Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-04-05

uc auudlS VI llt!SdLiOu 1HrD}Sl no TWO
more interesting or peculiar casesthan those
of Madame Patterson Bonaparte and of Mrs.
Myra Clark Gaines, both of which have for
many years occupied prominent positions te-
fore not only the legal profession. but the
eyes Of the whole world These cases are
singularly suggestive, and peculiarly illus
trative of certain phases Of American socie-
!y, and as such possess other interests than
thoss Of merely pecuniary character. Each
bias reached, after protracted struggles.
decision, the one adyerse'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 fabulous amount,
but establishes forever the honor Of her
mother Had the Imperial Court been more
kind, the American claimant Of kingly
hand would now be in possession of king
ly estate. with her sons Legitimacy acknowl-
edged before the world. while, as it is, these
are denied her, and perhaps forever.
La view, then, Of the interest OF the cele-
hrated clause which has been decided ia ia
yor Of Mrs Gaines, by full berch of the
Supreme Court of the United States, brief
resume of its material facts will not be mis-
placed.
Daniel Clark, who was one Of tic early
settlers of the colony Of Louisiana, was
very remarkable person His sagacty, prr-
dence and business tact soon placed him at
the head OF its monetary world, while his
beauty of person, popular character and a.
greeable manner, afforded him similar .po-
sicion in the social circle In 1902 he be-
came acquainted in Philadelphia with lady
of extraordinary personal beauty, named
.Zulime Carefre. She was born in the old
French colony of Biloxi, and Ler parents
were emigrants from the land Of poetry and
romance--Provence- favorite home of
the Troubadours When Clark first met
her. she had been living in wedlock with
swindler named Jerome Degrange, who,
having dazzled her with a gitteripg coro-
net, married her. and then disc losed the az
sounding fact that be was confectioner
and bigamist. Zuime appealed for pro-
lection to Clark, who, being warm hearted
and chivalrous, at once espoused her cause,
. i'd after becoming convinced that D, grange
had another wife living, espoused her him
self The marriage was kept secret, and ia
1906 Myra. now Mrs Gaines, was born. -
Being naturally desiroas of having her con-
nection with Clark publicly acknowledged
one, Zulime went to New Orleans to obtain
legal proofs Of her first husbands rascalty.
While she was gone, Clark, who had grown
into an influential politician became enamor-
ed of Miss Cation, grand daughter of
Charles Carroll, with whom he contracted
an engagement, though when reports were
brought to Miss Cation, alleging her lovers
marriage to Zulime, she at once insisted
upon release from ths engagement, and
subsequently became the Warehouses Of
Wellesly.
In the mean time Zulime had returned to
Philadelphia, and sought to obtain proofs of
her marriage with Clark, who had, with
singular treachery, destroyed all that be
could discover. Finding herself helpless,
in strange country, and with child de-
pendent upon her, she was wholly at a loss
what to de, and, in her destitution, driven
almost to despair, she accepted the hand of
DR. Gardette, who with kindness and gen.
crosby, united his fortune with hers Clark,
Ill the mean time, had become penitent: but,
on Fastening to fn3 his former love, ascer-
tanned that she was .he wife of another. =
He took the child alyra, placed her under
the care of friend, and had her most lib
orally educated Iu!iule lived for long
time after that, attained the age Of seventy
eight years. and disc III New Orleans but a
few years since.
Clark, whose business talent was proven
bal, amassed an immense fortune in Loui-
siana, Missouri, Kentucky, aud Maryland,
which he bequeathed by will, in 1913, to
bis mother, Mary Clark, naming Beverly
Chew aud Richard Relf, bankers of New
Orleans, as executors. Charges have bee
preferred against the executors of bad faith
and mismanagement, but however that may
be, Myra-then Mrs. Whitney-havipg
discovered at maturity that her mother had
been the wife of the deceased millionaire,
with an impulse of honorable affection, for
which she can no. be too highly praised,
determined to assert her right, as the legiti-
mate child and consequent heiress to the en-
tire property.
That she met with opposition and with
obstacles of all sorts may well be imagined,
but she battled brayely For her mothers
honor, and evnced the most commemorate
spirit and perseverance, in spite of most
fearful odds. Her husband died, but she
remarked, and in so doing enlisted power
full auxiliary in the person of Gen. Gaines.
who believed in her legitimacy, and aided
her with all his might 1t would be weari
some merely to index the various legal
struggles, the attempted social ostracisms.
the treacheries, the sorrows, the hopes and /
fears experienced by Mrs. Gaines in this
work of her lifetime. She sued in numar-
GUS courts, and with varied success, until
her fortune was gone, her friends convince
OF the uselessness of further trial, and all
but her own indomitable spirit fed. She
still struggled on, and, as last resort,
brought the case, in its amplitude and its
labyrinth oflegal technicaities, to the Su-
preme Court of the land. There, after
long and patient hearing, she has obtain
Ell her victory. The Court has unanimous
ly decided that Myra Clark Gaines is the
only legitimate child of Daniel Clark. and
that, as such, she is entitled to all the prop I
srty left by him. Nor are the years and
energies of the courageous woman too far
spent to prevent her enjoyment of her vast
wealth. Mrs. Gaines, though now in her
h:ty- nth year, is represented as being an
agreeable specimen of what old people de-
light in calling ladies of the old school. -