Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-03-27
THE VICTORY OF MRS. GAINES.

Madame Paterson Bonaparte, and of Mrs. Ny
ra Clark Gaines, both of which have, for many
years, occupied prominent positions before,
not only the legal profession, but the eyes of
the world. These cases are singularly sugges-
tive, and peculiarly illustrative of certain pha-
ses OF American society, and as such, possess
other interests than those of a merely pecuni-
ary character. Each has reached, after por-
tracted struggles, decision, the one adverse
to and the other in favor of the claimant-the
one loses all she deemed worth living for.
while the other gains not only fortune of fab
ulous amount, but establishes forever the hon
or OF her mother. Had the Imperial Court
been more kind, the American claimant of a
kingly hand would now be in possession of
vast estate, with her sons legitimacy acknowl-
edged before the world, WHILE as it is. these
are denied her, and perhaps forever. In view,
of the interest of the celebrated cause which
was recently decided in favor of Mrs. Gaines,
by full bench of the Supreme Court of the
United States, a brief resume of its material
facts will be not misplaced.
Daniel Clark, who was one OF the early set
tiers in the colony of Louisiana, was a very re-
markable person. His sagacfty, prudence and
business tact, soon placed him at the head of
its monetary world, while his beauty of per-
son, popular character, and agreeable manners
afforded him similar position in the social
circle. In 1902 he became acquainted in
Philadelphia with lady of extraordinary per-
sonal beauty, named Zulime Carriere. She
was born in the old French colony of Biloxi.
and her parents were emigrants from the land
of poetry and romance-Provence-the favor
ite home of the Troubadours. When Clark
first met her, she had been living in wedlock
with swindler named Jerome De Grange,
who, having daZzled her with glittering cor
onet, married her, and then disclosed the as
founding facts that he was a confectioner and
a bigamist. Zuime appealed for protection
to Clark, who being warm hearted and chval-
rous, at once espoused her cause, and after be-
coming convinced that De Grange had another
wife living, espoused her himself The mar
riage was kept secret, and in 1906 Myra, now
Mr.. Gaines, was born. Being naturally desir-
Gus of having her connection with Clark pub
liciy acknowledged one, Zulime went to New
Orlerns to obtain legal proofs of her first hus-
bands rascaity. While she was gone, Clark,
who had grown into an influential politician,
became enamored of Miss Cation, a grand
daughter of Charles Carroll, with whom he con-
tracted an engagement, though when reports
were brought to Miss Cation alleging her low
er's marriage to Zulime, she at once insisted
upon a release from the engagement, and she
subsequently became the Marchioness of
Wellesley. "a, -r.4.E --r - -.
In the meantime, Zulime had returned to
Philadelphia, and sought to obtain proofs of
her marriage with Clark, who had, with singu-
lar treachery, destroyed all that he could dis
cover. Finding herself helpless, in a strange
country, and with child dependent upon her,
she was wholly at loss what to do, and, in
her destitution, driven almost to despair, she
accepted the hand of DR.. Gardette, who, with
kindness and generosity, united his fortune
with hers. Clark, in the meantime, had be-
come penitent, but, on Fastening to find his
former love, ascertained that she was the wife
of another. He took the child Myra, placed
her under the care of friend, and had her
.l~c,z I,.ts
long time after that, attained the age of 78
years, and died at New-OrIeans but few
years since.
Clark. whose business talent was proverbial,
amassed an immense fortune in Louisiana,
Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland which he
bequeathed by will, in 1913, to his mother,
Mary Clark, naming Beverly Chew and Rich
ard Relf, 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-having discovered at maturi-
ty that her mother had been the wife of the
deceased millionaire, with an impulse of hon.
orable affection for which she cannot be too
highly praised, determined to assert her right,
as the legitimate child and consequent heir
ess. to the entire property.
That she met with opposition and with OBJ
stacles of all sorts may well be imagined, but
she battled for her mothers honor, and evn-
ced the most commendable spirit and perse
verance, In spite of most fearful odds. Her
husband died, but she remarked, and in SO
doing enlisted powerful auxiliary in the per-
son Of Gen. Gaines, who believed in her le-
gitimacy, and aided her with all his might.
1t would be wearisome merely to index the va
rious legal struggles, the attempted social os
tracism, the treacheres, the sorrows, the
hopes and fears experienced by Mrs. Gaines
in this work of her lifetime. She sued in nu-
merous Courts, and with varied success, until
her fortune was gone, her friends convinced
of the uselessness of further trial, and all but
her own indomitable spirit fed. She still
on, and as a last resort, brought the
case in its amplitude and its labyrinths Of le
gal technicalIties to the Supreme Court of the
land. There, after long and patient hearing.
she obtained her victory. The Court has u
unanimously decided that Myra Clark Gaines
is the only legitimate child of Daniel Clark and
that, as such, she is entitled to all the proper
ty left by him. Nor are the years and ener-
gies OF the courageous woman too far spent to
prevent her enjoyment of her vast wealth.
Mrs. Gaines, though now in her fifty fifth year,
is represented as being an agreeable specimen
of what old people delight in calling ssladies
of the old SCHOOL, She is in good health,
and possesses an abundant flow of animal spir-
its, which have buoyed her up for over thirty
years under circumstances of an unusually
trying nature.
Mr.. Justice Wayne, in closing the decision
of the Court, seems to have placed peculiar
and significant emphasis on the words, that
the Supreme Court would see that the proyis-
ions of the decision were CARRIED into effect
a statement of more than ordinary importance
when we reflect that possibly the State of
Louisiana may decline TO take cognizance of,
or be bound by, decree emanating from no
less tribunal than the Supreme Court of the
sslate United States. of America
In a, remote district of Canada, a few weeks