Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-01-15
MrRA CLARK GAINES.
Death and Burial OF the New OrleanS
UArtRmnf.

Death and Burial OF the New Orleans
Litigant.
Mrs. Myrs Clark Gaines died at New
Orleans on Friday night aud was buried
on Saturday afternoon. The Rev. DR.. b
N. Palmer OF the Presbyterian Church,
offioiAted at the funeral and spoke OF the
deceased as \ woman whose name will 60
down In history associated with ideas Of
courage and determine tomas one whose
whole life was devoted TO the high
endeAvor OF the attainment OF the single
aim OF vindioation OF her name and resto
ration Of the wealth that she WAa entitled
to. The body was conveyed to the old
Creole cemetery, on Basin street, and
| placed In the tomb Of Daniel Clark, her
alleged father, who died In 1913, and
whose property sbe has been trying to
regain for the lAat 40 years.
Mrs. Gaines Was born in 1906 her
mother being Zuiime Carrier, a French
beauty and the reputed wife fret Of n
| Prenohman named lagrange ard subse-
quently Of Daniel Clark. Whether abe
was legally married to either has been
the subject Of much litigation. Clark
denied the marriage, sent Zulims to New
Orleans, (his home was 10 Mississippi, }
and engaged himself to another woman.
He died when Myra was years old, and
the young girl became q member OF the
family Of the late Colonel Davis, who then
owned an6 occupied the old stone mansion
In the southwestern corner Of this city,
now the property ard home OF Senator
Bay ard,
Here Myra passed the days her girl
hood quietly and happily and there are
some still living in Wilmington who
knew her well in those early days. Her
lie flowed on uneV, ntiul until she had
pSssei her 10th birthday, when she fell
In love with William Whitney, a young
man Of whom her guardian disApproved.
Up TO this time Myfs bsd believed Colenel
Davis to ba her father, but, angsr.d BY
her discrimination to cleAve to Whitney
in spite of his opposition, he de-.
clared hia thankiulness that she
was no child OF his. This disclosure
weakened his authority over MyrA aud
one stormy night, she stole out Of the
mansion, took the hack for New Castle
met Whitney there aud WAS married e
him. Her Wilmington life closed with
her slOpement she accompanied hel
husband TO his home near New York and
lived there very happily until the history
OF her parents and OF tbe fortune Of which
she believed herself to have been de
trauded was brought TO her knowledge
This knowledge broke up he's domesti,
life aud converted her into the champion
litiSant of American history.
She claimed that she was the ouly
daughter OF Daniel Clark, and that hi
property was hers. The claim was
onos hotly contested land Dr.. Whitney
died before 1t was tried. The widow con
tinued to prosecute the suit. Shor.l,
afterwsrd she married General GaineI
and he entered into the case as warml,
as herself. The case was tried at New
Orleans. II WAS lost. II was carried Il
the Supreme Court at Washington. 1
was again lost In 1852 Il seemed a hone
less fight and at this time General GaineI
died. BIT MyrA Clark Gaines was no
discouraged, and shortly sitter this i'm,
she discovered a will executed by he
father certifying that Myra was his onl,
child and creating her his sols heir Upou
this will ahe sgsin went before the COURT
in New Orleans, She again lost. Sh,
again appalled, to the Supreme Court a
Washington, and here, in 1861 she OBJ
tanned q judgment confirming this will
| 49, o 900 NV NhOl0 properly lblI "
her father aud the rents thereof Tor th,
pact 30 years. Then the war brooks on
aud justice was again delayed. Sine,
then she has reosivsd about 81 600, OOI
from the city, nearly all OF which wa
absorbed by iawyers' fees and other cost
OF litig stion,
Mrs. Gsines had Ave children, three 1
whom survived their childhood. One o
the daughtars died in New York Cit,
under sad circumstance, at the early az,
Of l6; the other married, became III,
mother of three children, and died in IN,
fall Of 1879. The sou married q very
esttmabls lady IRON Greepdsld, Mass
His tragic death from pistol 10 til,
hards ot hia brother il. Law, jane
christmas, @as great 1bork 10 her, Ant
utterly ptos'Istsd Nrs GSiuss, Who bat
Ions dsplOred the e;m ~ sxisting BIS
tween two m-o, hnt who had no
dreamed that IL would end In such
terrible Oa3ner. Tlera are IN all al,
graz d9hildren, heirs Of Mrs. GAipea.