The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-05-17
Mrs. Gaines S35.o0O.OOO.

Z
place had rendered rdccision in the
case OF Mrs. Myri Clsrko Gaines.
who CLAIMS several million dollars
worth OF property in that city, in fa-
vor of the claimant. This is a phase
Of one of the loug,st aud most IN
teresting law suits in the annals of
American iuriSpru1cncc. The hisro-
~ OF the ease is bricIl; as follows
Mrs Games is the widow Of General
Edmond Pendlelon Gaines, and wa.
born in the county OF Sligo, lrclanI.
in l7Gj. and, cnigsnting to New Or
leans, Inherited II considerable props
criy from bis uncle IN 1893. Before
The acquisition of Louisiana lac was
4 nericdn cInsul there, and rep,csen-
ted the territory in congress in 1906.
In August, 1871. Daniel Clark died.
aud his property was disposed Of un-
der will dated May 20lh, 1911.
which gave the bulk Of his estate to
his mother, Mary Clarke, who was
then living in Germantown, Pa. Ec
was also supposol TO be bachelor,
but was known to have l!aisJn with
with beautiful young Creole. Xul-
inc des Oranges Two daughttrs
were born OF this connection, one at
Philadelphia in April, 1902, and the
other, Myra, at New ORLEANS, in
1905. Tue latter was tax II f. the
hose OF Col Davis, friend ol
CIarke's nurscd by MIS- Harper, aud
grew up in Philadelphia, whore she
was known as Myra Davi4. In 1880
Mr. Davis, being then member OF
tho Pennsylvania legislature, scot
home Tor CERTAIN papers, and, in
searching fer these, Myra discovered
some letters which partially revealed
the secret Of her birth, and lai tho
foundation Of the law suit which has
since become famous.
In 1882 she married ". W. Whit,
neg, of New York. who, in folloNin
! up the discovery madn by hi, wife.
secured from Col. Davis an oil letter
which gave an account IF u will ma !c
by C'ari. in 1913, just before bis
death giving all Of his large estate
to Myra, and acknowledging her ~
his lrsi,lmate daughter. Mr.. aul Ms.
Whitney went Immediately to Cuba,
aud there. after long search, dis
covered the writer of the letter, and
with tho aid of evidence gtcn hy
him be,an suit in New Orleans for
the properly of Daniel Clark, which
had in the ueanlimc hocomc in
mcusc'y vuluab,e anI inc'uiei n great
part OF the present business quarter
of tho city. On thi rrol Of this sgit
the Mrs. llmper above mentioned
testified that four weeks before hi,
death Clark showed her the will he
hal made in favor OF Myra, aud ac-
knowlelgel the chiil's legitimacy
Boron de Boi,tOutiue testified thai
C.ark had male the same statements
t. him. Ga this and other cuirobo,
rativc evidence the lost viii was re.
ccived by the supreme court OF Lou
isiaua on February Is, 1885, us tie
last will aud testament of Daniel
Clark, though the docrmont itself
could not be found The objection
was then intcrposcd that by the
laws Of Louisiana tes.ator could
not make devise, to his adulterine
bastard. On this point, however,
two sisters Of Msry's mother testified
that Iglime dcs & anges was private
ly married to Clark ia their presence
10 Philadelphia in 1903 by a Catbo-
lie priest, it having been leaned that
Xulime's repntcd husband, Des Gran
ges, had another wife living, and was
therefore not legally marrol In
another suit growing out of this diff
fculty tho United States supreme
court decided that the marriage aud
legi' imacy Of Myra was established,
la the meantime Mr., Whitney
died, and his widow married General
Gaines, whom she has also ou,lvej.
Assisted by tho general, Mrs. Games
contioued her litigation, and, in 1886
in the supreme court Of the United
States fled bill in equity to recov-
or valuable real estate, then in the
possession Of tho City Of New Or
leans, and q decision in her favor was
rendered ia 1857. Tho value Of the
property claimed was esrimateI In
IsGI al 81 O0O OOo of which NIr.
GIines had up to 1874 obtained pos
'e'sion OF some S9,OO0,OO0. Numer~
GUS actions of ejectment against in-
diyidual parties have followed. and IL
!, M d,,h, o,. % It, a., 49,
W uou"' ooo W 'ne'o '"at o"aSc