The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-01-25
THE FORREST DIVORCE CASE.
Conclusion Of the Argument on the
Fart of the Plaintiff.
THE JUDGES CHAR
The Jury Still in Deliberation.
superior Court.
Before Chief Justice Oakley
0AruARINE ~ FoRn EST vs. EDWIN roRs


JAN. 24.-The Court was this morning crowded &C an
early hsur and the leading from the park to
those whose duty called them thsre could gain access
Mrs Forrest Mrs N p. willis Miss Virginia Sinclair,
attendance before ten O'Clock Mr. Forrest also
early at his post attended BY bis friends
CONCLUSION OF MR. ocoNoR's ARGUMENT.
About ten O'Clock, Mr. 0'Conor resumed the summing
up OF the evidence adduced par Of the plaintiff
lie said - am pereus dei gentlemen that your patience
occupied IL ,bis mud particularly 1of,rtunats
in oceupfns your attention on evidence OF an irs,sn
fcsnt Character (Nr ocoDor referred to Mr. wi'iis'
conduct towards Mrs hoirsst) Eut single oon.
fidcration remains 10 be noticed Much might b
saia to account Tor all this taking place the suopo
ou OF the entire innocence honor tho part
cf Mrs. Ferret. Now if ali that Is alleged might
have happened, even between the parties whom they
whatever took Place? The apparent resting OF the arm
on the ondtr me hit lave been resting of the
somewhere ard upon fomeihng else not far from the
person Tfis state of The niaht be supposed
II the witness be hight g. The identity and right in
everything ind does not exclude The Inference of en-
tire innCoence; for all that Mr. Willis has to is
that he did place his hand upon the person II
Mrs Forrest in auy indicate mspser; he has not
sworn thar he never rested bis arm against eome-
thing. But gentle mtu. n circumstances should not
be overiot ka6 in relation 70 that testimony
the great facilities Of observation in the family whch
lie appesys 30 have bad in respect to the premi-
s OF Mr. Forrest and the greet facilities in respect
to the particular room-the library; yet IL seems
that none of them the sister Of Mrs. Forrest,
who whenever Er Forrest vas ab'ent was there with
Mrs Forrest and when Mr. Forrest absent Mrs For
rect was generally absent with him Now they also in
Form yeu that not only did they the sister OF
Mrs Forrest but that they had any occasion 70
see the plaintiff at the me whilst there s full
testimony that these two sisters auty thsre
notwithstanding evidence has been given of their en
ing the evening in company with gentlemen Now,
Mrs. Vocrhes, without adeertng TO the evidence
bearing the question whe. her IL is reputable or
not was a young and attractive lady, it will be
admitted young. and recently married {, young
man ana the slander tnat is uttered against
her be true, that she and b-r husband anticipated
public ceremony In regard TO her marriage, by an i'm
proper act between that be that cir
cumstance weuld copduce to confirm the evidence of
pereon who thus took fr, edom in tho library
With regard to the sy spcs oP Mr Will. rSat
evidence is there ? Why, In the first place. have
that evidence which the learned counsel thinks
be regarded because it is ths testimony Of party d..
string 10 rxcupate himself although he has not set
forth the dogmas of his genteel morality He
have throwu out the idta that OF honor VINO
does commit dis honorable scr by invadios the
Of h's neghbor--by violating the chastity OF his wife
has biancr principle or honor than thst enjoia-
ed by Say laws or Heaven earth and which
would lead him TO commit perjury and excuse himssif
from shame IN consequence Il that act There may be
something IN that aIgument but il there be- there is
very little in it We have not been able to psr.usde
Captain Howerd to abandon his business upon
the etand Mr. Forrest has been fuceersfut in keep
ing away Jsmisson, be has advanced his testimony
60 set aside argument Of this description There 10
n.,is p ma. aI9umens. II thsre we're some f2uncaoon
fr the dogma that morality of that kind exists among
some men ss much by the words utters by his
whole prescncs The whole tenor ard scope of hs ri
dence chow the direction Of his speech when in tho
stand comparison of what hs and what he
OF his acts end movemt n.s with the acts and move
ment and esynes of others is the means by which we
epat- ascertain the Of his testimony; and
therer a~otemen. lies the peculiar excellence of the
trsi by jury and the advantage OF having the witness
On the STAGE. Now, gentlemen MIR. Willis has been
produced before ycu, and against Mr.. Willis
there certainly was spparsut from the outset Of
THIS caae what might be called very "dead set y
and acain.t all the friends and aequaintanccs of Mr.
