The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-03
4 REPENTANT ORATOR.
Mr., Breckenridge Under the Fire
of Cross-Examination.
FEELS REMoRsE FOR HIS FOLLY,

Deserved, and That is to Marry the
Woman who Was Concerned with Me
in the Act"
WASHINGTON, April 8.-Great expecta-
tions have been focused upon the cross
examination of Colonel w. G. p. Breckin-
ridge by ex-Congressman Jere NJ. Wilson,
particularly here in Washington, where
the abilities of both men are appreciated.
The expectations began to be realized after
the noon recess yesterday when the colonel
was delivered over into the hands of his
opponents. He had continued his story of
the intrigue with Madeline Pollard
through the morning entering many and
reitered denials of various statements
| made by her and relating his own version
of the interviews with the Washington
chief of police, and of the correspondence
between himself and the plaintiff.
He had been testifying for nearly two
court days when his direct testimony was
! finished, and although Mr.. Wilson piled
! him with questions all the afternoon the
| cross-examination seemed to have been
| but just begun. 1t had been expected that
the colonel would be requested to recon-
cile his position as a churchman and a
moralist with his course of conduct and
this expectation was not a misguided one
for the examination took that direction
J from the start
| The first time that the defendant has
shown marked embarrassment during the
trial was when an envelope was handed
! up TO him with the request that he read
J the direction and the contents, which he
| did with some reluctance because it was
an invitation sent to Miss Pollard in Feb
ruary, 1893 requesting the honor Of her
presence at "A reception to be given in
honor of Hon. W. c. 2. Breckenridge at
| the Norwood institute, and the Norwood
| institute is the most exclusive and fash
ionable seminary for young ladies in
Washington, patronized by the first fam
| lilies of Virginia and the south.
An embarrassing presumption which
Judge Wilson clung to throughout was
that the same standard of morality should
be demanded of men as of women. Along
this line he questioned the gray haired
congressman upon his reading of Byron
and Burns, and when the attorneys across
the table interposed their objections he
justified his course with the reminder
that the same questions had been asked
his client To establish the fact of the
colonel's familiarity with those two poets
Judge Wilson quoted several passages
from the "Cotter's Saturday Night" and
other publications, which contained a
decidedly personal application, and under
which the witness could not help but
vince. Then he tested his recollection
regarding Louis XIV, Henry VIII, the
fourth George and other historical per-
sonages noted for their disregard of mari
tai obligations, putting the witness in a
position which might have been laughable
had it not been SO serious,
! Again the colonel was impaled upon the
horns of dilemma when his inquisitor
led him artfully to repeat the advice
which he alleges he had given Miss Pol
lard, who according to Breckinridge) had
been intimate with MIR. Rhodes, that her
only honorable course was to marry him,
and made him choose between admitting
that the same rule must apply to his case,
or that he established different basis of
action under such circu instances for man
and woman Between the two alterna-
tives Colonel Breckinridge chose the lesser
evil, averring that he would tender differ
ent advice to IA young woman and young
man.
Mr.. Breckinridge's most embarrassing
position was when Mr.. Wilson piled him
remorselessly with questions regarding
his ride in a closed carriage with plaintiff.
After he had admitted that ne was in good
health that night, and had no throat
trouble nor chills (as Mr.. Wilson loosely
asked, he was asked whether it was not a
rather unusual proceeding to select a
closed carriage for drive on a hot sum
mer evening, to which the colonel replied:
ooh, no; | don't think it was" and the
audience laughed. OF the conversation or
the ride he could only remember that Miss
Pollard did most of the talking.
"You were not inclined to tallr?" Mr.
Wilson commented.
ooh, that depends upon the company l
: am in," replied the colonel. Continuing
he described how Miss Pollard had talked
of her aspirations to be an authoress, and
how he had encouraged her, telling her
that other women had been authors, but
that 1t was a matter Of work like any
other vocation.
"When you put your arm around her
had there been anything of a suggestive
natureY
"Well, i cannot answer that definitely
There was no particular word or act that
! could lay my hand on. There was just
something internally that moved me to,
If she had reproved me / could not have
said you have encouraged me- and yet
Woulu nave peeh uIpIlheu IL su6 udu re-
sented it"
Did you give her any friendly advice
on that occasionY
81 did not"
"You were a man of A and she girl OF
II to 2lP
"That was all true and much more. No
man in America had less excuse for such
an action than /, with the domestic sur
roundings then had. / have attempted
to make no excuse for it. 1t just hap
pened so"
And the fact that she was a young girl
in school makes it all the worseY'
you cannot frame words too strong tC
characterize It, l have not attempted tc
justify it or even defend It, and all the
hell have suffered since then l have de
served"
"Then understand you TO say that the
enormity Of the act cannot be overstatedY