Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-04-10
The Celebrated Gaines Case.

The final decision or the SulG OF Mrs. 0alneS
against the City OF New Orleans, by the Su-
preme Court terminates one of the most ex-
traordinary cases of litigation in the whole his
torv Of civil jurisprudence 1t is remarkable,
saws the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, lin an
able review Of the case, for the curiosity OF
the case itself; for the large amount OF pro
perry which it involves: and for the wonder
ful display of enduring pertlnaclty with which
the plaintiff has devoted her lite to the pros
cution ofwhat has long beenhe!d TO be hopeless
cause Seven times has Mrs Gaines pleaded
her case before the Supreme Court sometimes
with partial success. sometimes with none, I'M
til. at last after forty years oflncessant htlga
ton, she has won the day and established her
claim to large portion Of the city OF New
Orleans. valued very modeslly, at five millions
of dollars This fight has been fought by Mrs
Gaines single handed She has literally gone
through fire and food as she has travelled
over the country, always intent upon the one
great business Of her life. With buoyancy OF
temperament that knew no abatement, with an
abiding faith in the justice of her cause and of
| its ultimate success ; with few friends and very
limited means with life slipping away under
the long delays and slow processes Of the law,
this truly remarkable woman has persevered
| until she has conquered fortune.
A brief outline of this singular case will be
| interesting to our readers: In 1874, Zullme
1,ee Carriere, beautiful Creole OF New Or-
leans married one Jerome DIES Oranges, in
| New Orleans. In 1902 or lS03 Daniel CLARK,
prominent citizen OF New Orleans, became
attached to Madame DIES Oranges, and, about
the same time, it is alleged that was discover
ed that des Oranges had wife living 10 france,
and that the second marriage thus proving
void, Daniel Clark privately married the lady
in Philadelphia Of this marriage the present
plaintiff claims to have been born in Philadel-
phia in 1902 or 1909. Her mother and herself
were committed to the care OF her father s
friend and partner, Mr. Daniel W. Coke, OF
of that city She afterward became an inmate
of the family of Colonel Samuel B. Davis, and
was known among her schooltellows, some OF
whom still remember her, as Myra Davis.
When she grew up, it became known to her
that her true name was CLARK; and she has es,
tablished the existence of u will Of Daniel
Clark's acknowledging her as his legitimate
daughter Yet her own mother, who during
Clark 5 lie married NJ. Gardette, we'll known
citizen Of Philadelphia, was meyer summoned
as witness by Mrs. Gaines and her father,
Daniel Clark, during bis wite's life, addressed
Mis- Cation, of Baltimore, who, however, did
| not accept his advances.
Myra Clark married Mr.. VIM. Wallace
| Whitney, of New York, by whom she had
two children, a son and daughter, still living.
| Edmund PendIetou Gaines, who died IN l949.
One child, the issue OF her second maria &c,
died in infancy. # .a..,.
Daniel Clark owned large tracts of ground
within the limits Of New Orleans, which have
become immensely valuable. More than
thousand suits have been instituted Dy Mrs.
| Gaines to recover these properties, upon which
many Of the finest Improvements now stand.
The decision of the Supreme Court only APP
plies, directly, to three suits, but Its ruling
will cover the whole ground.
This case has been one of singular intricacy,
and has turned, as will be seen by the above
brief statement, upon the question OF the leg-
timacy of Mrs Gaines. 1t is but fair to say
that even now, after nearly forty years OF lltga-
ton, three of the abest members of the Su-
prcme Court, Grier, Swayne and Miller, dis
sent from the conclusions Of the Court. In
dissenting from the favorable opinion Of the
Court rendered in 1860, Justice Grler used this
strong language:
II wholly dissen. from the opinion Of the
majority OF this Court in the case, both as to
the law and the facts But do not think it
necessary to vindicate my opinion by again
presenting to the public view history OF the
scandaous gossip which has been buried under
the dust Of half d century, and which proper
feeling OF lclicacy should have suffered to re.
main so; [ therefore dismiss the case, as |
hope, for the last time, with the sing lie remark,
that if it be the law Of Louisiana that will
can be established by the dim recolIectionS,
imaginations or inventions of anic gossps,
after lorty-lvc years, to disturb the titles and
possessions OF bona Jfele purchasers, without
G HSud 81 ouae app peo maor os naSs do
not indeed envy your position, but rather won
| der at it. l-PetersLurQ Erpress ----