Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-03-21
The Gaines Case.

The celebrated Gaines case has been de-
cided by the q. 8. Supreme Court in favor
of Mrs. Gaines, thus placing that lady,after
q struggle of many years duration, in pos
session of property variously estimated at
from two to fifteen millions of dollars. The
history, in brief, of this remarkable case is
as follows:
Zulieme Carrier, beautiful French girl,
had been entrapped into marriage with a
man named Jerome De Grange, who repre-
sented himself to be French Count. On
reaching Philadelphia she discovered that
De Grange was married man and a aconfec-
toner. Zulieme fed from her seducer,
and became acquainted with Daniel Clark,
one of the early settlers of Louisiana, and
a man of extraordinary business tact and
energy. This meeting was in 1902
Clark soon after married the handsome
French woman, but the marriage was kept
secret. In 1906 Myra, now Mrs. Gaines,
was born. Soon after the birth of her
child, Zulieme became anxious to have her
marriage with Clark made public, and she
left for New Orleans to obtain legal proof
of her frst-husbaHds 7illainy.-Clark now
an influential politician, took advantage Of
her absence to pay his addresses to Miss
Cation, grand daughter of Charles Carroll.
An engagement was contracted, but Miss
Cation discovered that Clark was already
married, and the match was broken Off
Miss Cation afterwards became the Mar
chioness of Wellesley.
On her return to Philadelphia Zulieme
discovered this new blow 10 her happiness.
She at once set about proving her marriage
to Clark, but found that he had destroyed
all the evidences of the fact that lay within
his reach. Poor and helpless she struggled,
on with her child until she met with DR..
Gardette, who learned her story, offered bel
his hand, and was accepted. Clark soon
after sought reconciliation with Zulieme,
but was too late. He obtained possession
of their child and had it brought up by a
friend, every care being taken of her educa-
tion. CLARK became immensely wealthy
and on his death in 1913, left the whole
of his property to his mother, naming
Beverly Chew and Richard Relf, bankers
of New Orleans, as his executors. About
the year 1881, Myra Clark, who had then
become Mrs. Whitney, took steps to estab-
lish her Legitimacy and obtain her share OF
The property. The case was hotly contest
ed, and dragged Its slow length along until
the unfortunate lady was beggared. He
second husband, General Gaines, pushed
her claims with vigor, but without success
As last resort Mrs. Gaines, now again a
widow, brought the entire case before the
United States Supreme Court, and here, ,at
the last possible stage of the contest, she
has become victorious.
Mrs. Gaines is now in her fifty fifth year,
enjoyed good health, and has kept up her
spirits and good humor through the thirty
years desperate struggle in which she has
been engaged. By the decision she has
established her Legitimacy, and become the
possessor of property of immense value,
principally in the city of New Orleans.
The Court, in giving the decree, said that
measures would be at once taken to en-
force the decree. The Louisiana act of
secession does not affect the Gaines decision
as all pending suits in the United States
Court, in which residents of that State
were concerned were exempted from inter
ference.