Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-03-28
SLANDER SUIT OF
BARON DE FOUST
SOON collapsed
Plaintiffs Counsel Unable to
Proceed for Lack of Evil
denCe and Defendants Are
Awarded Judgment

LONDON. March 27.-The SANDER suit
of Baron Arnold de Forest against his
brother-in-law. Henry Miner, and his
mother-in-law, Mary, Lady Gerard, OPP
ened today but soon collapsed owing to
lack of evidence. Judgment for the de-
PENDANTS was returned The suit col
lapsed suddenly when Lord Derby, TO
whom the ISLANDERS were alleged to have
been confided, took the stand and swore
that he had no recollection of them. Sir
Edward Clarke, counsel for the plaintiff.
thereupon announced that he was una
BILE to proceed in view of the lack of
evidence and judgment for the defendants
was returned %
COURT ROOM CROWDED.
The court room was crowded almost to
suffocation b va fashionable throng. Sell
dom has a more Notable array of coun-
sci been engaged in "A civil action and
bitter contest was expected The list
of witnesses. most of whom are prom
inent in the social world, was so long
that these would have been sufficient to
iii the court room had all of them been
present Many. however, failed to appear.
Baron de Forest. whose marriage 10 the
widow of Menier the chocolate manufac-
tuurer of France, was annulled. subse-
quently entered English society and mar
ried Mrs. Gerard, who is very wealthy.
having inherited most of the fortune of
the late Baron Hirsch The wife, who
is described as beautiful and accom-
plished later vanished from her home and
according TO the plaintiff. 10 TIE com
pany of Lieut. Fl. c. S. Ashton, of the
Second Life guards and a friend of the
family.
The plaintiff alleged that the conduct
of his wife was approved by Lady Ger
ard and Miner in utterances reflectine
upon him. He charged that they had &C
cnsed him of having beaten his wife
kicked her downstairs and generally be-
haved with such outrageous brutality as
made il impossible for her to live longer
with him
Miner who married the Duchess OF
Montrose. denies having uttered the al
legged ISLANDERS.
Sic Edward Clarke opened the proceed
ings by describing the married life OF
the de Forests which ne said was happy
until one night in May, 1909. when after
ball. the baroness refused to go home
with her husband. Instead she went away
with the young guardsman. Ashton, and
on the next day confessed to her hus-
band in the presence of her mother and
uncle Miner that she had been at fault.
The matter was patched up and the bar
oness returned TO de Forest.
Last year de Forest sought election to
parliament lie Is LIBERAL and his wife $
relatieVs Tories. His speeches in the
campaign incensed his wifes relatives
and the alleged SANDERS weer said to
have followed.
On January IS de Forest found the bar
oness' wedding ring in an envelope to-
gether with the announcement that she
had gone away with Lieutenant Ashton
thus completing the rupture between the
families.
In the course of his statement Sir Ed
ward divulged that it, was the Baroness
de Forest with whom Ashton eloped to
Palma in February. 1870 instead Of the
daughter of a high court functionary as
was reported at the time. Subsequently
de Forest again forgave his wife.
Sir Edward concluded by saying tina.
he would call among witnesses for the
prosecution Home Secretary Churchill
Lord Castlereagh and Lord Derby. The
latter was alleged to have heard the
ISLANDERS, but when he was called to the
witness stand said that he had no recol-
lection of having heard the remarks sci
forth by the plaintiff
At this Sir Edward said he would go
no further. as he was unable TO develop
the expected evidence. The case against
Mines having failed. that against Lady
Gerard also was dropped and the couri
ruled for the DEFENDANTS.