Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-01-12
death OF MRS. GAL MES,
THE GREAT LITIGANT DIES In
NEW OkLEANa AGED sEV.
ENI Wight YEARS.

NEW OkLEANA AGED SEW.
EN1 Wight YEARS.
Mrs. Myra Clark Gaines, who was
we'll known all over this country, and
who resided In this city for come time,
died In New Orleans last Friday night
with pneumonia and congestion of the
lungs. She was born In New Orleans,
and her father, although he loved her
mother, wished to keep the child's
birth secret. He persuaded her to give
up the child, and 1t was sent TO friend
OF Clark's In Philadelphia, who prom
ised to be . father OF it.
After this, for reasons unnecessary to
explain here, Clark and his wife lived
less happily together, and finally sepa-
rated, he returning to Philadelphia, his
former home, where he had valuable
shipping interests. About this time,
lowing to some unfortunate business
transactions which led to the belief that
he might lose most of his property, be
placed In the hands Of his daughters
guardian and reputed father 500, 600 in
trust for the child. He then made his
will, directing that after the payment
OF his debts, II there should be any
thing left 1t was to go to his old mother.
Some time previous to this he had
made y will leaving the bulk of his
property to charitable institutions, and
naming rs his executor and admins
traitor his business partner, who was
also his confidential friend. Recovering
from his losses, and finding himself
still amassing wealth, he made another
will, making his daughter sole heiress
OF all he Possessed.
shortly after the last will was made
Clark was taken suddenly i'll, fingered
q few days, and died, under circum.
stances which ultimately led to the be-.
lief that he had been poisoned. Three
days before Clark died his partner de-
poslted with the Clerk of the Court his
first will, but two days later, when
there appeared some chance Of Clark q
: recovery. withdrew it; but again dled
, and recorded it the day after Clark Q
death. An aged negro man in Clark q
: service testified that he had seen this
partner open Clark 3 secretary after his
, death and take from 1t o sealed docu-
ment, which he Immediately burned on
the hearth. This was believed to be
the last will and testament Of Daniel
Clark, which gave to his daughter
Myra the whole of his immense proper
ty, and which would at once have been
In existence.
Myra was then brought to this city,
and resided for some time with her
guardian. Colonel Davis, who owned o
property near the outskirts of Will
Inington. AT this time Myra was too
young to know anything about her
fathers death or any of the subsequent
: evepts. She lived quietly and happily
in the family of her adopted father,
: loved by his gentle wife, who from first
to last was q true mother to her, as far
as she was allowed TO be by her tyran-
! nical husband. This man, for reasons
, best known TO himself, avoided Quilt.
vating Myra's natural quickness and
r intelligence and constantly discouraged
her efforts at self education, She was
{ nearly "a years Of age when husband
r was selected for her, one whom her
\ adopted father thought he could control
, In the event Of any accidental discovery
I OF the deception he had been practic-
t ing.
Myra had, during the absence Of her
| guardian, made the acquaintance of
William Whitney, the son of o wealthy
man In Philadelphia. From all ac-
counts he was, though only 10 years of
age, q young man Of singularly mature
character and great ability, and there
really seemed no discrepancy between
his age and that of the childlike, un-
sophisticated Myra. But when the ac-
quaintance ripened into affection, and
4 Whitney finally requested permission
to address her, the anger of her guar
dian knew no bounds, and completely
forgetting himself, he disclosed the
fact that he was not Myra's father.
The young couple, who were devoted.
lily attached 10 each other, did as
hundreds of others have done who were
opposed in their love affairs, and were
married without the consent OF her
Iguardian, and Mr.. Whitney took his
bride to o beautiful country place his
father owned near the city of New
York, and here began the task of educa-
ting her-a task of love and rich in
rewards; for her ripening intellect
responded with eager appreciation to
home, q devoted husband, small
circle Of intelligent friends, and a little
family growing up about her knees,
her world was q paradise, and 1t seems
sad that 1t should have been disturbed,
however justly.
| Up to this time Myra was in igno-
rance of the facts of her birth, or that
she was an heirest to estates which by
that time were probably worth millions
of dollars. She might have continued
in ignorance, had it not been that she
became acquainted with Southern
gontle man who knew all the facts of her
birth, and from whom she learned OF
her rights to vast estates She also
learned that her mother still lived, and
that her good name had remained all
these years under the dark cloud with
which Clark's pride had enveloped 1t,
and In which her own legitimacy was
involved. To see her mother and prove
her marriage to her father was Mrs.
IWitney's first thought, but probably no
one will think 1t strange that the i'm
mense property should have allured her
and her husband 10 its seeking. The
beautiful hoI ne was abandoned. and q
few weeks later Mr.. and Mrs. Whitney
were living in New Orleans and had
taken the FIRST plunge into the intrica-
cies and vexatiens of litigation. Be.
set and harassed, not only by lawyers,
but by spies, beggars and people Of
every description Interested in the
gre'.t suit, the changes from their quiet
Northern life had ,as may be imagined,
|f.nything but beneficial effect upon
Ieither of them, and gradually the health
of the whole family began to suffer.
Mrs. Whitney found her mother,
married for the third time, but, under
all the circumstances, there could, of
course, be little affection or sympathy
between them. But The daughter was
determined that the stain should be
wiped from her mothers name, and