The Washington times., 1894-04-11
LAWYERS LEAP SKYWARD
The Prosecution and Defense Indulge
in Pyrotechnic Displays.
SOME cAUsTIC ExcORIATIONs
Attorneys For and Against Miss Pollard Pour
Violent Invectives into the Ears Of the
Twelve Jurymen-Terrible Arraignment
Of the Plaintiff by Col. Thompson.

Col. Phil Thompson, formerly a member o
Congress from Kentucky, and one Of the bes
known men in Washington, entertained the
jury In the Pollard rd-Breckinridge case yester
day with a pyrotechnic speech such as has
rarely been heard in this section. The Blue
grass orator once had great reputation as g
stump speaker, and Washington had chance
to see ON what that fame was founded.
Col. Thompson is thick-set, chubby, red
faced man, with scant hair on the top of his
head, talks in a free and easy but exceed.
ingly vigorous manner. His speech was
sprinkled with anecdotes, some of them toe
broad for reproduction, and his views regard
ing the stability of the seventh commandment
will doubtless provoke response from the pull
pits of New England.
Madeline Pollard did not hear the varied
terms in which her fellow-Kentuckian
referred to her as an adve uturess and shame
less woman because she left the court as
soon as Mr.. Calderon Carlisle had finished
his plea in her behalf. The speech of Col.
Thompson will be concluded to-day and
then Major Ben Butterworth, another ex-
will follow him.
There was something on foot IN the Circuit
Court yesterday morning of which the specta-
tors did not receive the benefit. Judge Brad
ley held n letter in his hand when the court
met, in which he seemed deeply interested.
He called up to his desk three OF the counsel,
Messrs Carlisle. Wilson, and Butterw orth.
exhibited the letter to them. and the four put
their heads together over the document for
ten minutes. Then one of the jurors was
called up and the consultation was prolonged
for ten minutes more, after which Mr.. Car
Isle took his stand by the witness box and
picked up the thread of his argument.
1t is thought that the cause of the con-
ference was one of the anonymous letters
which have poured in by bushels upon all the
court officers and every person interested in
the trial. The Judge receives dozens of them
every day making all sorts of suggestions
Major Butterworth is particularly favored in
the same way, while the postmen leave great
sacks of mail matter at the Offices and resi-
dences of Messrs. Wilson and Carlisle at
every round. Hardly day passes but what
Miss Pollard is the recipient OF offers from
theatrical managers, and even the dime
museums have an eye upon her. Most Of these
communications are disposed of by her law
yers and are never seen. Another class OF
correspondence which has proven of interest
is in the way OF suggestions from lawyers in
all parts Of the country covering points in the
testimony and prompting them to ask certain
questions OF witnesses. Some OF these sug-
gestions have been utilized and have proved
of value The letter which Judge Bradley
spoke to the lawyers of and which seemed to
be OF unusual import was probably one OF the
many anonymous communications which
have come to the court in increasing numbers
as the trial has progressed.
Dark skies were overhead and a drilling
Co.
able OF the trial so that there were few people
in the court room. Among the first to come
was Madeline Pollard, with the more becom-
ing bonnet which she has worn of late. and
the Kentucky Congressman. her antagonist
somewhat paler than usual, his paieness no.
ticeahle because of the usual ruddy flush in
his cheeks
Attorney Calderon Carlisle took up his re-
view Of the testimony where he had dropped
il las; night, and devoted himself FOR the first
half hour particularly 10 a discussion of Mrs.
Governor Blackburn's testimony. He re-
hearsed in u manner devoid of rhetorical atti-
tudes and in q colloquial tone how Col. Breck-
inridge had brought to the Kentucky lady the
plaintiff in this case. saying that she was
much to him and would be more in the fu-
ture, as he intended to make her his wife.
In commenting on the testimony of Mr..
Claude de Ia Roche Francis. whose residence
is in New York but who spends most of his
time in Europe. and who is n cousin Of Ward
McAliister and nephew of the Marquis de la
Roche. chamberlain to the Pope, Mr.. Carlisle
evoked the smile which for some reason al
ways fits across the court room at the men,
ton OF that charming young person with the
exotic pronunciation.
Mr.. Carlisle laid stress upon the fact that in
response to the no ice for the production of
Miss Pollard's letters. only those two which 1t
would be advantageous for the defense to read
were brought forward. After recalling how a
murderer had once been convicted because in
the furnace in which he had thrust his victim
he had failed to consume the mans false teeth.
the lawyer brought forth the workbasket
which had belonged to the late Mrs. Breckin-
ridge. which the colonel had denied having
given to Miss Pollard, and reminded the jury
of the testimony OF Mary Yancey. the colored
cook. who had seen the pair sitting on the
sofa together with the basket between them.
From the dramatic passage in which he
flashed the basket upon the jury Mr.. Carlisle
passed on to the time when Miss Pollard took
Col. Breckinridge from the side OF his lawful
wife at the house in Jefferson Place. with the
quotation from Miss Polard's testimony. u
said come to me Willie and he came;" TO the
in the Office of the Chief of Police.
to which the colonel has said he was taking
the young woman to place her in the hands OF
the law and where he mad sworn. clasglng
ItE HuDu. 10 Hst ou ilic DlSl Vi NAY.
The history of similar cases did not show a
more complete chain of evidence. Mr.. Carlisle
contended. The defendant asked tine jury TO
believe on ms single word unsupported by
shred Of corroborating testimony or conduct
on his part that the engagement of marriage
had been a concocted subteriuge. to disbe-
lieve the testimony of Mrs. Blackburn. OF
Major Moore. of Francis. OF Mary Iancey and
many others. and against all these take his
own word for story utterly and altogether
story which he had every posi-
Bile inducement TO contrive and TO stick TO.
THAT de.cnse stands wholly and solely
upon his unsupported word continued the
speaker, Il ask you 10 judge him only by
what he has told you here on this stand, a
standard by which every witness can be
judged without complaint. A father of
family. with eight children, devoted wife,
he tells you he lived for nine years in calm, de-
liberate adultery with this young woman. not
giving away to sudden passion, not led by a
misguided love, but that lust and not love
was the bond between them. During these
years he was posing before the world as a
Christian statesman, a man high in the coun-
ellis of the Presbyterian church, giving coun-