The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-20

celebrity, MTh. MsIh WAN OHuS't "
whom all newspaper readers have heard
SO much in connection with her numerous
lllivations for the recovery Of large real
estate POSSESSIONS in New Orleans. No
woman was ever before SO notorious as a
lltipant. Mrs. Gaines is doomed to Inn
mortality as long as the decisions OF the
United States Supreme Court are searched
by lawyers for precedents that may throw
light on clouded land titles.
Ihad no idea what sort OF o person !
would find when should set eyes on this
remarkable woman. lancied she might
resemble old Mrs. Cruger in her last days,
when she had almost turned to be mum
my. l supposed that woman who had
been in the Courts for fifty years must be
not only very old but likewise badly
scathed by the tremendous excitements
through which she had passed. | was
therefore prepared to see q very old and
withered specimen Of humanity. Imagine
then nv agreeable disappointment when
/ was introduced to a spry little red haired
woman OF rs, weighing 1l5 pounds, of full
face and figure, large and bright eyes, and
as active aud CHEEKY as most women oi40,
Not gray hair has she in her head, and
what il more, she has remarkably rich
suit Of hair. Her.only intirmity Is a slight
deafness, otherwise she has resisted the
encroachments OF age as successfully as
she has resisted the numerous and power
full assaults Of the great lawyers OF the
land who have contested her cases Tor hall
century in all the courts.
This woman has indeed had q romantic
history. When she was seventeen years
old she did not even know who were her
parents. Born in New Orleans, she was
transferred to Philadelphia, 10 the care Of
a guardian, when four years old, and al.
though brought up in great wealth and
luxury she never went to school but nine
monthsin her life, aud at the time oil her
Arst marriage was hardly versed in the
baresL rudiments Of az English education.
"Why," said I, Mrs. Gaines were you
brought up thusY ;,
"Ah! sir, thereby hangs long tale, "
said she. ~ was the victim Of a deer
laid scheme to defraud me Of agreat proper
~. My guardian was in the conspiracy
10 get hold OF the property OF Daniel
CLARK. my father, who was poisoned in
New Orleans, and 1t was necessary to keer
the fact ofmy existence asecret from the
world. As wasc0nsidered bright child
was deprived Of education in order the
more edectually TO carry out the plot.
slow did the secret OF your birth 81
last leak QUIZ" inquired.
"a few days before my marriage to my
first husband Washington Whitney,, my
guardian broke the secret to me, for the
first time, that was not his child, for feai
OF consequences, suppose, ii he suffered
me to be married under false representa-
tons. was told that was the child Of
Daniel Clark Of New Orleans, and that my
father had died insolvent, and hence that
] had been taken charge OF by my guar.
dian and brought to Philadelphia, and
was not the heiress ei the rich man who
passed for NV father"
"What did your intended husband say
when you communicated this news tc
bim?" | asked.
"kell, sir, like the true man that he wa
he said that the disclosure made no ditfer
ence TO him; that II was me he wanted
He was one OF the noblest Of men. Nc
woman was ever blessed with two noblei
husbands than have been. 1loved then
both deeply, and never could tell that
loved one more than the other. ! wa
very young when married Mr.. Whitney
and j was thirty-oue when l married Gen
4llafnAuH t1,t,n tEoa Al ~ q m lnnInF '
GLOW did you establish your relation
ship to Daniel Clark?
Through my mother, to whom he haC
been secretly married, and through docu
ments.
"How did 1t happen that your parents
were secretly married?"
Well, sir, that Is sad history. My
mother when quite young, was married Il
man who had another wife-to biga
mist, aud did not find out that she wa!
thus married for four years. When the
discovery was finally made she became an
object OF interest and sympathy to large
number OF influential friends; among the
rest TO my father, Daniel Clark, then ont
oil the rich men Of New Orleans. He moi
only befriended her, but married her. He
married her, pending proceedings for the
formal anuulment Of her former marriage
The former marriage was OF course null
and void, the mau havinga wife, but, az !
said, pending the iormRlities that were
necessary, my father and mother were
secretly married.
The lengthof an ordinary letter would
not auftiCeIfor evena condensed account Of
my long interview with Mrs. Gaines She
branched off great deal on to personal
"reminiscences; spoke Of the Presidents,
members Of the Cabinet, members OF Con.
greSs, foreign ministers and other noted
people whom she had known. She told
me how Daniel Webster commenced his
speech against her in the U. S. Supreme
Court In 1851. He paid a high compli.
ment 10 the wonderful plHck and perse.
vercnce she had exhibited for SO many
years in seeking to recover her property,
but, more than all the rest, he paid her
tho highest compliment that any man
could pay 10 any woman, when he reier-
red to the fact that In all the years in
which Mrs. Gaines had been so actively
prosecuting her case, and amidst all the
clash OF animosit:es naturally aroused in
such q contest as she had waged, the
uIGAth VI clhhAcl hau hpNpi hhtGu unStlll
her character. She expressed great ad.
miration for Webster. She said that for
two winters in New Orleans, she
lived on fifteen cents per day,
taking only one meal, to such
straits was sheat times reduced for money.
Finally, however, the Supreme Court de.
Clded her great case los she calls it) by
which her claim 10 certain real estate In
that city OF great magnitude was establish
ed. Four hundred people were disposess.
ed OF their property by the Supreme Court
decision, but, said she, ~ did not proceed
to eject them. That would have been a
very hursh step. called them together
aud told them that recognized the hard
ship Of the decision SO far as they were
concerned, as they had received their
titles from the city, and that intended to
proceed against the city as the source OF
their titles" said, "have you yet forced
the city to terms2" "Not vet" said She,
"The city pleads poverty and inability to
pay me, and the case sill remains unad.