New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-09
col. BRECKINRJDGE ON TRIAL
MISS POLLARD'S SUIT AGAINST HIM.
BEGINNING OF THE CASE AGAINST THE KEN
lucky ORATOR WHO IS ACCUSED or Sc

BEGINNING OF THE CASE AGAINST THE KEN
lucky ORATOR WHO IS ACCUSED or Sc
DUCrIoN AND BREACH OF PROMISE.
Washington March S-Congressman William c.
/ = BreckInrldge Of kentucky. placed on trial
to-day In the suit brought by Miss Madeline Nnton
Pollard who accuses him Of seduction and breach or
promise and claims 5000 damages.
Mr. Hrecbinrilge stands charged by Miss Pollard
with having accomplished her ruin when she was
schoolgirl Of seventeen with being the father OF
several children born 70 her. and with making and
breaking ii promise to marry her The alleged con-
,rac, OF an engagement IS claimed by Miss Pollard
10 have ben made shortly after the death OF de-
feniants wife, and broken less than year later
when he married Mrs. Louisa Wing. OF ST. Louis.
on the other hand Colonel breckenridge. in his
answer 20 Miss Pollards charges denies that he at
any time or place attempted 10 take advantage OF
the youth and inexpsrcnce OF the plaintiff or that
ne seduced her lie also denies that there was at
any time any engagement. contract or understand
Ing % marriage between them.
Miss Pollard AYERS that when she met colonel
Rrcckinriice shorty befor" the alleged seduction
she was a schoolgirl OF seventeen. He claims mat
she, .as then "a Young woman between 20 ana -
wears of age This In the spring OF 1881. so that
Miss Pollard's age now would be twenty seven ac-
cordlng TO her own statement. ana between 81 ana
- according the estimate ot Colonel Brecknrid&e
ON this disputed question there VIII be evidence
,s smtt ~ As tending To- establish whether
the plaintiff Of responsible age "heh 'he
Judge wilson and Mr.. carlisle. the plaintiff
counsel were the first actors In the case To appear
1'hev came some trln before Colonel Brecklnrdge
entered the courtroom. II" was late IN arriving.
lie was nccompauird 10y ex- Congressman benjamin
panied bv his son. Desha H. Breckenridge. and by
william r. Mattingy Of this city. VINO mas also
b.en retained bv the defence
II was 1910 o'clock when Judge Bradley. who
will preside al the trial, entered the courtroom
az attraction the Wnlte-nAlTeu ur-
PENDANT He looked well ana was hehtiy uteSst e
in a black suit HIS horid face. framed in his 81
very bear! and hair showed soms rev te
anxiety OF TN" past rev months pu, ot t w. ne
there was nothing about his appearance 10 sho"
ins in the halance Miss Pollard was not present.
Nlr MattIngy opened the proceedings with an
INJURY relative dispositions OF Witnesses In the
ease taken IN Kentucky and ONO. when nave not
arrived He said these dispositions had NOT peel
not b- admitted until the defendant had an oppor-
tunity TO examine them and to can evidence III
rcbuttal Judge BRADLEY sara that any onJ'Ct non
the dispositions arrived. 49,, . 49,,
dcpositIons because. he said they contained much
matter that merely hearsay ana wholly II
4 recess OF twenty minutes was taken az this
poiut while the clerk arranged for jury pol, Al
The counsel IN the case had taken the.r s"a,S py
the time the detail was complete ne c1un , LOT
the defendant was composed ~ nm Is hQiilNoTr
" A. Mckenzie Benjarin bu'tsrwoT.n' JTnn Was
rsprrenitd by J:e n wson CalGsrSn p gsrIe
ridge sat his cousin. Representative clifton K.
Brcc knrldge. OF Arkansas lie was the ohly 1oh,
gresham present: General swain. the suSp ,
Judge Advocate General of the Army, was also III
the courtroom. ,,., ,,,
son Of the defence told the judge that a mass OF
testimony I'm depostions had just arrived by mall
and been delivered TO him and AFTER cSnsuta r.o
10 a postponement until tomorrow TO enable coui-
sci read the dispositions The Jury was acG9rd
o'clock tomorrow morning.