New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-24
THE FORREST DIVORCE CASE.
Cathariue y. Forrest a.. edwin Forrest-Edwtn
Forrest " Catharine n. Forrest.
SUPERIOR COChr-Bs!oTs Judge OAKLbf.
Tutpnv.Krnsr DAH ERlnAY. Jan. Is.


aud counter chargs-Action for Divorce -c'"f'H"ef'
The Courtroom was agalh denSeiy
crowded Yesterday Mrs Forrest, Mrs Wills, MIS-
Goodwin ard Miss Virginia we're present. Mr.. For
rest vas ia rs usual seat Mr.. O'COn0r continued
his argument.
CONTINUATION OF MR.. DONORS SPEECH
GENTLEMEN was discussing the history OF these
Transactions tetHeen Mr. ARD Mrs f0HeSi tlOse-
quently to their separation. ard before any dctuaIy
hostile proceedings hal been taken by hr. r. aho
had arrived al and stated some circumstances ABOUT
the Gay OF their separation on me ISL Oh hdS oi'
he'd there shown you, gentlemen. ihat hI. FofIes'
was anxious At that leno1, for cheap MODE OIL as
posing OF his ady-a mode thai AOuls De chesP ~
one sense, but very dear Ia dhotleI very Cosuy IN
deed IN al other tie was anxious iof Inole winch
vas best ard safest lie desired 70 put her IN a
toarding house. and dispose Of her at cheap rave
advert 10 this Circumstance IN order 70 make oul
the fact that am now seeking TO establish that ht,
Forrest had 10 doubt OF her punty and CHASTITY, ana
never intended 10 make any charge lnpeechng
either The boarding house project iaued, IN conse-
quence q the early responsiveness OF Mrs FOIfest'
The next stop, gentlemen, vas 10 TX the a!nODy as
Nh LaVssc technically Is = IN his corsspOhd-
ence that IS 10 say, the proper allowance 10 DC
gwen 10 Ms, Forces. However, unwilling TO IN
tocuce unnecessary issues into TINS cause, nave
salO not against the course OF Mr. Forrest In
relation to the 1880 or the manIerln Whcnhe IS
paid II, from that time 10 the present Whatever 10
crafty there have been In the hxlng OF thal, IL
certainly was iberality that needed stimulus, Tor
Nh Lawson admits that ire aty was going on ioI
considerable time afterthe separation tnat pr. 2 Or
rest willing that his wife should receive, as sn
ample allowance, various sums, beginning with the
sum of $500 and house to 1--we IN worth ABOUT $500
or certainly more than 1919 IL certainly showed
a reasonable spirit 10 put lady III bTirk house
herself aId Dung sister, WHO occupied the posi-
ton Of q daughter toward heT-aCcusiomed 10 nave
servants about her, Win An annuity OF hVe
hundred dollars II pertains as much TO mad
ness as to liberality. Such was the proposition
that made to her by Mr.. lawson that supple
60 between. and which she peremptOrLy refused
she refused TO accept OF this allowance she
claimed more, and her claim had gradually to be
acceGed 20, un'll 1t amounted to sum that would
support her IL a manner approaching what WAS que
TO the character OF her husband and her former
mode of life under ais protection. You remember
what Mr.. LawsOxs letter states. He denies tue
soft impe achment that he suggested that She should
be allowed all annuity OF $4,000, or that she should
acquiesce in it. and that no law should be resoreoto
IN that case. And thus you find tins liberal huS-
band making the hardest TENS IN his own favor
You find this lady insisting upon her claim
until he came up 10 the sum Wnlch
she originally willing to regard as sufficient
Now, gentlemen, call your attention to that stage
Of this proceeding Mrs FoHest-a repu5lated ha'-
lot, according to the statement here-pu. away ID
consequence OF her impurity, and delcaiey treated
by her husband protected from shame by acts on
his pant which should they ever reach the pubic
ear, would cover him with shame; placing hef In
respectable family, lying IN the same bed with her
for four months after he knew OF her gulit
IN that equiyocal position with gratitude ana
with terror. What was her p0sltlon' why, she
insisted upon regard being paid to her a
wife, and required proper allowance not
much probably, as her lord would be
pleased to give her, but such as she would be vii
ing to take She insisted upon these things and
against the will OF her husoand-she received them
But now call your attention. gentlemen, 10 that
which perhaps is the most striking and satisfactory
evidence IN this whole case-whIch, being in writ
ing, cannot lie. although there has been an attempt
to fasify it ] mean the letter of John Sinclair,
written TO HIM by his cOuntryman, Mr.. James Law
sen, and equally gross Ia slander-though pro-
DounCed III broader terms by country woman, Mrs
Underwood To this letter gentlemen, must invite
your attention Ii is dated the LIST OF May 64J, and
was written without the dictatIon OF Mrs Forrest
IN any way she merely requested him to write to
her father ana break Tie unhappy intelligence. IL
contains IN the uCgmtnt OF the other SIDE but one
important statement which has tendency to con- |
nadict their view OF this case, to wit that her
honor was unSullied And yet Mrs Forrest, so far
from accepting this defense of her chasilty-thls |
pure, high NH ded End honorable woman, confident
In her chastity and demanding no certi6cates-so
comic ent she OF her integrity when she read 1t,
alter II had been sent, saysas any pure minded per-
son would say-"l OBJECT TO that Why certify OF my
honor, which no one has ever impeached" That por
ton OF the letter alone commanded her Reputation.
