Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-03-29
Romance in Real Life.

ments annexed to it, has been published in
the New York Evening Star. 1t is alleged
in this statement that Daniel Clark, MGR
chant of immense wealth, who resided in
New Orleans iliany years ago, married
French lady, who had previously gone thro'
the marriage ceremony with a person, who,
en&iiown 10 her, had q wife living at the time.
Mr. B. at first kept his marriage secret, in
tending to make it public as soon as proof
could be obtained to establish the nvaliditv
Of the prior ceremony to which his wife had
been q party. Before this proof could tc
obtaincd,howeTcr, he and his wife quarrcilcd,
separated, aud the wife left Louisiana, and
enormously thinking the last as well as the
first marriage invalid, was married a third
time, to gentleman belonging to Philadcl-
rhia, with whom she lived till his death,
which took place recently, and Mrs. {. came
tn New Orleans, where she now resides.
During her connc csion with Mr.. G. a daugh.
ter was born, to whom the name Of Myra
was given, and who was subsequently sent
by Mr.. c. to Philadelphia to be brought up.
Some time in 1911, Sir. Clark heard re-
port, which subsequently proved TO be un-
founded, that Philadelphia partner -o( his
had failed, and was likely 10 involve him in
ruin. He then expressed the utmost anxiety
for Myrn, spoke of her rs his daughter, con.
vcyed two hundred thousand dollars for her
benefit to three individuals as trustees, and
made a short general will, bequcathing his
estate in general terms 70 his mother, vnd
appointed Mcss:s. Ref and Chew his cx-
cca;orS, to whose keeping he also committed
the Will. Afterwards, upon finding that the
reports OF his partners insolvency were in.
correct, he said to several of his friends that
he Intended that Myra should be his hcircss,
and that he intended to revoke the will Of
1911.
in JULY, 1913, Mr.. Clark, in conformity
with his repeatedly expressed intention, did
make another will, leaving Mvra his heiress,
with the exception of some lcgacles, and
appointing Col. Ballachassc, Judge Pilot.
and ChevaEcr dc Ia Croix his executors.
This will he Showed to thc executors and 10
Hiss Harriet Harper, and he also stated its
Contents to Mons Pois Poutainc, his conf
Gicati;.l agent, anl also stated that he had
deposited it in certain black case in a room
below tie one where he was lying. There
is evidence to show that Mr.. Relf, the first
executor nan,ol il the will Of 1911, took cs-
pecial pains TO keep Mr.. Clark other friends
from seeing him, about the time Of his DC
cease it is also alleged that Il few moments
before Mr.. Clark's deceasc, Ms Relf took n
bunch ofkeys from his arlsoirc, one ofwhch
was supposed to be the key of the black
case alluded to, that he went below into the
room where the black case was, shut him.
self in, and staiI some time; and it is Ger
t,lin that no trace of the last will has eyer
since been seen and that Mr.. RelfaccordIng.
" came into possession Of the estates, under
inc first will, as executor, and has never
rendered an account from the time of his
entering on that Office until this day.
The wonder and suspicion excited by these
circumstances gradually died away. The
orphan daughter remained at Philadelphia
ualcr the care of the kind friends with whom
sic had been placed by her fithcr, bearing
their name, s. ignorant other own parentagc,
ill 1882. VIM. Wallace Whitney, son
of Gen. Whitney of Binghampton, New
York, married her, obtained the history of
her birth, and went to Now Orleans with her
to develope the mystery which hung over
the settlement Of the estate. He soon OBJ
iained enough evidence to justify him in
filing a petition in Probate against Mr.. Reit.
Mr. r. instantly prosecuted him for libel
alleged to be contained in the specifications
orhis petition, and had him committed to a
common jail, where during the prevalence
of the cholera, he remained away from his
wife and children twcnty.ono days. Judge
Watts refused to libcrate him unless he
would give bail in the enormous sum of
$35,000. lie finally obtained his release
by removing the cause to the United States
court. This libel suit as well as Mr.. Whit.
ncy's proceedings in the probate court is
sill pending and undetermined.
4 schedule of part merely of Mr.. Clark 5
possessions, shows value of upwards Of
five millions of dollars Mr.. Relf has ci-
;ctcd saics Of which he has rendered no
account to the amount of more than thirteen
hundred thousand dollars
The age of romance has not passed by,
after all. An estimate Of many millions,
obtained by fraud, and enjoyed for many
-cars-an orphan girl, ignorant even of her
birth, and apprized at once of that and Of
Ter claim to wealth almost passing the ina.
gination of Oriental dream-a contest be.
tween her champion and the opprcssor, in
which almost the first step is an attempt to
take lie under color ef law, and by its per-
rc:sioa-ali these arc leading features in
tais remarkable story, whichwe have cuilcd
from the dry and formal details Of long legal
documents. 1t should be understood that