, 1879-06-23
Raw York and Washington gooiety
EarthQuaked.
n,otal slipwrccls Of High-Toncd
Household.
extraordinary Deception Practlcsd by
Bcautifnl Woman.
A Government otRcial Betraysd into q
Diggraoeful Marriage.
revelations IN the Divorce Suit
OF Forbes VS.. Forbes.

- sptetat Carr1spondtnee Of 7hA 7rsttnr.
Ngw YonK, Juno 20.--1t Is only necessary to
mrn,Ion tho name OF Afr. Charles ". Forbes 10
snlst tho interested curiosity OF people moving
IN tho frst circles Of polished society In New
Tork. Washington, md other Of the largcas
,ut.s In the East md West He became known
IN tho officers Of the Government md the men
4 the head Of Nnuonal airars by his position as
fhcf Examiner In the Patent OdIco at Washing
tou, 10 which place his culture, his GontlcmanlT
sdJress, mud hia experience for n1auy Jcars as
intent lawyer en- lnentiy lifted him
Ills business freq ueatly called him to New
York, whero ho hau also large circle Of friends,
,mopg whom he naa alwnya welcome. During
Al, II reauent visits to that city he generally was
tho guest OF bis aunt, Mrs. Shears, OF No. u
irving place. Mrs. shears Kept a select board
ino.hous 50 In that admirable stylc which obtains
,mou9 tho best Of this clnss Of residences In
Nav York During ono Of Mr.. Forbes' visits TO
his aunt he was Introduced to 1ady who VAS
NJ nccupyipg rooms there, md who, hfrs. Shears
nforttcd him, WINS very wealthy Widow Of vide
connection With the best class Of people. Her
tsmc was Ellen Amnnda Fields. Mr. Forbes
v.s at once struck with her beauty, for shc was
IN unusually handsome. woman. with q form OF
the most exquisite mold. Tho ln1urance Of
htr dirk halr, and the Iustrous beauty OF hcr
black eyes impaired most charming cxprcs-
ston 10 her OWL features, md oycry lncament
,eemed m acccntuntion OF tho voluptuous
erace whtch clothed her who1o pcrson.
Mr. Forbes may we'll bo pardoncd ior admir-
fnr this lovely woman to tho verge of adoratlon,
and, as hc was hea-tefree, It Is not to bo won
dered at that be fell desperately In lore with hts
Its calls.at Mrs, Shears house vcro frequent as
long ~ he remained IN the cltY, und mutual
attachment Of no ordinary strength grew up
bttwccn these two. .... :,
When Atr. Forbes returned to Washington
correspondence waE kept up between him md
Mts. Fo.de, md every day each found IN the
other somo new cause for affection and respect.
During ono OF the Ecntlcmnn's subsequent visits
10 New York Mrs. Fields revealed 10 him The
condition OF hcr fortune, which unhapplly Wis
much lcss favorable than hc had supposed. This
tsct vas made known to bin during visit to
bet In the Winchester Hotel, whero sho was
then stopping. .-- .
Tier wonderful conversational powers had a.
ways excrted great influence over him from
the frat day he met her, hut ut this particular
meeting she seemed gifted With the clo-
ousuco of Mercury. Uncousciously It seemed
the blended With him tn reliovo
hes from tho exceedingly embarrassing
position In which she found hersotf placed. sha
told him that sho had determined to 90 to Cali
forYlsa for the sake Of her hcalt, which had be-
como greatly impaired within a short time,
6hs added, with an enchanting hbaitancy'' OF
manner, that shc feared she might not be able
To return Eaat, but would bo Obliged to remain
an tue raclac Coast among her Western friends.
II mug we'll be imagined that tho bare suE0es-
ton OF th!s forced separation from, the lady Who
hnd become Tho idol OF bis aoul, and whoso c1-
steueo SCENE d really To dill hs own lffe to tue
exclusion almost Of :eyen the thoughts Of bust'
uess, startled him. When ho nskud
for an explanation Of this re-
eolye II was only after considerable
delay that ho learned that her departure from
Tho gay scenes OF her former lltc was necessl-
tatcd by the loss Of d great part OF her fortune
This Was the needed spur to 'impol Mr. Forbes
to declaration which he had long medttascd
but which, is the hnblt With passionate lovers,
ho had postponed from ttmn to time. ffe begged
her to recant her resolution, to remain East
and 10 becomo Ills wife. 1t was only at tho
earnest and repeated appeals Of Mr. Forbes thai
sho conacnted 10 remain aMd become lila wifo
They wcrc married ina private paflor. OF tht
Filth Avenue Hotel, in response to her request
four months lntcr,l on Nov. 10, 1873. Th'
Utvs Oft AlllFB, "a DQetOui AAk1lhuGI
friend of tho Forbcs family, who was stopping
At the Fifth Avenue ut the tina With his family
performed the marriage ceremony, the opl.
other persons present being Alrs. btiles and Mr.
ID. Perry, who wns the intimate friend an,
legal adviser Of Mss. Fields.
On tho following morning tho happy coupl
proceeded to Washington and took up their rcsl
dsnco In hanl.omo suite ol rooma In tho Eb
bit Housu Tie proud husband introduced hi
handsome and accomplished wife to hls nuncs
Gus friends, rh3 included Gen. Babcock, Prcs1
dcnt Grants Secretary, Gen. Shernau, Adns'
lis 6treublo and DoScs, Judge Jcrc Black, Set
s.ors Beck, Morton, md West, Emery A. btorFs
Of Chicago. and tllcir families, and many othort
This initiated hor Into QUO OF I'll
most sclcct and Influential circles c
society, and she soon became
leader Of fashion in tho National Capitali he
own charming personality, addcd to the posl1o
aud honorable record OF her husband In p1ac
Of official trust, gained for her tho freedom G
sven the ordinarily exclusive houses, and tn
privacy Of the Executive Mansion admitted he
nono ot tho Intimate and valued friends WIN
Wcro received en- fansuls This round Of gsyot
continued Until tho 1st Of April. 1870, when Nj
Forbes reslgned Ills position Ia tho teutOitc
and removed to Now York, where he beRsn Ii
practice Of hls profession. He and hts wife frs
1!Vcd At the Coleman House, and from. the,
nmoytd 10 tho house Of Mrs. shcan
who had transferred her rpsldaneo f.ot
Irving place to East Tventy-gfst street. The
subsequently, lived successfully In Madison avt
nus. West Twonty-sl1sh street, and West Twcr
tv7seyentb street. While thor wore !lElng
The latter place Mrs. Fosbos pad vlait To It
bona OF MIR. Forbes, In Shet1lo'd, Mass.
At this upnt IL fs necessary to Btnta the stQl