Is that language, spoken In moment OF private con-
fdence to friend, the language OF a woman stepped |
in guilt, the evidence of whose guilt is wrapped
up In the pocket OF her indignant husband Is that
the language of "a woman Tepudated, sent forth IN
consequence OF her guilt, hanging upon his supreme
Will for permission to live and breathe In hoAor or
to be overwhelmed IN the pool OF infamy The mo
ment be saw fl Would she not have been most
anxious moot delighted To have received from her
huSbaIG' : bosom friend and agent certificate that
her honor unsulled And particularly, when
it came accompanied with note from that very
agent III black and white, which asserted her inno-
ccnce. Was she a woman seeking for evidences OF
her innocence seeking with CONSCIOUSNESS OF gult
to SHIELD herself against public condemnation 1
ASK you 1t possible to believe with this irrefrag-
able evidence Of innocence put into her possession
that she would have thus repudated II "Why,'
her first exclamation was" DO you say anything |
about that which no one has ever mpeachedl" |
N | a Al III
lie 10 word that has been uttered here. From
the time this unhappy affair was concluded between
them, she conducted herself, as she always does,
with admirable discretion Not murmur has es- |
capped her bps. Nj Lawson writes ;" Your daugh- |
ter's honor is unsullied. No breath of suspicion
can touch that All " no know her will bear willing |
testimony TO that" That letter was read by his |
friend to Edwin Forrest, with the kno Wedge that 1t
10 be sent across the Atlantic TO John Sinclair,
10 stand as testimony to all iuiure time against
HIM, and he says, 1t is we'll" Is such testimony
to have it's effect Men have indeed lost their
reason, unless both these questions be answered IN
favor of the administration of justice Edwin For
rest had more doubt or suspicion Of his wfes IN
fidelity on the LIST Of May, lsi9, than he had on
the DAY he took that blooming glrl from ner
fathers side and believe he has Just as little Sus-
pcion now as he had al either OF those former Pc
RODS. Now gentlemen the next stage in this mat
ter is Mr. LaWsons attempt TO bring about recon
citation between these parties M Lawson was
Mi. Forests man OF business, upon all occasions
ready to serve him You hnd HIM residing AZ his |
house. You find him engaged IN an effort Ia bring |
about Iecopclltion and he undertakes 10 tell no"
he failed He acted he says for the benefit of Mr..
Forrest and beyond doubt he was acting IN the
interest OF MIR. Forrest She tells him repeat |
eddy, 81 did not GEEK your interference, but you
chose to go on, and YOU have produced mischief !
ard evil" 1t is unnecessary to go on and produce
evidence seanSt the course OF Lawson in that re-
sptct But must call your attention TO dates Mrs
Forrest spent short time with Mr. Godwins
family. She then went for another month or 50, to
the house of hei friend Mrs. Willis. Thenshe went
TO board with her sister in Great Jones-st. and
finally, by tie LIST OF October, she took up her resi-
cence in Sixttenihst 1t was after that residence
commenced that MIR. Forests negotiations be-
gan, and they terminated about the lst OF
October, IN a manner that was rather unsatstac-
tory TO him, fer Mrs. Forrest wrote TO Mr.. Law
son the following letter mir. OConnor read the
letter deprecatng the lhieIft OF Mr.. Lagson.l
when saw Mr.. Forrest, subsequent "a our seps-