The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-12
FORNES TALKS OF BLACKMAIL.
SAYS HE FIRST HEARD OF SUIT
FROM ABE HUMMEL
And That His wife Demanded 500 900
to Settle the Action-Mrs. Fornes esys
That the Suit VIII He Tried In Yer.
mort-Husband Blsmes Berthelot

to kettle tno ACttOu-"Es' TV"oS Sess
That the Suit VIII He Tried in Yer.
mmt-Husband Blsmes Berthelot.
Charles v. Fornes, the Acting Mayor,
made a statement yesterday relative to the
suit for divorce brought In We mont by his
wife. Eda Lyde Fornes. Mr.. Fomes de-
c,arel that Abe Hummel, the Ia wyer.
broucht to him the first news OF his wife's
intention to sue, and that Hummel tried to
cnt him to settle the case with money.
MIR Fornes says he refused to pay hush
money. and that Mrs Fomes then demanded
s,po o,,. threatening a scandal unless It wa 9
paid.
Mr. Fornes not only announced his ability
AVID intention to refute his wife's remark
able charges of misconduct and maltreat-
mont. but declared that when he has proved
bis innocence he will send to jail the per
i,,rrrs and suborners OF perjury
An acquaintance of Mrs. Fornes said
Yesterday that she had been advised since
ber arrangement from MIR. Fornes by
Raoul Brrthelot, a young Frenchman whom
she met in Faris and who has been IN this
country nearly year. He ID grandson OF
the late William H. Beers, once president
of the New York Life Insurance Company,
and is said to have large allowance from
France. 1t was said yesterday that he had
fl the city.
After his formal statement waa issued
Mr. Fornos was questioned as to the cause
for his wife's bitterness toward him.
Il attribute it," he said, TO the man
known about the studios in Carnegie Hall
o. Maurice He is aoul Berthelot. I
did everything in my power to break up
80 acquaintance between him and my
wife. He is at the bottom Of 1t all
Mr.. Fornes is much disturbed about the
cIair and his grief is apparent to all who
have seen him, but he seems determined
to make fight to finish.
Mrs Fornes made statement, too.
It was given out at the law Office OF Thomas
NJ Sullivan, the New York correspondent
Of Mr. Stickney, the Vermont lawyer. who
l. the attorney OF record in the divorce pro-
ceedings. 1t was in Sullivan's Office, says
Mr.. Fones, that his wife made her demand
for 100000. Sullivan was not at his Office
yesterday. 1t was said there that he had
been in the Adirondacks and at Lake George
for several weeks, and that nobody knows
Just where he is now Mrs. Fornes die
tated the statement to clerk in Sullivan's
Office. 1t runs as follows:
Il returned to town to conclude the sale
of my Eighty sixth street property. and
the worst shock which have ever received
was the airing in public print Of what I'M
doubleday by this time the public has pre-
sumed to believe a true account OF my
domestic unhappiness and the events SUBJ
seuuent thereto; and the martyrdom to
which have subjected my better half.
1T little behooves me, in my present
nervous state; to make specific reply to
each and every item Of newspaper gossip
which has in a misguided spirit Of friend-
ship been handed to me for my observa-
ton.
Il cannot believe, even though Mr.. Fornes
and l have disagreed in our domestic re-
lations, that he for one moment could
have been the means of causing the publica-
ton of the scandalous items which have
been forced upon me to read.
II have been advised to make no reply,
but after being importuned on my every
turn by reporters and photographers,
l feel it is simply my duty to say that my
suit for absolute divorce in Vermont will
he tried in the courts Of Vermont and not
in the public press Of New York city. II
the evidence is contrary to what Vermont
Justice considers facts, then lose my case.
l take my counsel from my attorneys, who
are men of standing in Vermont. l am
rot as minated, misguided by the machi-
nations of any insignificant.
FDA LYDE FoRNEs.
NEW YORK, Aug. II, 1905.
Mrs Fornes left town yesterday morning
after issuing her statement. At the Hotel
Cumberland, where she had been staying,
It is only known that her trunks had been
checked to the West Shore Railroad station.
MIR Fornes's statement was given out at
the City Hall yesterday afternoon after
The acting Mayor had decided that 1t was
time to make public defense. 1t was as
follows:
The publication OF the fact that my
wife seeks a divorce has been expected
~ me for a long time. The first l heard
O. it was when Mr.. A. H. Hummel sent me
4 request to call upon him in September
last ! saw him, and ne told me that my
wife was about to sue me FOR
an absolute divorce in the courts
Of Vermont. warned him that
such action by her was dangerous, that she
had no cause. that could and would meet
any charge she chose to make and would
unis to the best of my ability any one
who should do me wrong in this most i'm
l,ortant matter He told me that was a
public man, that woman was the favorite
of tire public and the courts, and that had
better settle the matter with her amicably
by paying her a satisfactory sum OF money
and arrange for the divorce.
i told him that my wife had wilfully
deserted me- that she had not the slightest
cause for divorce but insisted on living
apart from me, that was under no legal
or moral obligation for her support, but
that / would provide her with proper
income even II she persisted In violating
her duties as my wife and In living apart
from me without just cause. made these
conditions, however, that she should con-
duct herself as my wife should and should
live under the protection Of her mother
tthen living and should abandon any steps
she had taken for divorce and retract her
false statements.
Il heard nothing until Nov %. when her
lawyer, Mr.. Sullivan, asked me to meet
Mrs. Fornes at his Office, which did. Mrs.