Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-11-27
TCos7es,ondence Of Ire Bab,n,ors American.

TRIAL Of NARY Ann CONNER, a. AIMING 70 -
BE THE WIDOW OF GENERAL }. !. VAN
Ness.
The Circuit Couc, room was filed his morn
ing in expectation Of the rial OF Inc lacy CLAIM
ing 10 be The wicow OF Gen. John P. Van Ness.
The interest grew upon the Court as the case
developed i'ssi, and he crowa increased as the
day advanced.
The Judges presiding were Messrs. Morsel
AMI Dunlop. The counsel for the lady we're i,o.
bert J. Brent, OF Baltimore, and Henry May. Il
this ciy; Il Mr.. G p. Van Ness. The adInlns
traitor upon his bfothers estate, aiessrs Bradley,
Cox and Carlisle The Jury was sworn -, bu'
with some delay on acconn, :: objections Ia one
or two Of The Jurors, alleged 10 have given ofn-
ions in the case.
Mr.. Brent opened the case in long address to
The Jury, setting forth what The counsel expect.
ed To prove, and the circumstances under which
he and his colleague. Mr.. May, came 10 be The
counsel The original counsel were George NJ.
Dallas, OF Pa, Mr.. Dent, OF Washington and
MI Lee, of Va. A recently as Inc 23d o! Sep
TENDER, these gentlemen wrote letter 10 Mrs.
Vaa Ness, declining 10 act as her counsel. they
did so as was said, without preJuticlng The case,
and with The view Of giving The lady tu'i time to
obtain other counsel. Mr.. Brent states that he
wrote to Mr. Dallas TO obtain his reasons
answered the Letter, though his request was couch
I'd in Terms that he thought warranted a re-
pls. Mr.. Oen was also written 10, bu, gave no
satisfactory answer. MI Brett, uater these cir.
eumslances, felt al perfect liberty 10 act as coun
sci. and he took up the Gaze. IN the iul belief mat
The LADY claiming TO be Mrs Van Ness, was all hat
sne pro!essed tu be- Mr.. Brent related Al length
VIVA, he expected TO prove. This was 10 sub
stance. that General Van Ness (who died IN
Washington in March lasD leii he city on the
2Ith oil july. 1915, for Phadelph that ne ar
rived in that city on the 25h; ett for New York
on the 26,h. and returned 10 Philadelphia on The
5,h of August, where Mary Ann Conner was
carried 10 John p. Van Ness. Previous TO This.
an illicit conn action existed, which the counsel Tor
the lady were ready 10 admit. She had been The
mistress OF Mr.. V2n Ness, and she had borne him
child. WIN died al the age Of twelve or thirteen
months Mr.. Brent did not expect 10 prove, by
positive testimony, that there was marriage, bui
The circumsiantial evidence was so strong, that IL
man could doubt the fact vi the marriage. Of The
law of marriage in Pennsylvania, il was said
that il was not religious or an ecclesiastical
contract bat civil contract merely. No Clergy
man was necessary 10 be witness, nor any ma
gis,ralc. One witness and no matter whom, was
all that was required No record OF marriage was
necessary there, and the marriage laws we're more
lax Than in any Stale Of the Union. IL was ad-
mjted that Mrs Van Ness might have commit
ted "a pous fraud" upon General Van Ness, but
ten .loid deceptions had been practised upon her,
and in order TO obtain public acknowledgment
Of marriage, sae bad committed some impfopflc-
ties of conduct.
Mr.. Carlisle replied. The depths OF the mi
Gen, Van Ness had not been fahomed. In The
practice of this Court and in this community,
there hal been no case like this before, and lie
trusted there never would be again. II vas one
OF unexampied falsehood, aruGce and perjury,
AMI twas the mos, cruel OF all pe1ury-peUury
against the soal Of man now no more. Mr..
Carlisle then entered upon the development OF
Mrs Van Ness characicr-beginning with The
mn;ou. frau.,D which she had commilled in pre-
tending 10 ee the mother OF children which Gen.
Van Ness ought to acknowledge as his own
She had offered 10 barter away her Legal inneti-
lance. and she had written anonymous letters, a.
forwards traced 10 herself, endeayoring TO e1'or'
some compromise in orcef 10 obtain money
She mad assigned all her Van Ness estate 10 Sc
cure her new counsel, after her old counsel had
refused to serve heT,-so desperate had her case
become.
If Mrs Conner was married 10 MIR. Van Ness,
who married them7 If she was married, where
found or could be found; and, according 10 Mrs.
c., The miserable suttetfuee was resorsed 10 OF
declaring tina, Mr.. Van Ness kep, the marriage
certificate. This was alleged BY Mrs. Van Ness
herself. and i, was credited by her counsel MIR.
Carlisle said be should prove both forged post
marks and forged letters, and some OF these forge
RES were 50 clumsy as 10 convict the torger-
She had not even lie arr ~ conceal her own hand
writing. for Mr. Van Ness letters as alleged,
could be proved 10 &c all her own. The 'pious
ira I'd" was again referred TO- and the last ore
committed vas in attempting 10 give paternity
10 child which did no, belong 10 il. This was
bu' one of the many glazing ac's, the proofs CT
which would appear in The cou:se of The trial
Mr.. Bren, asked leave 10 make some exPlana-
ton in regard 10 The assignment Of property BY
Mrs. Van Ness for counsel! lees. From previous
Losses. he had made il rule 10 secure his fees in
this way. He did not think IL however, ailose
ther courteous, tina, the fact should be commented
upon, though he had no objections. He held The
defendan, responsible FOR The ac;, and would say
that it had enaraled for an unworthy purpose.