New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-09

The Baltimore American of May 2 con-
tains the following interesting statement:
Mrs. Myra Clarke Gaines, whose oon-
tests in the courts for the possession of
several million dollars worth of property
in New Orleans, left by Daniel Clarke,
have made her name familiar to all read.
ers of newspapers, has Rt last found
Baltimore claimant to at least part of what
she considers her property. The story,
as told by the counsel of the claimant, al
though it has about it a tinge of romance,
is implicitly believed by him, and the par
ties most interested are sanguine that the
the developments made by them will lead
to important results The story is as fol-
lows: Miss Minnie Clarke is young
lady about twenty-three years of age, and
earns livelihood by peddling books.
Her father, who was Baptist minister in
this city, Daniel j. Clarke by name, died
OF the yellow fever in New Orleans, where
he had gone to look after some property
AT about that time Miss Minnie was born
nj Baltimore. Since his death his widow
has had to support herself and two chill
dren, boy and daughter, and about six
years afterward remarked, her present
name being Buckingham, and her resi-
dence at Ellicott City. A few days ago
the young lady was approached by
stranger, who inquired whether her father,
Rev. Daniel j. Clarke, was not Baptist
minister, and whether he had not travelled
in North Carolina and other Southern
States while clergyman. The first ques-
ton the lady answered in the affirmative;
but OF his travels she knew nothing, and
said that she would consult her mother
on the subject.
Mrs. Buckingham, after consulting
the family Bible, informed her daughter
that her father had travelled in the South
ern States in the early years of his mar
| ried life, giving places and dates CORE
! spending, it is said, with the stranger
questions. The stranger who visited the
family, and afterward also Mrs. Bucking-
hams counsel, and stated that he was
one of commission who were in North
Carolina and other States for the purpose
of taking testimony for the corporation
and citizens of New Orleans in the Gaines
suit, and while taking evidence had as
certained that son of the Daniel Clarke
whose daughter Mrs Gaines claims to be
was a Baptist minister, who, after travel
| ing in the Southern States, had finally
settled in Baltimore. Mrs. Buckingham
stated that she remembers hearing her
husband remark that he had left home on
account of difficulty with his father,
whom he represented as a very wealthy
man, but who had disowned him because
of quarrel with him on account of the
old mans associations.
On one occasion a short, dark-eyed
woman visited Clarke's family in Balt-
more during the latter's absence. Upon
his return his wife told him of the strange
woman, whom she described infinitely,
and the Baptist minister, strengthening
himself up, remarked with dignity that
the woman claimed to be his sister, and
that had he been home, he would GER
taihly have ordered her away.
Understanding that the father of her
husband had disowned the latter, Mrs.
Buckingham never made any efforts to
ascertain who her father-in-law was or
what claim she had on his estate
The person above alluded to, who
claims being a commissioner for the cor
poration of New Orleans, is sanguine that
he can prove that Rev. Daniel J. Clarke
was the legitimate son of the millionaire
whose estate has been decided by the
courts as the property of Mrs. Gaines.