Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1861-03-29
The Victory OF Mrs. Gaines.

1he annals OF lt!Satlon 1ufnISn no lHo
more interesting or peculiar cases than those
of Madame Patterson Bouaparte, and of Mrs.
Myra Clark Gaines, both of which have, for
many years, occupied prominent positions be-
fore, not only the legal profession, but the
eyes of the world.
Daniel Clark was one of the early settlers
of the colony of Louisiana His business tact
soon placed him at the head of its monetary
world, while his popular character and agree
able manners afforded him a similar position
in the social circle. In 1902 he became ac-
quainted in Philadelphia with q lady of seS-
an%flinar.-psrfons.l t,snut y, Ahat1ed Znlime
Carriere q ;sh. was bora in the old French
Colony of Biloxi, and her parents were emf
grants from Provence. When Clark first met
her, she had been living in wedlock with a
swindler named Jerome Dc Grange, who,
having dazzled her with glittering coronet,
married her, and then disclosed the astound~
ing facts that he was i contectioner and a
bigamist. Zulime appealed for protection to
Clark, who being warm-hearted and Chival-
rous, at once espoused her cause, and after
becoming convinced that De Grange had an
other WIFI living, espoused herself The
marriage was kept secret, and in 1906 Myra,
now Mrs Gaines was born. Being naturally
desirous of having her connection with Clark
publicly acknowledged one, Zulime went to
New Orleans to obtain legal proofs OF her
first husbands rascality. While she was
gone, Clark, who had become an influential
politician, became cnamorcd OF Miss Cation, a
grand daughter Of Charles Carroll, with whom
he contracted nM engagement, but when re-
ports were brought to Miss Cation alleging her
lovers marriage tC Zulime, she at once IN
sisted upon Il release from her engagement,
and she subsequently became the Marchioncss
Of Wellesley.
In the meantime, Zulime had returned to
Philadelphia, and sought to obtain proofs OF
her marriage with Clark. who had, with sin
gular trcachcry, DESTROYED all that he could
discover. Finding herself helpless, in Il
strange country, and with child dependent
upon her. she was wholly at a loss what to
do and in her dcstitution, driven almost to
despair, she accepted the hand Of DR.. Gardcttc,
who united his fortune with hers. Clark, in
the meantime, had become penitcnt, but, on
fastening to find his toruer love, ascertalned
that she was the wife Of another. He took
the child Myra, placed her under the care Of
friend, and had her most literally educated.
Zulimc lived for long time after that, at
tained the age Of rs years, and died at New
Orleans but few years since.
Clark, whose business talent was proverblal,
amasscd an immense fortune in Louisiana,
Missouri, kentucky and Maryland, which he
bcquethcd by will, in 1913, to his mother,
Mary Clark, naming Beverly Chew and Rich
ard Rclf. bankers of New Orleans, as execu-
tors. Charges have been preferred against
the executors Of bad faith and mismanage-
ment, but however that may be- Myra-then
Mrs. .Whitney-havingd gdiscovcreda at maturity
that her mother had been the wife OF the
deceased millionaire, with an impulse ofhon-
orabIe affection for which she cannot be too
highly praised, determined to assert her right,
as the legitimate chi and consequent helress
to the entire property.
That she met with opposition and obstacles
of all sorts may we'll be imagined, but she
battled for her rights against the most fearful
odds. Her husband died, but she remarked,
and in so doing enlisted powerful auxlilary
in the person Of Gen. Galncs, who believed
in her Legitimacy and aided her with all his
might 1t would be wearIsome merely to
index the various legal struggles, the at
tempted social ostracisms, the treachcnes,
experienced by Mrs. Gaines III this work OF
her lifetime. She sued in numerous courts,
and with varied success, until her fortune
was gone, her friends convinced OF the use
lessness of further Trial, and. all but her own
indomitable spirit fed. She still struggled
on, and, as a last resort, brought the case in
its amplitude and its labyr;nths of legal tech.
nicalities to the Supreme Court of the land.
There, after long and patient hearing, she
has obtained her victory. The Court has
unanimously decided that NIyra Clark Gaines
is the only legitimate child of Daniel Clark,
and that, as such, she is entitled to all the
property left by him. Nor are the years and
energies of the courageous woman too Tar
spent to prevent her enjoyment OF her vast
wealth.
FRENCH Acquisition IN CHINA.-Ihe
Boston Traveller published the following ex-
tract from private letter dated shangal'