The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-13
Forrest Against Forrest-The- Finale OF
Grand Drama In Real Life.

Grand Drama In Real Life.
We give in another part Of our impression Of
to. day copy Of the report Of the referee,
Mr.. Alvin G. Bradley, who was appointed under
a Judgment of the Superior Court, obtained
more than three years ago, to ascertain the ex-
act state of accounts between the parties in the
celebrated Forrest divorce case. This famous
cause was tried in 1850, and the jury gave
verdict in favor of Mrs. Forrest, awarding ali
mony at the rate of three thousand dollars per
annum Mr.. Forrest, dissatisfied with this award,
appealed, and all possible means were resorted
to by his cousel, Mr.. John Van Buren,, to obtain
new trial All Mr.. Van Buren's tactics We're
met with equal acuteness by Mr.. Charles
OConor, Mrs. Forests senior counsel. To
wndipgs, the quips and quirks, we were almost
going to say the absurdities of the law, the
contest was exceedingly entertaining. There
were motions and countermotions, demurrers
replies and rejoinders applications for COM
missions to the other end of the world, or the
North Pole, perhaps; delays, postponements,
and, in fact, everything that legal ingenuity
could suggest was done to gain time. So, six
years slipped away. Mr.. Forrest had con
tinued his triumphal artistic career, and still
maintained the place which he has held at the
head of his profession during more than a
quarter of century. Mrs. Forrest, resuming
her maiden name, essayed the stage, but with
only moderate success. Mr.. Forests fortune
was at least half million, while she
had only her professional earnings. He de-
clined to pay her anything whatsoever
in the shape of alimony, having like the Jew
of Venice, ian oath in Heaven" to contest the
case to the bitter end. The only moneys re-
ceived by Mrs. Forrest from her husband were
some small allowances while the cause was
being tried. And now, when the final issue is
reached-when the Judge who presided at the
trial, and the most important witnesses who tes-
tilted upon it, are dead-we have an award
which compels Mr. Forrest to pay at least dou-
BILE the sum given to Mrs. Forrest by the jury,
and three times what it could have been settled
for previous to the trial. The referee awards
to Mrs. Forrest four thousand dollars per an
mum from the time Of the trial, and compels
Mr.. Forrest to give bond and mortgage securi-
ty for its prompt payment. What with coun-
sci fees, costs and incidental expenses, &C., the
sum total to come out of the great tragedian's
pockets, to say nothing of the wear and tear of
his temper, which must have been something
awful, will not be much less than hundred thou
sand dollars; and, withal, he has a fair prospect
Of paying alimony for many years yet to come,
Mrs Forests being considered, in the assurance
view, good life. In fact, annuitants, like Of
fee holders, rarely die and never resign their
claims.
We do not hesitate to say that Mr.. Forrest
has come to this pass simply and solely by not
taking some good advice which we, more gene
rous than the lawyers, gave to him gratis, years
ago. These lawyers are terrible fellows, and
when once they get their teeth in good round
bank account there is no such thing as shaking
them off Mr.. Forrest should have remembered
the old story about the English jurist who said
that if man should bring an action against him
for his coat, he would take it off and give it up
rather than defend the suit As for Mrs.
Forrest, she is one of the few instances on
record where a person has made a
good thing out Of the law. For her the bar
and the bench have been more lucrative than
the footlights or the coodisses In the first
place, the matter might have been settled with
out the lawyers, and she would have accepted
fifteen hundred dollars per annum, with
house to live in. Now she gets enough to set
up an establishment in the Fifth avenue, and
an annuity with which, by strict economy,
lone woman may keep the wolf from the door.
We sincerely hope that both parties to the
great case will receive the decision Of the law
with becoming dignity. Mr.. Forrest, with still
a great fortune and with no heirs Of his body,
can afford to be philosophical, and pay up
without murmur. Mrs. Forrest, who has suf-
fered much, and, they say, looks rather the bet
terror it, can certainly indulge in the luxury of
magnanimity, and will not be over boastful of
her triumph She has done so well with the
law that she might now find her account in
trying little Of the Gospel. If she desires
to join the church, and spend the rest Of her
life in good works, she may find distinguished
roll Of fame. Pompadour and De Maintenon
were seriously inclined; and Lola Montez, as we
are told, is bright and shining light among the
New Connection Methodists, and can quote
Sturgeon for an hour together. Let Mrs. For
rest exchange Shakespeare for "Watts on the
Mind" Sheridan for "Hervey's Meditations,"
Knowles plays for Knowles sermons, Scribe
for Jeremy Taylor, Beaumont and Fletcher for
Bosseut and Baxter; and, by all means and in
all verify, let her avoid the footlights for
evermore.
As for Mr.. Forrest, he has, according to COM
mon report, resolved to leave the stage, and to
shake from off his feet so much Of the dust of
this wicked and unregenerate metropolis as
Col. Delavan's street sweeping machines have
left. In the quiet village of Philadelphia, Sc
ol,,dad his hanl,s ha zrr;I