The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-04-25

For more than a generation Myra Clark
Gains, widow of the late Major General Ed
mund Pendleton Gains, has been engaged
in legal contest with numerous parties in
Guiding the city of New Orleans, to obtain
possession of property claimed under will
made by Aer father, Daniel Clark Her his
tory is one of romantic interest. Her father,
Daniel Clark, a native of Ireland, emigrated
to New Orleans, where in 1899 he inherited
large estate of his uncle. He died in 1918,
after making will bequeathing his property
to his mother. While in New Orleans Clark
was reported bachelor. but was known to
have had aFiaiSon with woman, as result of
which two daughters were born, one of whom
(Myra) Mrs. General Gaines still survives
Subsequent to the settlement of the estate
under the will mentioned, Myra, who hav-
ing been brought up in the family of Colo
mel Davis, a friend of Clark's, was ignorant
of her relationship to Clark until the fact
was accidentally discovered while looking
over some old papers in the possession of
Colonel Davis. In 1882 she married Mr..
Whitney, and then began the preparations
for the suit to establish her legitimacy and
obtain possession of the property of her
father, contest which in very many re-
CARDS is the most celebrated in American
law reports A Drawer woman never lived.
Her first husband entered enthusiastically
into all of her plans to remove all
doubt as to her legitimacy, and Gen.
eral Gaines, her second husband, was
equally determined to achieve success in the
same direction For ten years the gallant
old gentleman contributed largely of his
means to carry forward the prosecution, and
since his death. the widow, now 70 years of
age, has fought the battle single handed
against terrible odds. The case was taken to
1859. Mrs. Gaines always appeared in Wash
ington to superintend her interests, and in
1867 she achieved a triumph which substan-
TALLY ended the case. 1t became necessary,
however, for a rehearing in New Orleans,
and ION Monday, the 10th Instant" says the
New Orleans Times, Judge Billings, of
the United States district court, rem
'dered lengthy decision in the case
of Myra Clark Gaines VS.. the city
of New Orleans and others, in which
the court sustains the claims of the plaintiff
and recognizes the probate of the will of
Daniel Clark, of 1918. The decree of the
court commands the defendants to account
ito a master in chancery for all the income
from this property during their long posses
sion. They are ousted from their titles and
from all the accumulation therefrom. This
decision involves also heavy claims against
the city, which has sold a large amount OF
the property in question with full warran-
'ty of title"
The value of the properly claimed was
estimated in 1861 at $50, 600, 900, of which,
up to 1864 Mrs. Gains had received $6,000,-
600. 1t is safe to say that of all the women
in the world there are not dozen who
would have held on to their rights with the
tenacity that has distinguished Mrs. Gains's
career, and it is fair to assume that she has
believed that a good name was better than
great riches, and has fought harder to estab-
lish her legitimacy and the good name of
her mother than for the wealth which has at
last fallen into her possession.