Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-08-04
MARRYING A FORTUNE.
A Life story From the COurts-Tho
wife In tho Mndh0use, ana the hus-
band cut on with a PaItry ThOu-
sand.

/
A Life story From the Courts- The
wife In tho NIadhouse, ana the hus-
band cut on with PaItry ThOu-
From tho Now York sun, 18th.
After prolonged litigation, the last will
and testament Of Mrs, Anna Maria FormGn
has finally boen adiudged valid by tho Cen
oral Torn of tho Supreme Court of this
district. A case more interesting and
novel has not often been presented to the
public.
Mrs. Forman before her marriage was
the pet child of kind and indulgent
father who educated her ut the most fash
ionable boarding schools. She married
Mr.. Forman in 1861, being then 13 years
of age, and hb q trilo over 48, after COM
monplace courtship of years. She married
him ut the suggestion of her fathor md
certainly without any enthusiastic love on
either side. Hor father died in 1856, but
before his death no gayo her all his prop
erty, amounting in the aggregate 10 $780,
900. She made q will in 1866 nitor her
fathers death, by which sho gave her hus-
band tho bulk Of her estate. Up to this
time she and her husband appear TO have
agreed very well, but they had no chill
dron, and never had any.
Four years later, with less affection for
her husband, sho made another will, in
which she gavo her husband less. Two
years later, in August, 1861, her affections
again underwent change, and she made
another will, by which she gave her hus-
band still less. Six months later she exc
cuted the two papers in dispute, in which
she gives her husband only bare pittanco
of $1,000. Although sho had no children
or descendants, she had collateral relatives
and one hNlfsister, Mrs. IIavilAnd, who is
her heir-at-law.
Mr. Forman appears TO have been ut tho
time of his marriage cool, calculating,
circumspect man, without vices or virtues
to excite or attract the attention of men or
women, with littlo education and little
means, and at tho timc of his marriage and
for somo years afterward engaged in bu-
siness which OF all others was least calcu-
lated to add TO or expand the ideas that he
had. He quit business in 1858, and there
after devoted himself to the management
of his wife's estate.
Mrs. Forman not only dospised, dis
trusted and hated her husbAnd-she feared
him. There is no doubt that soon after
tho execution of tho contested instrument,
she was in dread of her husband, and of
the servants whom she thought he might
control. II il fair inference that these
feelings toward her husband led her TO exo-
cuto the two papers which gavo 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 Ms much attention as he did the sery-
ants in the kitchen. During the last years
of her lifo they occupied separate rooms,
and the wife passed her days in lonely So
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, n man may
smile, and smiling be villain.
Tho last two years Of her lifo she passed
in private madhouse, where she was Ia
kon by her husband, aided by the police,
without any shadow of authority for the
deed or cause for the proceeding without
advising with her friends and relatives, and
without even the certificate of her physi-
clan, or Of any physician. There sho was
kept six months, without seeing any of her
intimate friends or relations.
After her death the will, excluding the
husband from everything but the 81, 200,
was admitted to probate by the Surrogate.
This decision of the Surrogate was appeal
ed from to the Supreme Court on several
grounds, the most important of which was
the 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 the de-
cree of the Surrogate, Justices Barnard
and Cardozo concurring. In his written
opinion, His Honor bitterly condemns the
husband and his selfish motives, which the
Judge declares to DO such that lie docs
not believe his testimony unless corrobo-
rated by other witness. Referring to tho
capacity OF the testatrix to make her will
when the two papers were executed, he
says "a mOnOmHnidc or partially insane
person may make will. A believer in
witches and witchcraft, in spiritualism, or
in the doctrines of Mahomet, may mdIte a
1OM"
The case, it is said, is to be carried to
the Court of Appeals.