Alias Agnes: The Notorious Tale of a Gilded Age Spy

In 1894, Madeline Pollard was the most famous woman in America. Her name was splashed across newspaper headlines, and the public hung on every word she said and waited to see and discuss every article of clothing she wore.  Madeline Pollard was the plaintiff in the Washington, DC trial that captured the country’s attention—she was suing a well-known Kentucky Congressman, William Breckenridge for breach of promise. He had promised to marry her upon his wife’s death – but chose another woman instead.   The courtroom drama unfolded like the best page-turning novel but behind the scenes, an unassuming young woman from Maine, Jane Tucker was working furtively under an assumed identity — Agnes Parker — to discover the truth of Madeline’s background. In her recent book,  “Alias Agnes: The Notorious Tale of a Gilded Age Spy,” author and scholar Elizabeth DeWolfe spins out a true tale centering on how Gilded Age women found power and, as we will see here, used it to ensure their agency, strength, and equality.  Part courtroom drama, part tale of espionage, part old-fashioned mystery, we now have the full story of Madeline Pollard and Jane Tucker for the very first time.