People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1894 — WON HER CASE. [ARTICLE]

WON HER CASE.

Verdict of the Jury in the Pollard* Breckinridge Trial Wh« Kentucky Congressman la Assessed Damages m the Sum of *ls,ooo—Hw Asks for a New Trial-Washing-ton Woman Take Action. THE COLONEL MUST PAT. Washington. April 17.—The PollardBreckinridge trial is ended at last and Madeline Pollard has a verdict for 115,000 against the silver-tongued congressman from the blue grass region. The jury rendered its verdict Saturday after having been out a little over an hour. There was no expression of approval or disapproval from the crowd. CoL Breckinridge himself rose to make a motion for a new trial and the court adjourned. There was nothing but expressions of approval and regrets that the amount was not larger among the few senators in the senate chamber when the bulletin was announced to them and rapidly passed around the chamber.

The jury took fifteen ballots before reaching a conclusion. The difference was mainly over the amount of damages to be granted,and there was but one man on the jury who favored the defendant On the first ballot one juror voted for the defense and hung out for a time, but his colleagues thought he did it more for the sake of argument than because he was strongly in favor of CoL Breckinridge. A number of ballots were required to reach a compromise on the amount of damage to be awarded. Two or three jurors wanted to give the full amount of 450,009, while the others thought that merely nominal damages would serve to express their opinion that the congressman had treated Miss Pollard shabbily. CoL Breckinridge was very cool after the verdict had been rendered. He declined to speak at that time for publication, as did his attorneys. Miss Pollard was somewhat excited, but not hysterical, while awaiting the result and broke into tears when she heard it. She declined to be interviewed, and her attorneys said that she was anxious to efface herself from public sight as far as possible, now that the case had ended. As might have been expected with a woman of her temperament, the long strain of the trial culminated in a nervous collapse, and Miss Pollard is suffering from nervous prostration. She was taken Saturday night to Providence hospital, a Catholic institution in a quiet part of the city on Capitol hill, where she is attended by the sisters of charity. The attending physicians do not anticipate any serious effects from her illness. During the trial several communicar tions came to Miss Pollard and to her lawyers from managers of theatrical and opera companies offering high salaries if she would appear in almost any capacity under their auspices. Hardly had the verdict been rendered when a meeting of prominent Washington women was called to take action regarding the case of CoL Breckinridge. Representatives of several feminine organizations met at Willard’s hotel Saturday night, and, after an interesting conference, adopted resolutions calling upon congress to con-

aider the qualifications of Representative Breckinridge for membership in ] that body. Some of the organizations whose representatives took part in the meeting were the Woman’s Suffrage association, [ the Woman’s Christian Temperance , union and the Pro-Ra-Nata. Mrs. Sarah La Fetre, the president of the local I h'oman’s Christian Temperance union, ' and Mrs. Ellen S. Mussey, the widow i of the late Gen. Mussey, who is herself a practicing lawyer and is prominent in movements for the advancement of women, were among the leading spirits of the meeting. The resolutions adopted were: “To the House of Representatives, Washington D. C.: We, representatives of the women of Washington, aiming toward the establishment of a higher code of morals and against the atrocious double standard which has cursed society so long, declare that we do not believe masculinity to be a license for uncleanliness, but that, holding the same high standard for womanhood which men demand, one equally high shall be required of manhood, therefore “Resolved. That we must have chasity for chasity, under one rule of right bearing as rigidly in its application upon one sex as upon the other. From this standpoint we ask congress to consider the case of W. C. P. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, regarding his conduct so unbecoming a legislator. Be it further “Resolved, that we, daughters wives and mothers of the commonwealth, express our belief that types of the highest manhood are to ba found in congress: therefore, we ask in full confidence that the house of representatives join in the sentiment now presented by us and take some definite action to insure the high character of our country’s administration, aqd help the future national councils to present a clean and unchallenged body of legislators.” A prominent lady and leader in social events in Washington said Saturday night: “The Washington women have been quietly holding many indignation meetings and after the trial they will be heard. The notorious conduct of congressmen and public men at Washington is a national disgrace, and the women are now thoroughly awakened on the subject and are determined to demand a better order of things. “It is an open secret in Washington that there are women, beautiful, brilliant and fascinating. whose relations with congressmen or other public men high In the councils of the nation are either perfectly understood or sus pected, who are met at every turn at the most fashionable functions, often in the receiving line, or, elegantly dressed as usual, presiding in the tea room or acting as assistant hostesses Society knows all this, but so powerful has been the influence of the names back of them that no one has had the courage to drop the women or rebuke the men."