and Mrs Willis for other out to them
every being who was shown to have any connec
ton with the famiy whatever uniesst be Frank Voor
hies and rerhsps two gentlemen connected With the
public pIexnamely, Mr. Parke Goodwin and Mr.. Bryant
whom 1t would not be very convenient for man to
attack Who anxious TO have the publ, press his
ride mr Willis was the fist person to whom Mr. For
rest in January 1850 had received any evidence
picion OF any mfcenduct ON bis part tor. remember
that from the lat OF Janusry 1850 Mr. Forrest has as
sailed fro n that time to the present he has made
charges against Mr. Willis. You will remember, at
en- early stage of this what tremendous auticps
tons we had thrown out by the learned counsel the
other ride to the trials witnesses would be sub
jected to IT we allowed the question to be introduced
was to be looked into for the pur OF determining
the cIedibit7 of that witness You must have heard
th. ina. often. heard Il til my ear was tired II
threat thank the man, far as I am con.
cerned, who strikes first and opposes But
the threat heard and have ofen-what did the
threat mean Was not for the purpose Of attacking
Mr. N. Willis upon his anna,ion, as 10 his
entire morals and character Fer my part eau put
other construction upon IT, for what the witness
was enquired of-his chastity and morals. Was any
such question put to Mr.. Richard Willis, and was any
euch inquiry addresed to Mr.. Raymond! Was any sucn
inquiry addressed TO any other witness -or t. any Of
all the wresses no came here to the mputaton
rs far might be- from themselves-as far their,
own authorities proofs Was any such question ad
6e,sd TO any one previously to the OF Mr. ~
addressed to any single one Of the whos number Why
were such questions addressed Captain Cacrat! The
learned counsel has told Us, with what frannes gentle
men leave you to judge that 1t purely accidental,
AID that he stumbled upon Captain Cslcrafs dih ullies
in early fe We were as Tar concerned well he in
the wey and the manner Of the accident.
MIR. ' an Bnren dtssented.
Dir 0Conor The learned counsel said that the allu.
son TO Captain Calcrafts wife was accidental That is
true; shen Mr. Cecrst sclosd the painful ehar,c-
ter of the Inquiry but very small portion of the acci
dent bad happened and the learned counsel determined
that all the rest OF the accident should happen
pose aush) be had told you Of It by acc
but gentleman, the lesiped counsel says he coadned
hiOeh To the deIqUercies Of Mr. Calceafcs wife and
tnat ne iuitnded otner purposes to inquire about
Mrs Robitstn Do 3ou believe that? Nothing
ss ciSerss 'psn .ha. aae oeses % al tSee thrssss
be made hs appearance the stand and he rgijly
crtfs examined How far his private morals mad
subject q inquiry Why The learned counsel
question which he would have considered lair one
II hGo been addressed TO hmss would have found
1t very troublesome TO antwer probably. q laugh
For ins ia, oe" Are you IN, mbes ef church ~ "Of
what chuich ~ Now, we know Whist stn't rcqu-
sef joined upon persons they are admitted
20 the piivi gee Of being member Of q church |
nirsd that but very email proportion OF Individuals
wso bsve the most perfect aiin Ia Christianity Of aood
N ris ard vtr, good Chrittans, far their belief
and general chservaton condered fall short Of tia
exsct requisites 10 eutie them hs considered as
members 81 TIE Churon Mr Willie stands before
far the confessions Of the oppost. party
concerned-impled confotsions--he stands before you
perfectly untaintei. Now, TO hts visits to Mrs
Forrest He explains TO you the manner Of them -he
explains to you the of them. Those viss
odeIate quite reasonable aud in the jus-
thable-oving to the kind Of restion which existed
betseen tue families. Ind, gentlemen, when [
90 thesa things, which the subject OF so
much complsnt-of sitting up In the house
oil the night as for the per5ons who eat up lste
at pigbt We find Mr. N. Y. Willis present, when
bis good lady also present and his brother, when
Shey came TO stay all night There pretence That
Mr Willis ever committed any Of crimnalitynny
acts OF an indelicatc Immoral uature-sny acts to
raise In the mind OF any mau prejudice against Mr.
Willis IL appears to be the fact that during OF the
period covered by the evidence in this case he ia
alEos constant attendance at the bed eide of his
loved wife terng to her every shape ia his
power s1d taking cue means secure her care and
attention, aud friends for her bsneAt: and pt the
last hour Of the night, whenever wskefuIoess i'm.
pressed his child, and he perceived that he could do
80 wi hout injury to the reFose of her who the OBJ
ect OF his tender solicituoe he INDUCED In expressions