The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-01-22

A recent dispatch from New ORLEANS an
nounced the seath, ct hrr residence in that
city, Of Mrs. Mym Clnrk Gaines, - the
ripe age Of so years. Mrs. Gaines WAS the
daughter Of Daniel Clark, tho first Repre-
sentative in Congress of Louisiana, and the
richest man In the State ct the time of his
death. Mrs. Gaines was not informed Of
her parentage until she was q grown won
an. As soon as she knew this, she began
her case for the recovery of her fathers
property. rhis case Is probably the most
extended and complicated litigation on rec-
ord II was commenced fully half a centu-
~ ago, and has been begun anew seven
times. argued before the Supreme Cont OF
the State four times. before the Supreme
Court Of the United States twice. and is
before that body to-day. Almost every
prominent lawyer from Daniel Webster and
Charles O'Conor down have been employed
in it, and fortunes have been expended In
carrying 1t on.
Mrs. Gaines married Gen Edmunds PEN
dleton Gaines. who gained such reputation
during the war Of 1912, and his great for
tune Of $25o, 900 was expended in court
charges and lawyers fees Mrs. Gaines
obtained innumenble judgments. but every
cent Of money she got went to the lawyers.
As for the defendants in the case. all were
utterly ruined by the most protraoted litiga-
ton ever known, except the city Of New
Orleans. Two years ago Mrs. Gaines OBJ
timed judgment in the United States Cont
against the city for sum exceeding So, O00.-
600. This case is now on appeal to the
United States Supreme Court. The entire
litigation has cost not less than $4,000, 900
in court charges and other legal expenses.
Mrs. Gaines always managed her own
~ooo xx,s<1, <vraok ,>lucE md xrscdnu, and won
her points by her extraordinary pertinacity.
She often appeared before the bar herself
and pleaded her cause. 1t is generally be-
lieved that with her death the case will fall
through and some compromise be accepted
by her heirs. Mrs. Gaines was woman OF
high qualities, Of strong intellect, and great
generosity. She was nm enthusiast about
her case, and counted on accomplishing
some great feat with the money she would
get from it, We are indebted to the Chi
cago Times for the following interesting
life sketch of this remarkable woman:
Myra Clark Gaines won world-wiie
notoriety by the fight she conducted for the
past sixty years with the city of New Or
leans for the title to property within that
city valued at several millions of dollars.
1t is now eighty four years since Daniel
Clark, n handsome polished young man
life Of an Indiin trader in Mississippi, went
to Phila telphia to spend the winter. Clark
was n gay fellow. and he took in all the pleas
ures of the then metropolis of America.
In his rounds he met French beauty, and
fell in love with her This womans name
was Zulime Carrier, who, at the time Clark
met her was living with a Frenchman
named La Grange. Whether she was mar
ried to La Grange or not was one of the
points in question in the litigation for the
New Orleans property. The defendants
claimed she was his legal wife. Atany rate,
when Clark met her in 1905 she left La
Grange and went to live with Clark. The
Supreme Court Of the United States has
declared that she was privately married to
Clark, and that she was merely La Granges
mistress. In 1906 Myra Clark was born.
She was the only child Zulime Carrier had
by Daniel Clark. At this time Clark sent
Zulime to New Orleans and acted as bach
elor He engaged himself in marriage and
formed other connections, producing other
offspring. He denied the fact that he had
married Zulime, and when she came back
and pushed the case in the Philadelphia
courts she was unable to succeed. She
finally took up with a DR.. Gardette and
lived with him until he died. But while
Clark would have nothing to do with the
mother, he took good care of the child.
Myra Clark was well educated by him, and
was treated by him as n daughter. He
went again into Indian trading at New Or
leans, and amassed an immense fortune.
In 1873 he died, and q will was produced
showing that all Of his property was left to
his mother and the city of New Orleans.
Myn Clark, then only Z years old, was ap-
parently penniless, and the executors took
charge of the estate. When Mym grew to
the age of 20 she married a Mr.. Whitney,
and then she began to contest the will. She
claimed she was the only legi Inmate daugh-
ter of Daniel Clark. and that his property
was hers. The claim was ut once holly
contested, and Mr.. Whitney died before it
was tried. The widow continued to pros
ecute the suit. Shortly afterward she
married Gen. Gaines, and he entered
into the case as warmly as her.
self. The case was tried at New Orleans.
1t was lost. 1t was carried to the Supreme
Cont at Washington. 1t was again lost In
1852 it seemed hopeless fight. and at this
time Gen. Gaines died. But Myra Clark
Gaines was not discouraged, and shortly
after this time she discovered q will exc
cuted by her father certifying that Myra was
his only child. and creating her his sole
heir. Upon this will she again went before
the courts in New Orleans. She again lost.
She again appealed to the Supreme Court
at Washington and here, in 1861, she OBJ
tanned Judgment confirming this will and
giving her the whole property left her by
her father and the rents thereof for the past
thirty years. Then the war broke out and
justice was again delayed. In 1888 the
United States Supreme Court again affirmed
her right to the property claimed by her,
and ordered the city of New Orleans to levy
tax of 100000 to satisfy the judgment
in her favor; but the City Council by one
means and another evaded the order, and
Mrs. Gaines never came into possession of
her property.
The Industrial Outlook.