Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-01-24
Millions at Stake.
Further Development Of The LateTpriaabIs
Gaines .S"it- The IStraEge Story Of a
Misused P0leer Of Attorney.
IFrOm the st Louis Times, Jan. 81

From the st Louis Times, Jan. 81
Peter MeNiff and others commenced an ac-
ton in the Circuit Court yesterday, to recover
from William aad Bennett Currie, real estate
worth between one and one and a half million
of dollars. The petition states that Eleanor
McNif, the wife OF Peter McNitf. is tue
daughter aud sole heir of Eleanor O'Bierne,
OF Sligo, Ireland, who was the daughter of
Mary Clark, of Germantown, Pennsylvania !;
also, that Mary CLARK was the mother of Daniel
Clark, of New Orleans, who before his death,
made u will deVisiDs all of his property TO his
mother, with the exception of 500, which he
gave TO his daughter, Myra Clark, who after
ward married General Edward Pendleton
Gaines. The estate which Daniel Clark de-
vIsed TO his mother consisted principally of
real estate situated in I.ouisiaua, Mississippi.
Arkansas, and Missouri. Mary Clark, at her
death, devised all these lands, together with.
the other property of which she was possessed,
to her four children, one of whom was Eleanor
O'Bierne, the mother Of the wife of the plain.
tif to this suit. In 1851, Peter McNiff and
Eleanor, his wife, hot having obtained poses,
sion of their portion OF the estate of Mary
Clark, which was then in litigation at the in
stance Of Mary CLARK Gaines, aud having no
money to employ counsel to look after their
Interests, gave one James Curre 4 power of
attorney, annexed to aud part of a certain
agreement, by which he engaged to attend in
person to their business, and to ADJUST -by auy
means which he might see proper, the claims
OF Eleanor McNif. 4 short time after the
power Of attorney was given to Currie, he in
duced, SO II is alleged, Peter and his wife.
through false presentations, TO execute to
him decd relinquishing all their claims to
the property in question, and advanced them
$1,000. .Currie, at the time the deed was
made to him, told his clients that it was a
mere formaiity, aud would in no wise afFec.
their title to the property; but that it was
necessary for him to have it to mike satis-
factory settlement with the other claimants to
the properly. The plaintiffs allege that Currie
did not pay proper attention to the matter
that he neglected to attend to it according to
the agreement entered into between them, and
that up to the time of his DEATH n few years
ago. he refused to make any statement of
what had been done, although he had agreed
to submit one annually. Mrs. McNiff died
IN 1862, and since then the matter has been
in allegiance, until now her husband and chill
dren appeal to the court TO compel the defend.
ants, who are the sons and heirs a,-law of
Currie, to comply with the contract their fath.
or entered into
The property in this State for which the
plaintiffs sue, includes several very valuable
lots in this city. together with 1000 arpeuts
OF land in Calaway county.
Ibis suit will attract great interest. not
only from the amount of property involved,
but also because it affects the interests of the
celebrated Myra Clark Gaines who has been
before the courts of this county in connection
with this same estate for very nearly half n
century.