary. and then fur
ther alleging that he was the father of her
three children; that he had, in the presence
of creditable witnesses, promised to marry
her, having previously made the promise
to become her husband when his wife
should die: that he had married instead g
Mrs Louise Wing. of Louisville: that Miss
Pollard had endeavored to leave him and
make a career for herself, but had been
persuaded to continue mistress because
Of her love for him.
During this reading Miss Pollard flushed
crimson. She trembled violently and buried
her face in a handkerchief Colonel Breck-
inridge chatted in n matter-of-fact way with
his lawyers.
the story of my client. She does not come
here saying that she is devoid of fault oi
, blame. but there is the promise of marriage
and it's breach-the issue OF this case
Next Mr.. Carlisle read the defendants
| answer denying all the material allegations
in the complaint. Sketching briefly what
would be proven in the case, Mr.. Carlisle
| spoke of Miss Pollard as the daughter Of
| a sadder. brilliant and always endeavor'
ing to rise above her station. He said thai
when she was a young girl John c. Rhodes
| a man of means, but not of high position
| was attracted by her charms, offered tC
| educate her If she would marry him and she
| ment to that effect. Afterward when Mis-:
| Pollard was in trouble because Rhodes was
| pressing her to fulfill her promise and be
! cause She. a country girl, believed he could
| invoke the law in his aid she had writer
! Mr.. Breckenridge asking, his advice, a let
| ter which was answered in person. Then
| according to Mr. Carlisle. began delib
erately laid scheme TO work the ruin OF the
girl under promise that when his wife died
he would make her his wife. He had intro
! duced her as his promised wife into the
| first families of the country. Under th'
| law of the district there could be no claim
! for damages on account of seduction, ou
| the remedy, or rather what reparation could
| be made for a broken promise Of marriage
I the law guaranteed
! Attorney Phil Thompson announced thai
the defendants opening statement would b.
| reserved until the conclusion of the plant
/ iff's testimony. Then attorney Wilson. fo
the plaintiff complained that certain book
! which had figured in the affidayits and wer,
| important TO the case had BEEN taken bl
| defendants counsel. and asked that they b
| returned to the plaintiff.
| Mr. Butterworth read a notice which haC
| been served on the defendant for the pro
| duction of four volumes of Washington
| Irving given TO attorney Stoll at Cincin
| natl and insisted that a more definite de
! scription of the books should be given.
| lust as Mr.. Carlisle was rising to re
| plv Miss Pollard broke out Historically L
| her counsel, sobbing and making inarticu
| late exclamations, while the Sister OF Char
| ity and her attorneys endeavored TO calm
| her.
! ''They know what those books are" saic
| Mr.. Wilson emphatically, land IL the,
| want closer description / will say that the.
| are four volumes given them by Siste
| Augustine, from one of which they took
| Christmas card which the defendant hat
| placed in evidence"