The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-28

by the numerous outbuildings Of a regu--
lar farmhouse. and YOU viii nave go1d
idea or the homestead of the Poliards. 10
the right of the house, and In the ex-
treme upper right-hand corner OF the iot
Is the corn house. on the left-hand slde,
one about the middle. and the other on
the extreme lower end OF the lot are
the chcken-houses. on the left side
OF the house Is the chimney. which pro-
jects about two feet from the house. on
the left side of the liorse In line with the
perch. and about midway between the
house and the left-hand fence, Is tree,
and about three feet from the tree a
post or pole rising some twenty or tweh-
ty-fve feet In the air. From the top OF
this post to place an equal height on the
side OF the tree there stretches a wooueh
bar, and on this bar is hung the line
which has played so important a part IN
the memorable tragedy OF the l4th or
June. This bell. which Is about the size
OF a locomotive bell, is rung by rope,
which extends from the bell 10 the porch,
and which, when not In use, Is hung
over nail driven in the front column Of
the porch.
At the rear Of the house the ground
slopes gradually away for snort us
lance. ard then falls abruptly TO- the
spring; so that person standing down
at the spring could not see any one IN the
back yard, and could not, in fact, see
even the top of the chimney upon the
house.
In front. on the left side, the ground
II nearly level to the upper end oil the
garden on the left, where 1t SINKS ten OF
twelve feet Beyond this there Is rise
and again another sink, so that person
in the sink beyond the rise could not see
any in the house or lot, or be seen by
any one who was standing there. oh
the right OF the road the ground rs almost
level from the end of the house lot ~
some distance beyond the orchard.
The hours between and c:3O O'CLOCK
Of June IA, 1895, embrace all that Is I'M
portant Of that day. Within those hours
the difference Of a minute or two may
mean the life or death OF two women,
and absolute precision must be arrived
at before the guilt or innocence Of the
accused could be established Discard
ing, therefore, all the occurrences prior
TO this time this is the situation az
8 7. VI. a short while before this Mr..
Pollard had rung the bell TO recall mis-
wife. who had gone over to Mr.. Robin
sons To get some eggs with which TO
set two hens.
While he is on the porch awaiting her
return ne heard two people talking, ana
on looking around he found Mary Aber-
nathy standing in the yard talking 10
Mary Barnes. lie asked her what she
was doing up there. and she replied that
Wilson had heard the ringing OF the bell
and had sent her up there TO find out
If he was wanted.
Mr.. Pollard told her that Wilson knew
that when he was wanted the bell was
tapped Tour times. and told her 20 tell
wilson not TO forget IT, While they were
taking Mrs. Pollard came up with the
EGGS, and she, Mary Alternately. and Mrs.
fsonard sat down in the front porch
shortly after this Mary Barnes took the
bucket ana went down 20 the spring 10
gel some water When she returned Mr..
and Mrs. Pollard and Mary Alternately
took drink, and after talking awhile
longer. Mr.. Pollard told Mary 10 carry
some wood into the cook-room for his
VIE while he went and hitched up the
hh 10 lie went out 10 the stable. hitched
morse nj l..
ny inc front porch Mary Alternately and
MS WlIe We're sitting there talking while
mary barnes had an armful OF wood
"hlch she was taking into the house
cAN THIS BE TRUE
lie called TO Mary and told her TO come
on UP 10 the field, and in a moment she
followed him. SO closely, indeed that by
the time that he had gotten into the
held and piOwed one short row % corn
from the road over towards the left OF
the held that Mary was standing rignt
where he begun. These rows of corn
were about l2O feet long.
IL could not, therefore. have been more
than a minute or two at the most. after /
he left Mary Alternately and his wife
talking on the porch before Mary Barnes
followed him in the field. Ii is certain
that up 10 this time POkcy Barnes had
not been seen around the place. II she |
was there at all Now, Marable's state |
ment Is that when he looked up TO the |
Barnes run out OF the house. give Mary /
Alternately "A key, and then run back 10 /
the front Of the house. that Mary Aber- |
nathy and POkcy Barnes were standing !
together, and a moment or two tlrs. !
Pollard came out, and that Mary Aber- /
nathy grabbed her, and that she was /
murdered ms above described.
This is untrue for two reas )ns-the ilrst +
IS that even II all this had actually hap /
pened. il could not have bee1 seen from /
where Mcrablt was standing.
II Is untrue, in the second place, that al I
this could have occurred In the snort
time between the leaving Of Mary Barnes /
and of Mr.. Pollard. When dr. Pollard /
went by the house. his wife ana Mary
Alternately were sitting H. the porch, so
that in order 10 make Ma-abie's state
ment good YOU must allow ume en'ush
for Mary Alternately TO have gone 10 the
hack Of the house 10 meet Pokey barnes
for POkcy Barnes TO nave come mp 10
the house (and Marable does not atlehipl
10 tell where she came froml, anu lot
Mary Barnes to have gone INTO tne mouse
where Mrs. Pollard was, take the h.y,
give il 10 Mary Abernathy, then go oal
OF the house. the hoUse-lot, ana up 20 tn0
field and 20 get there about ~ ltel w
hind Mr.. Pollard. This is so apsoiuteg
imnoesible that TO attempt TO prove lhat
- is untrue would be absolutely inpos9l-
bic. ..a. ,,ts
&c untrue and this proof IS the lt7b-
monv which is drawn from the plat re-
produced here. III, a.,
n Won win look AT this plat you VIII ma
,tat fhe cate which enters into the mousse
iof from the front is little 10 the leit
If tho house. You will also ind tnat the
firef tree on the left side OF The mousse l7
a little 10 the extreme lctt OF ul' 7Nt'
And If YOU will look once more ana uhu
the place where the body OF MIS-. TOE
lard was found You viii find that TINS ls
stiU a little further TO the LETT OF inc
tree In other words. you VIII ina tnat
a person entering the house lot from the
front would have an unonsiructcd tleN
of the place where Mrs. Pollard = ho"S
lay and that the body would pe ne,Me,h
the r1ersOn entering and the dark BACK
ground OF the tree which would throw u /
more strongly into relief. especially II I
the body happened 10 be laying IN 50 as
TO extend on both sides Of the tree.
TIE YOUNG LADY KSlw.
when l was there this morning I was
anxious TO know exactly tne position ln
which Mrs POliarls body was lying /
when found and on this being mentioned,
the Young lady previously alluded 10 came
ON and indicating with her loot one
of the many little hollows IN the YARD,
where the mould and earth seemed 10 be
OF p rusty tinge. she told me that that
was where Mrs. Pollard's head was rest
ing when she was found. and that her
feet were nearer 10 the house, the BODY /
the head being about ten feet IN 'front.' OF
and a little TO the left Of the first OF
the trees TO the left of the house.
u Is exceedingly improbable that
body of the size of Mrs. Pollard lying ia
such a position as this could have es-
cared the notice Of Il person entering
that gate; but that IT, should nave