Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-07-29
MARRYING A FORTUNE.
A Lifc Story From tho COurts-Tho
Wife In tho Malh0uSes ANA tho mus.
band cut on with . Paltry Thou.

hand ont on with . Paitry Thou-
From tho New York Sun, 18th.
After a prolonged litigation, tho last will
and Testament OF Mrs. Anna Maria Forman
has finally boon adiudged valid by tho Con
eral Term of tho Supreme Court Of this
district. A case moro interesting and
novel has not often boon presented to the
public.
Mrs. Forman boforo her marriage was
tho not child of kind and indulgont
father, who educated hor at tho most fash.
ionable boarding schools Sho married
Mr.. Forman in 1851, boing then 43 years
Of age, and he tri0e over 4S, after COM
monplace conrtship of years. She married
him ut tho suggestion of her father, and
certainly without any enthusiastic love on
either side. Ior father died in 1866, but
before his death he gave her all his prop
crty, amounting in the aggregate to $780,
600. She made will in 1855 after her
fathers death, by which she gave her hus-
band the bulk Of her estate. Up to this
timo slo and hcr husband appear to have
agreed very we'll, but they had no chill
dren, and never had any.
Four years later, with less affection for
her husband, she made another will, in
which shc gave her husband less. Two
years later, in August, 1861, her affections
again underwent change, and she mado
another will, by which she gave her hus-
band still less. Six months later she exc
cuted the two papern in dispute, in which
abe gives her husband only bare pittancc
of ST, 900. Although she had no children
or descendants she had collateral relatives
md one half.sister, Mrs. Haviland, who is
her hcir-at-law.
Mr.. Forman appears to have been at the
time of his marriage a cool, calculating,
circumspect man, without vices or virtues
to excite or attract tho attention of mon or
women, with little education and little
means, and at the time of his marriage and
for some years afterward engaged in bu-
siness which OF all others was least cnlcu-
lated to add to or expand the ideas that he
had He quit business in 1853, and there
otter devoted himself to the management
of his wife's estate.
Mrs. Forman not only despised, dis
trusted and hated her husband-she feared
him. There is no doubt that soon after
the execution of the contested instrument,
she was in dread of her husband, and of
tho servants whom she thought he might
control It is Q fair inference TINT these
feelings toward her husband led her to exc
cutc tho two papers, which gave her husband
the 81, 900 inheritance. There is no doubt
that she intended by them to prevent her
husband from getting any more. Mrs.
Forman complained often that he married
her for her money, and that he did not pay
her rs much attention az he did the serv-
ants in the kitchen. During the last years
of her life they occupied separate rooms,
and the wife passed her days in lonely Sc
clusion. She was on one or more occa-
sions reminded of the apparent kindness
and affectionato attentions of her husband.
She answered by saying, Eyes, a man may
smile, and smilingsbe a villain"
The last two years of hor lie sho passed
in n private malhouse, where she was ia
ken by her husband, aided by the police,
without any shadow of authority for the:
decd or cause for tho proceeding, without
advising with her friends and relatives, and
without even the certificate of her physi-
cian, or of any physician. There she was
kept six months, without seeing any OF her
intimate friends or relations.
After hor death the will, excluding the
husband from everything but the $1,000,
was admitted to probate by the Surrogate.
This decision of the Surrogate was appeal
ed from to the Supreme Court on several
grounds, tho most important of which was
tho insanity of Mrs. Forman at the time
when she executed that last Will, and that
the instruments were not attached in the
manner prescribed by law.
Judge Sutherland delivered the opinion
of the Court yesterday, confirming tho do
cree Of the Surrogate, Justices Barnard
and Cardozo concurring. In his written
opinion, His Honor bitterly condemns the
husband and his selfish motives, which tho
Judge declares to be such that he does
not believe his testimony unless corrobo-
rated by other witness. Referring to the
capacity of tho testatrix to make her will
when tho two papers were executed, he
says: "a ,nonO,nnniac or partially insane
person may mako will. A believer in
witches md witchcraft, in spiritualism, or
in the doctrines of Mahomet, may make a
qpiu"
The case, it is said, is to be carried to
the Court Of Appeals.