The National tribune., 1885-01-15

Fer. She haQ Deen intimately acquainted
with Daniel Webster, and one never tired Of
hearing her anecdotes, told in a way she alone
could tell them of the sage of Marshfied. Her
recollections of Caleb Cushing, Charles 0Conor
Judah 2. BENJAMIN, and a host of other great
legal luminaries with whom she was also well
acquainted, and who had appeared in court
frequently for her, were also very comprehen-
sive Mrs. Gaines herself possessed legal at
tainments of no mean order, and she has fire.
ouently conducted her cases with an ability
and energy which has won the admiration of
the legal world. Her memory was accurate,
her wit keen, and she was seldom worsted in
argument.
The story of Mrs Gaines's career reads like
a romance. Her mother, beautiful creole,
married, at the age of Ii, a handsome and DASH
ing young Frenchman named NJ. de Grange,
but left him soon after the marriage on find
ing out that he had wife living. She then
married Daniel Clark, rich Irishman, who
owned large estates in Louisiana. This mar
riage took place secretly in Philadelphia, and
Clark never acknowledged his wife publicly.
AIyra was the second child of the union, and
was born at New Orleans in 1906. For some
inexplicable reason-for Clark seems TO have
loved his little daughter-the child was sent
10 Philadelphia, where she grew up in igno-
rance Of her parentage believing her guardian
TO be her father. Her father made handsome
provision for her, however, leaving with her
guardian S700,000 to be held in trust. The
foster father OF little Myra, it is charged, kept
q greedy eye on the fortune, and let the child
grow up in ignorance and seclusion, hoping
thereby to obtain control of the money, and,
to further his ends he selected husband for
her when she had obtained her Goth year. But
Myra had matrimonial schemes of her own.
handsome young Philadelphia named William
Whitney having won her heart. Clark finally
made will which is alleged to have been de-
stroyed, which made NJ yra his sole heir, but it
was not until after her marriage that she heard
who she was, and then commenced the htiga-
ton which has extended over so years, and
which even her death viii not end.
In company with her husband-who was
never destined to return-she left her beauti-
full home in Philadelphia in 1882 for New
Orleans, and upon her arrival there at once
commenced suit. At first she was successful,
but her husband dying of yellow fever left her
with her three young children to fight out the
contest Then commenced a bitter struggle.
To legal opposition was added SANDER about
the character of the beautiful young widow,
and attempts were made to assassinate her.
With great vigor and nerve she pressed on her
suits in spite of the almost insurmOuntable OBJ
stacles in her way, but her means ran low, and
poverty stared her in the face. At this IN
fortunate juncture Of her affairs she found
stanch friend and protector in Gen. L. p.
Gaines, the hero of Fort Erie, whose wife she
subsequently became.
Her suit was then carried to the United
States Supreme Court, which decided the cues
ton of her legitimacy {the offspring of an
aduiterOus union not being able then to in
herit in Louisiana even by will and the con-
segment right TO four-ffths of Clark estate
But Mrs. Gaines found that to secure the prop
erty she would have to bring suits against each
of its owners in succession. Her suit against
the executors reached hearing in the Supreme
Court in 1851. The defense was vigorous this
iCl,a +la
end of 10 years, the Court reversing its former
decision as to the marriage of her mother.
Her husband was now dead, and, unaided
the intrepid woman again commenced the legal
fight. She won every step up TO the L. s.
Supreme Court, which decided in her favor in
1851, when the war stopped the litigation. AS
soon as the war was over she was ready again,
and in 1866 her rights were reaffirmed The
property, which includes some of the best parts
OF New Orleans, was then worth $780, 200 900.
But the Judgment obtained by her in the
Supreme Court simply decided her right to
bring suit against the individual occupants OF
the property. The number was great and the
fight wore her life out, and on last Friday
night she died. She was taken i'll on the 9th
ult.-her 18th birthday-and sank SO rapidly
that she was unable to sign her viii, but
marked it with cross. Her son-in-law J. S.
Christmas of Washington, was her only rela-
tive present. Her remains were inferred in
in the tomb of her father, Daniel Clark, who
died in 1913. Mrs. Gaines leaves six grand
children, three being residents of Washington
and three at school. Her son and daughter
are dead.
WANT TO COME INTO THE FOLD OF CITIZEN
SHIP.
The civilized Indians in the Indian Terri
tory are becoming very weary of the empty
dignity of Nations" and Tribes" with
which it has been the policy of the Govern
ment ever since its formation to designate
each little band of wandering aborigines.
They want to become citizens IN all that the
word implies and have their Territory given
regular Territorial Government, instead of
the present nondescript arrangement, by which
they are treated at one time IS aliens, at
another as wards with no voice or vote and
again as subjects of the laws of the United
States. For instance, the Territory has never
had Delegate, as the other Territories have,
who would be entitled to seat on the floor of
the House Of Representatives and to address
that body in the interest of his constituents
Each of the Nations" has, instead, sent an
agent" here, who resides in Washington dur
Sng the sessions Of Congress, and looks after
his peoples interests. His duties are not so
onereus but that he has q great deal of time to
devote to salconing, billiard playing, and other
Mrs. Harriet Bailey, Of Putnam, Conn, writes:
have been troubled with kidney and liver