Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-24
Forrest against Eorrest--The Finale
of a Frand ID, ma in Real Life.
From the N. Y. Herald

We give in another part of our impression
of to-day copy of the report of the referee
Mr.. Alvin &. Bradley, who was appointed
under judgment OF the Superior Conrt, OBJ
tanned more than three years ago, TO aScer-
tain the exact state of accounts between the
parties in the celebrated Forrest divorce
case. The famous case was tried in 1850.
and the jury gave verdict in favor of Mrs
Forrest, awarding alimony at the rate of So
600 per annum. Mr.. Forest dissatisfied with
this award, appealed. and all possible means
were resorted to by bis counsel, Mr.. John
Van Buren,, TO obtain new trial All Mr..
Van Buren's tactics were met with eaual
acuteness by Mr.. Chas. O'COnner Mrs For
rests senior counsel. To those who take an
interest in the turnings and windines, the
qnips and quirks, we were almost going to
say the absurdties of The law, the contest
was exceedingly entertaining. There were
motions and counter-rnotions, demurrers. re-
plies and rejoinders, applications for commits
sions to the other end of the world. or the
North Pole, pei haps, delays, postponements.
and, IN TACT, everything that legal ingenuity
could suggest, was done to gain time. So
six years slipped away. Mr.. Forrest had
continued his triumphal artistic career and
still maintained the place which he has held
at the head OF his profession during more
than quarter OF century Mrs. Forrest.
resuming her maiden name, essayed the
Stage, but with only moderate success
Mr. FORESTS fortune was at least half n
million. while she had only her professional
earnings He declined 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 on
ly moneys received by Mrs. Forr, st 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 presides at the trial. and the most i'm
poriant witnesses who testified npOn IT, are
Gead-we have an award which cumpels Mr.
Forrest to pay at least double the sum given
to Mrs. Forrest by the jury, and three times
what 1t could have been settled for previous
to the trial. The referee awards to Mrs. For
rest $4,000 per annum from he time of the
trial, and compels Mr.. Forrest to give bond
and mortgage security for its prompt payment
What with counsel fees, costs and incidental
expenses, DC. 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 thousand dol
lars.
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 il off and give
1t up rather than defend The suit. As FOR
Mrs. Forrest, size is one of the few instances
on record. whore person has made a good
thing out of the law. For her the bar and
the bench have been more lucrative than the
foot-lIghts or the cOllisSes. In the first place,
the matter might have been settled without
the lawyers. and she would have accepted
fifteen hundred dollars per annum, and
house to live in. Now she gets enough 10 st
up an establishment in the Filth Avenue, and
~ nm IL
my. lone woman may keep the VOL from
the door.