Evening star., 1923-02-22
POLLARDMAYHEA
FATE BY TONIGHT
Murder Case Likely to Go to
Jury Today-Judge Hints
1 Night Session.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va. February 2:-In-
dications early today were that the
fate OF Thomas Pollard, real estate
and insurance broker, charged with
the murder of his former stenogra'
pher, Mrs Thelma Ham Richardson
would be in the hands OF the jury by
late today. Introduction Of two Oh
three additional rebuttal witnesses
faced the court when 1t convened fol
the tenth day Of the trial this morn
ing, and upon completion Of theil
testimony counsel were to argue the
instructions to the jury. This, 1t was
expected, would take up virtually the
entire morning session, as each side
was understood to have approximate
ly twenty points it desired the judge
to point out to the jury
Summing up of the case of the
prosecution and defense was to fol-
low, after which Judge David c.
Richardson was to Instruct the jury
Whether the arguments of counsel
would be limited was not indicated
court attaches pointed out, at least
four and probably six hours would
be taken up by both sides.
May Have Night Session.
Judge Richardson indicated thi.
morning that If it seemed probable
that the case could be finished today
or If 1t appeared that the jury would
be able to agree on verdict that he
would keep the court III session until
well into the night.
A surprise was sprung by the prose
eution late yesterday, when Paul )
Lubienski, an architect, testifying In
-ebuttal after the defense had rested
swore that a few minutes before the
woman was killed he saw her run
down the steps of the Pollard home
followed by the defendant.
Vhe witness said he passed the
house some time after o'clock on
the night of the tragedy and j. Mosoy
West, the only eyewitness to the
killing of Mrs. Richardson, was stand
ing in the yard. Pollard and Mrs. Rich
ardson, he stated, were on the porch
when he first noticed the trio. Be
fore he had passed the house, Luz
bienski testified, the woman. bare
headed, ran down the steps and onto
the lawn, closely followed by Pollard
who seemed excited, he said.
Did Not Investigate.
Lubienski said he did not stop to
Investigate. He was positive Of his
Identification of the trio, stating that
he knew both Pollard and West an6
knew Mrs. Richardson by sight. H.
said he thought little of the tableaux
he had witnessed until he heard that
Mrs. Richardson had been killed a
few minutes later.
The testimony of the architect is
considered b. the prosecution as one
of the strongest points in the case
against Pollard, in that, Common
wealth Attorney Satterfield pointed
out, it contradicts in an essential de-
tail the testimony of the defendant
and West, the eyewitness. Pollard
tion and again yesterday on cross
examination that he preceded Mrs
Richardson to the lawn and was
standing in front of the house when
she ran down the steps from tHs
porch. West testified that both Pol
lard and the woman were Oh
lawn before he left his automt -
in the street and that tho pistol \. -
discharged before he reached the
struggling couple. Pollard contra
dicted West in this particr, ar. testi-
tying that West stood be en- him.
self and Mrs. Richardson moment
before they clenched in the struggle
for possession of the weapon.
Dramatic Climax.
Lubienski's testimony came as the
dramatic climax to the ninth day
of the trial. The architect was Of
fered by the commonwealth after the
defense had made an unsuccessful
attempt to impeach the testimony Of
Herbert f. Richardson. jr.. divorced
husband of the SLAM woman. In
This attempt, J. Mosby West was
recalled by the defense to testify re-
garding q conversation he had with
Richardson after the latter had
testified. West was permitted to tell
absence of the jury, but Judge
Richardson ruled the testimony in
competent
w. L. Waymack, detective who
investigated the killing of Mrs. Rich
ardson, was offered by the prosecu-
that Mrs. j. Mosby West, who testi-
1ied regarding numerous alleged
thre"ts made by Mrs. Richardson
against Pollard, told him that she
never heard Mrs. Richardson make
such threats. The detective said Mrs
West told him that Mrs. Richardson
was "one of the most lovable girls'
s-ho "vHr '-r"w. Detective Waymack
also testified that DR.. F. Mel Bennett
H. l.. ,..m that he had had no
ct'+.SF on " S''e IL plSlOl III MIS- fIlCn-
arlson's possession. The physician
testified earlier in the trial that he
saw a pistol in Mrs. Richardson's
handbag during a visit she made to
his office.
Several hours of yesterdays session
were devoted to the rigorous cross
examination of the defendant by Spe-
cial Prosecutor Richard Evelyn Byrd
Pollard resumed the witness chair
soon after court convened and after
several character witnesses had been
heard. The defendant identified the
hammerless pistol. with which the
prosecution claims Mrs. Richardson
was killed, and, in answer to ques-
tions from Mr.. Byrd, told the jury
that the weapon could be fired only
by pressing the trigger.
The jury visited the scene of the
killing last night, accompanied by
Judge Richardson, the defendant. the
clerk of the court and several bailiffs
Counsel in the case did not accom-
pany the jury. A crowd of several
hundred persons gathered in the
street in front of the apartment
building, and detachment of police
was sent to the scene to preserve or