The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-04

nail Of the porch, and was lying on the
How could such a scene as this, so open.
so near. and so affrighting, have escaped
the attention Of them all?
This may be accounted for upon two
grounds. and two grounds only; one be-
ing that Mrs. Pollard was killed sone
ghere else and her body dragged there,
and the other II at she had not been
killed at that time.
The first Of these however is known
not 10 be the case, for IT is well establish
ed that Mrs. Pollard was killed Just
where her body was found. There were
one or two splotches of blood on the
ground little nearer to the house than
the place where she was found, but IT
was in the little hollow IN when her head
lay when her husband found her; that
the great portion of the blood had bcen
spilled thus clearly showing that tins
was the spot in which she died.
TIE other theory, then, seems TO he
true of necessity. and II that be the case,
then Ii must be n moral certainty that
Solomon Marables statement. both as re-
CARDS the women and the white man,
must be the sheerest fabrications, made
for a purpose which he alone can tell,
and which in all probability will never
he known to anyone save himself. lhe
Prince of Liars title well-won ana
still wOrthily worn, Is correct dcscrlp-
tion of Marable, certainly as far as his
moral nature IL concerned. ana it ~.
therefore probable that even were he
now TO tell the truth, he would not OBJ
tain credence for his statements.
TWO POTENT ARGUMENTS.
Now. I'm support Of the theory that Mrs.
Pollard was not killed at the time Mr..
ClemOns came for the corn, there are
two powerful arguments deduced, not
from the testimony OF witnesses, but
from the very surroundings themselves.
one is that when Mr.. Pollard and The
others came down 10 the house TO set
the corn, they passed through tne safe
which commanded PLAIN ana uhoD-
structed view of the spot In which her
body was found. and which was almost IN
"a direct line of the gate, and none or
them saw it. And. yet that BODY would
have been, If there. as plainly ana az
startlinglv visible as IL Is I'm n is sketch.
10 say. therefore. that this body could
have been lying there in plain view, ahl
vet have escaped the notice OF all three
of them, would be TO state what IS ao-
surd upon its face. and which talr-
minded man cannot accept 10 be true:
Another is the fact that when MI Pol-
lard cams TO the house and washed MS
hands that he did not notice that the Dell
cord was down. .,
ously explained, is fastened TO the side
OF the porch, and Is full In the face or
anyone coming through the gate, ana IL
would seem, must have been nouceu,
had Il been missing from its usual piace'
II is too true to need argument 10 essaD-
lish IL. that when we have become ac-
custOmed TO a particular arrangement OF
objects, that they fail TO impress US a.
long as they remain UndisturOed, put
the moment that this order Is dlsluibtu,
we become impressed by the change, ala
that which has passed unnOuced before,
beCC mes Immediately conspicuous by lts
absence. And SO IL wOul seem perfect
w natural for Mr. Pollard 10 have failed
e. N I.l1 cord had " been II.
its proper place. but that he could hardly
have failed TO notice .ts absence had IL
been lying there on the ground.
Ii seems, therefore, plain That Mrs:
Pollard could not have been murdered al
the time. and that, as a consequence
Marable's statements must both be false
CONFLICTING IMPORTS.
Therefore. and Investigation to be made
OF this matter, should, il seems 10 me,
noe proceed upon any theory to he drawn
from his statement, but all that he has
told should be disregarded, ana a thor
ough and searching investigation based
upon extraneous testimony, instituted
and prosecuted TO conclusion.
II this is done, there are many CONNECT
ing circumstances to be explained, that
is If The newspaper reports heretofore
published, are correct.
For instance. the first account OF the
muid der, which appeared in a morning pa
per- on the 18th of June. 1895, ard which
was written by a correspondent who had
been 10 the scene Of the crime. says:
'Nlr Pollard was G. man OF means. and
was known to have always money In
the house. and robbery was the motive In
this murder, for after committing the
deed. the person entered the house and
opened a trunk and secured $500 but ala
not open any other trunk or any othsr
drawer.
In letter written to the same paper
,nder date Of July 30. 1886. but published
August /, 1895. a gentleman living In this
immediate neighborhood. OF the crime,
and who is thoroughly familiar with the
circumstances, writes as follows:
"An examination Of the house revealing
the fact that "A bunch of KEYS had been
taken from the bottom corner OF GER
tain drawer. and four or five trunks and
chests unlocked and their contents ex-
smned. such articles as We're desired ap-
propriated, all trunks and chests reclosed.
ard the keys replaced woald have said
TO any detective In dnmistakable Ian
guage, that this is the work OF some
person perfectly familiar with all the
Again, on July 80. 1926 under head OF
July ~. 1895. Green Bay correspond
ent writes:
zone OF the most remarkable facts con-
nected with this murder Is that not a
trunk was broken open. and not a place
in the Pollard house disturbed except the
three bureau drawers, which contained
the money. which shows conclusiyely that