The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-28
Witness Fails De Forest
and Court Rules for
Defendants.
BITTER CONTEST
WAS EXPECTED
Wealthy Peer, Whose Wife
Eloped With Young Guards
man, Sought Damages From
His Mother-in-L Law and Lat
ter's Brother-Notable
Array of Witnesses.

London. March 2T.-The suit brought
by the wealthy young Baron Arnold
de Forest against his mother-in- law
brother. Henry Miner, for SANDER. wa.
tried to-day and collapsed suddenly
when Lord Derby. TO whom the slam
dcrs were alleged to have been confd
cd, took the stand and swore that he
had no recollection of the same. Sit
Edward Clarke. counsel for the plain
TN thcreupon announced that HE wa.
unable TO proceed in view Of the lack
OF evidence. and judgment for the de-
PENDANTS was returned.
The case was heard by Justice Oar
ling in the Kings Bench Division. and.
as all OF the characters are well known.
inc courtroom was crowded almost to
SuHocation by fashionable throng
as many more vainly bes!eged the
closed doors caimoring for admission.
seldom has more notable array of
counsel been engaged In "a civil action,
and and bitter contest was expected. The
tlst OF Witnesses most Of whom arc
prominent in the social world was so
long that these would nave been SUI
ncicnt TO I'LL the courtroom had Eli of
1911 oeeH present. Many, however,
failed to appear.
Wife Fled From Home
baron &c Forest, whose marriage to
.iie WIDOW OF Menier. the chocolate
manufacturer OF France, was annullcd
subsequently, entered society and mar,
rled Miss Gerard. who is very wealthy.
having inherited most of the fortune
OIL the late Baron Hirsch. The wife
VINO Is described as beautiful and &C.
compNshcd. later vanished from he,
lone. and. according TO the plaintiff.
IN the company OF Lieutenant II. C. $
ashton. OF the Second Life Guards ana
q friend OF tho family.
me piaintiff alleged that the con.
auct OF his wife was approved by lady
Gerard and Miner in utterances re-.
!ectins On him. lie charged that thcy
.au accused him Of having beaten his
wife. Kicked her downstairs ana 80
orally behaved with such o,Itrapeo,,s
brutality as made 1t Impossible for her
10 live longer with him
Miner Makes Denial.
MINER who married the Duchoee ~
Montrose. denied having uttered ~
ahesed ISLANDERS, and set up the alter
49,, eiaim that II the SANDERS were
SPOKEN they We're true in suhs,anca
and spoken on a privileged occasion
IN ~ answer to confidential inquiry.
Denlal also was made that Tho ,,Ia
III reputation had been damaged
cee edT Edward Clarke opened the bro.
iiin fe IN sha BY describing ne married
, MAS happy until one night In M Saiu'
i'vs, When, after a ball, the ha ronass
In stsd Z. sba go home with her husband.
guard In sne wen. away with the young
uaS confessed 10 her husband IN ~
PT;n,send OF her mother and mnc che
Been 81 fa IL was as, stated. that she had
en a. 1auit. The matter was patcbnd
Forest icturned 10 De
70 Fast rsr,i gsar De Forest sought election
wife,s relatives are Tories. Ills snn nee !, s s
IN the campaign incensed his ,t.ifa,s
reiatlves and the alleged sIanders
wa ar SAG ihs h 10 have followed. Soon after
snip with Ashton. 1t was decIarnd s az
anuary % De Forest found her va
tha T,ne IN an enveiope. together With
away with the lieutenant. Tins CO..,
P,iieting the rupture between the fan,
Eloped to Palma.
IN the course OF his stateman+ ctr
EDWARD divulged that it Was the
baroness De Forest with whom Ashtnn
s!oped TO Palma in February, 1910. IN.
fu rat =, Inc aaughter Of high court
time. Subsequently De Forest aeain
forgaye his wife. an
., 81 Lu"drd concluded by saying that
ne would call, among witnesses for the
prosecution, Home Secretary Churchill
I4ord Castlereagh and Lord Derby. The
later was alleged TO have heard the
s sha put when he was called to
recollection of having heard the re-.
marks set forth by the plaintiff.
At this Sir Edward said that no
Woulo go on farther, IS he was unable
to develop the expected evidence. The
case against Milner having failed. tina
against Lady Gerard also was dropped.
ana the court ruled for the defendants.