Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-03-21
THE VICTORY OF MRS. GAINES.

The annals of litigation furnish but few more interest
ing cases than that of Mrs. Myra Clark Gaines which
was decided in her favor on Thursday by the Supreme
Court of the United States. We copy from the New
York Times the following of the material facts
which make up the history Of the
"Daniel Clark who was one of the early settlers in
the colony OF louisiana was very remarkable person.
His sagacity prudence and business tact placed
him at the head of its monetary world while his beauty
of person. popular character and agreeable manners al
forded him similar position in the social circle In
1902 he became acquainted 10 Philadelphia with lady
ct extraordinary personal beauty, named Zulime Car
rere She born in the old French colony OF Biloxi,
and her parents emgrants from the land OF poetry
and -Provencetbe fvOrite home OF the Trou-
badours When Clark first met her, she had been living
in wedloCk with a swinder named Jerome DeGrange,
Who having dazzled her with gttering coronet mar
red her. and then disclosed the astounding fact that he
was cOufectoner and bigamst. Euime appealed Tor
protection Clark who being warmhearted and ehiv-
arous at espoused her cause and after becoming
convinced that De Grange had another wife living, es-
poused himself The marriage was kept secret, and IN
1906 Myra, Mrs. Gaines, born. Being natural
~ desrOus of having her connection with Clark pno-
lcy acknowledged one Zulime went TO New Orleans to
obtain legal proofs of her first husbands Tascality-
While she gone, Clark, who had grown into an in
luentia politician, became enamOred of Miss Cation, a
granddaughter OF Charles Carroll with whom he con-
tracted an engagement, though when reports were
Hume she at insisted upon release from the en-
gsgemen and she subsequently became the Marchoness
! OF Wellesley.
| In the mean time, z1lme had returned 10 Phadel-
pha and sought to obtain proofs OF her marriage with
Clark who had with singular treachery destroyed all
that he could discover. Finding herself helpless in a
strange country and with child dependent upon her,
she was wholly at 4 loss what TO do, and in her desti-
tuition driven almost despair she accepted the hand
of D.. Gardette, who, with kindness and generosity,
united his fortune with hers Clark in the meantime,
had become peueut but fastening 10 find his for
mer love- ascertaned that she the wife of another
he took the child Myra placed her under the care OF
| friend, and had her most liberay educated Iulime
lived for long time after that attained the age OF rs
years aud died at New Orleans but few years since
Clark, whose business talent proyerbial amassed
an immense fortune in Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky
and MARYLAND which lie bequeathed by will in 1873 to
his mother Mary Clark naming Beverly Chew and Rich
ard Re bankers of New Orleans executors Charges
have been preferred against the executors OF bad faith
aud mismanag ament, but however that may be- hyra-
then Mrs. Whituey-haying discovered at maturity that
her mother had been the wife Of the deceased million
aire, with impulse Of honorable affection for which
she be too highly praised determined to assert
her rights the legitimate child and consequent heress
| to the entire property.
That she met with opposition and with obstacles Of all
sorts may well be imagined but she battled for her mo-
thers honor and eviaced the commendable spirit
and perseverance, in spite Of most fearful ods Her hus-
band died but she remarked and in so doing enlisted
powerful auxiliary in the person of General Gaines who
believed in her legitimacy, and aided her with all his
might. Ii would be wearsome merely to index the va
rous legal struggles the attempted social osraesms the
teacLees the Sorrows the hopes and fears experienced
by Mas. Gaines in this work of her lifetime. She sued
in numerous Courts aud with varied success until her
fortune vas gone her friends convinced Of the useless
ness OF further trial. and all but her udomitable
sp;ri, lied. Sac still struggled en-, and as last resort
byough. the in is smpiude and its abyrinths OF
legal techuicsles 10 the Supreme Uourt Of the land
There after long aad patient hearing she has obtain
ed her victory The Court has unanimously decided that
Myra Clark Gaines is the only legitimate child of Daniel
Clark and that as such she is entitled to all the prop
efty let by hH Nor ere the and energies of the
courageous too lar lpeui 10 rreFenI ucr ENJOY
n.nt of her vas, wealth MIS- Gaines though now in
her ri y.nith year represented being agrceable
specimen OF What o!G people des il calling ladies'
OF the old school, She IN good hesh and possesses
an abundant flow Of animal spirits, which have buoyed
her up for thirty years under circumstances Of
unusually tryicg nature.
Mr.. Justice Wayne in closing the decision OF the
Court seems TO have placed peculiar and significant EN-
phssil the words that the Supreme Cou't would see
that the provisions Of the decision carried into et
iect-a statement OF more than Ordinary importance
whea we reflect that possibly the State ofLouslna may
dec.ae 20 tale coguyance Of be bound by decree
emauatng from 10 less tribunal than the Supreme
Court OF the 'lste United States of America"