New Orleans Republican., 1868-04-19
The Gaines Case.

From the Philadelphia Bulletin,l
The final decision of the suit of Mrs
Gaines against the city of New orleans, by
the Supreme Court, terminates one OF the
most extraordinary cases OF litigation IN
the whole history of civil Jurisprudence.
1t is remarkable Tor the curiosity of the
case itself; sor the large amount Of pro-
perty it involves, and for the wonderful dis
play of enduring pertnacity with which
the plaintiff has devoted her life to the
prosecution of what has long been held to
be hopeless cause. Seven times has Mrs.
Gaines pleaded her clse before the Supreme
Court sometimes with partial success, some.
times with none, until at last, after forty years
ofincessant litigation, she has won the day
and established her claim to large portion of
the city of New Orleans, valued very mod
erately 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 a 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 limited means; with life
slipping away under the long delays and
slow processes of the law, this truly re.
markable woman has persevered until she
has conquered fortune,
brief outline of this singular case will be
interesting to our readers In 1894, Zulime
nee Carriere, beautiful Creole of New Or
leans, married one Jerome des Oranges in
New Orleans. In 1902 or 1903, Daniel Clark,
prominent citizen of New Orleans, became
attached to Madame des Oranges and about
the same time it is alleged that it was dis
covered that des Oranges had wife living
in 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 Philadelphia in 1902
or 1903. Her mother and herself were COM
mitted to the care of her fathers
Coke, of this city. She afterward became
an inmate of the family of Colonel Samuel
B. Davis, and was known among her school
| fellows, some of whom still remember her,
as Myra Davis. When she grew up, it be-
| came known to her that her true name was
Clark, and she has established the existence
of will of Daniel Clark's acknowledging
her as his legitimate daughter. Yet her
own mother, who during Clark's life, mar
ried NJ. Gardette, well-known citizen of
Philadelphia, was never summoned as a
witness by Mrs. Gaines, and her father,
Daniel Clark, during his wife's fife, ad.
dressed Miss Cation, Of Baltimore, who, how.
ever, did not accept his advances.
Myra Clark married Mr.. William Wallace
hhlbneyI VI new 1oTkI Dy whom sne Hau
two children, a son and daughter, still liv-
ing. After Mr.. Whitney's death she mar
ried General Edmund Pendleton Gaines,
who died in 1s49. One child, the issue Of
her second marriage, died in infancy.
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
by Mrs. Gaines to recover these properties,
uDon which many of the finest iHlDrOve.
ments now stand. The decision Of the
Supreme Court only applies directly to
three suits, but its ruling will cover the
whole ground.
This case has been one Of singular intrica-
cy, and has turned as will be seen by the
above brief statement, upon the question Of
the legitimacy of Mrs, Gaines,