Daily globe., 1882-09-18
A GREAT LAWYER,
Some Anecdotes of Charles o,Co

No local lawyer has ever gone into
court better prepared than Charles
O'Conor. He would examine whatever
he had been interested with in all it's
details, determining his own line of az
gument and anticipating every argument
that might be brought against him.
HIS great capacity was not recognized
until ne had been nine years in practice.
After that business began to flow in
upon him, and by the time he was 4S he
was ranked as one of the ablest barris-
ters IN the country. He has been lead
ing counsel in some Of the most import
ant suits that have ever been tried IN the
country. The two that gained the most
celebrity were the Mason will, which
ran fifteen years in litigation, and in
which he is reported to have made his
greatest argument, and the Forrest di-
vorce suit, wherein he appeared for Mrs.
Forrest in opposition to John Van
Buren,, counsel for the husband. The
lawyers had many sharp tits, and, as
OConor was in profound sympathy with
the wife, he was naturally very severe
upon the tragedian, who threatened a
personal assault upon him.
They encountered one another one
day during the trial near the City Hall
Park, Forrest advancing with a clouded
brow and menacing manner upon the
barrister. The actor was, it will be re-
membered, of colossal frame and gigan-
tic strength, while the lawyer is rather
slender and by no means muscular. The
latter, expecting an attack, kept his eye
calmly fixed on his huge opponent, who,
after scowling and muttering at him,
suddenly turned and walked in a con-
trary direction. O'Conor said at the
time, and has often said since, that if he
had manifested the least trepidation the
tragedian would unquestionably have
struck him. He characterized the meet
ing between them as triumph of mind
over matter, of will over brute force.
The lawyer could not be frightened, and
the player detected the fact in his cool.
determined, unchanging eye.
OConor's practice must have been
worth, years before his retirement, from
$50, 200 to $4,000 annually, for he was
long considered without a peer at the
American bar. Hisproperty is estimated
at 81. 200, 900, having increased rapidly,
as he never had any children, and is a
man of the simplest tastes. His wife,
from who he separated not a great while
after their marriage, was woman of
society and fashion, and gave many
brilliant entertainments at their home at
Washington Heights, which hestili owns
and has occupied for many years. He
was not much in sympathy with her fes-
tivities, or with her, indeed, since she
was in most things his opposite. She
was Protestant, very gay. fond of COM
pany and admiration, while he was an
ardent Romanist, student, an
egotist and a solitary. She was
one of the last women he should have
welded; for that very reason he may
have welded her. Everybody was sur
prised when informed of the match.
He was thought to be a predestined
bachelor, but he went off suddenly,
without premeditation. He madly rushed
on his own fate. She was widow, a
member Of the well.known and distin-
guished Livingston family, and had oc-
casion to consult him professionally con-
cerning her late husbands estate. Her
appearance was striking and her man
ners attractive. He found them particu-
larlv so, since after she had been his
client for few months he ventured to
advise her to marry her lawyer. She
asked: care you in earnest ?" He
replied Entirely So" And this was
the end of his celibacy.
Their union was specially unhappy
for divers circumstances, apart from
incompatibility, and the dissolution of
the nuptial tie was better for both. She
died some years after their separation,
and meanwhile they had never seen one
another or mad any communication what
ever. But when he heard of her death
he was greatly shocked broke down
completely, weeping like child. He
unquestionably loved her still, although
he never mentioned hes name after they
had gone apart. This reveals one of
his peculiarities. Uuder an ordinarily
cold exterior, and distant, unsympa-
thetic manner, lie an intense disposition
and quick sensibilities. He acted from
impulse in choosing his wife, and from
reason in renouncing her. Some of the
wisest men are extremely foolish about
women.