The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-11
MYRA CLARK GAINES.

This Quickest OF l~itigsnts, aud a decided
ornament in many respects to her race and
sex, died at New Orleans at 10 o'clock Fri
day night. She always managed her wi
lawsuits, and possessed q wonderful amount
OF grit and perseverance,, tact and superior
ability. She was eighty years Of age. hav-
ing been born in New Orleans in 1906.
Her father, Daniel CLARK, was an Irishman.
He was born in Sligo, and emigrated to New
Orleans, where he inherited some property,
and acted as United States Consul there
when Louisiana was q territory. He after
wards represented the territory in the United
States Congress. He died in New Orleans.
August Is. 1913, and his estate was disposed
Of under the provisions OF q will, which gave
the property to his mother, Mary
Clark, who had followed him to Amer
lea, and was living at Germantown, Pc.
His business partners, Ralf and Clew, were
the executors. Clark was reported a bach
elor, but was known to have had 8 lisison
with q young French woman during the sb-
sence Of her reputed husband in Europe. Two
daughters were born of this connection, one
in Philadelphia in April. 1902. the other,
Myra, in New Orleans. The latter was taken
to the house of Colonel Davis, a friend of
Clark's, nursed by q Mrs. Harper, and in
1912 went with Davis family to reside in
Philadelphia, where she passed by the name
of Myra Davis. In 1880 Davis, being then
in the Legislature, sent home for certain
papers, and Myra in searching for them dis.
covered some letters which partially revealed
the circumstances of her birth.
In 1882 she married w. W. Whitney, of
New York, who in following mp the dis.
covery, received from Davis an old letter
which gave an account of q will made by
Daniel Clarke in 1913 just before his death,
giving all his estate to Myra, and acknowi-
edging her as his legitimate daughter.
Whitney and his wife went to Matanzas.
Cuba, saw the writer Of the letter, and after
collecting other evidence instituted suit to
recover the estate, which included some of
the most valuable property in New
Orleans. On the trial of n of
those causes. Mrs. Harper testified
that four weeks before his death, Clark
showed her the will he had just made in
favor of Myra, permitting her to read it
from beginning to end, and acknowledging
the child's legitimacy.
Baron Bolsfontaine testified that Clark
told him the contents of the will M &C
knowledged the child. On this and other
similar evidence the lost or destroyed will
was received by the Supreme Court of Lou
ieiana ss the last will of David Clark. By
~ - &%. -4k
make devises to his illegitlmste offspring. 1t
was proved by two sisters OF Myra's mother
that Clark privately married her in 1903, q
Catholic priest officiating, she having pre-.
viously learned that Des Oranges, her sup.
posed husband, had q prior wife living, and
wa therefore not legally her husband.
Clark's contemplated acknowledgment of
the marriage was said to have been frus-
trated by suspicious of her fidelity, and de-
serted by him she contracted a third mar
riage. In another suit, another United States
Supreme Court decided that the fact OF the
marriage and the legitimacy was established.
Mrs. Whitney survived her husband and
married General Gaines. and survived him
also. In 1856 she filed a suit In the United
States Supreme Court to recover valuable
real estate then in possession of tbs city ol
New Orleans, and q decision in her favor was
rendered in the December term, 1867.
This substantially concluded one OF ths
most celebrated cases ever tried. The value
OF the property claimed was estimated in
1851 at $50, ZOO, 600, of which Mrs. Gaines
had, up to 1874, obtained possession of So.
Os0,O goo, and numerous actions for ejectmen'
were still in progress.