Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-10
DEATH OF MYRA CLARK GAINES.
The Famous Litigant Breafhes Her
Last in New Orleans.

Mrs Myra Clark Gaines, the famous litigant.
died in New orleans at lilo O'Clock last night
dispatch from that city SAYS: 'She was taken
sick December q last. her 18th birthday of pneu-
| monia and congestion OF the lungs. She made her
| will three days ago, but was too weak to write,
aid signed it with a cross. Her son-in-law, j. Y.
Chrislmas, OF Washington, was the only relative
| present The plucky women held out to the last
that she would not die, having too much work to
Go IN the recovery OF her property"
The first suit brought by ars. Gaines (then
| Mrs whitney, was against the trustees for
some property left her by her father Daniel
] Clark, under his will of 1911, which had
| then been pr0bated, but eventually that was
! abandoned, as she claimed 10 have discovered
proof or later Will In which she recognized as
his sole heir This Will was never produced court.
| but man named Francois Dusnan de la Crolx, an
intimate friend OF Clark, testified that 1t had been
| rtai 10 MIN by Clark himself short time pre-
| vious 10 his death He told that 1t would be
found after his demise in little black box the
| room he occupied. AS soon Us Mr. Clark died. De
La CroX looked IN the box for the viii, but failed
| ind L. This, however, was the b1sis OF the claim
| which Mrs. Gaines prosecuted Tor forty wears
| against the city OF New orleans and others who
| had purchased property Of Ref and Chew tie ad-
/ ministrators under the VIII OF 1911.
| FAMILIAR FIGURE IN WASHINGTON
| With the death OF Mrs Gaines passes away a
| figure which for many years has been familiar in
| the streets of Washington. Much OF her time has
been spent here looking after her interests. Mrs.
Gaines Is known to the world chiefly a famous
littgant, but she had wonderfully active mind that
| would PROBABLY have made her conspicuous in any
HELD Her large acquaintance andvar1ed experience,
| extending back almost to the beginning OF the
! century, gave her fund of Information, which
| maze her very entertaining companion. The
| story OF Mrs. Gaines life Is fun OF romance and
! paJhos. IrS. Gaines had three children-Rhoda,
| William and lullaby her first husband, William
| " hitney. New Yorker. She was left widow
| about Is years ago in New orleans, her husband
i having died somewhat suddenly OF a fever. MIR.
/ Whitney had entered actively into the prosecution
o. her case, ami in the work exhausted his means,
which were considerable The widow and her
cnlldren were left destitute
| TIE MARRIAGE TO GEN. GAINES.
AT this Juncture, and in the extremity of her dis
| tress, Maj Gen. Gaines distinguished soldier OF
our last war with England, learning something OF
the mlsfortuneS and the ''case' OF Mrs Whitney,
sought her acquaintance. and in gaining 1t was so
| captVated 10y the charms and graCeS OF the brave
little woman, and sO1m0ved by her friendleSS and
helpless situation with her p.esS children, that
! 10 protect them and assist her In the doubtful
''case," lie placed himself his fortune and his ser
vices iCG lie at her disposal They were married,
and lor many years, 10 the death of the general,
| Mrs. Gdine, was known the woman OF two ide as
-"her husband ana her case" Her fortune, which
was large Tor that day, was absorbed in the prose-
cution OF her case from court to court and his
| death the widow was again left with her "case''
and her three children upon her hands, and in
! Strengthened circumstances
Mrs. Gaines with great pluck has continued her
| great night. She was well known about all The
courts OF New Orleans. where she fought many a
legal battle. Many Of the lawyers VINO were
engaged In her cause in her early days grew Old
and oil Ia her service. Her 1aith in her rights was
boundess, and so was that OF many of her friends
and relatives, whose funds have been, like her
own, used up in paving the cost OF litigation.
Mrs Gaines has in recent years been attended
almost always by her son-ln-law, Mr. Christmas.
HIS tail figure, though somewhat bent presented a
rather odd contrast To her short slight form. Her
plnched Old face, OVernung with mass of dizzy,
reddish halr, showed traces Of many years hed
with disappointment She was very unfortunate
In her children. Her sou William was subject 10
epilepsy. Her daughter Julia suffered many years
with nervous disorder. which finally proved fatal
Her daughter RhOda, who was very bright and
hlShly-educated woman married first Mr.. STRAIT
her, OF North Carolina, from whom she was d.
Yorced. and was next married 10 Captain Christmas,
OF the same state, at whose residence there in the
fan OF 1879 she died At her dying Ded this daughter
was promised the protection OF her three young
children Dy Mrs. Gaines.
THE OVERWHELMINGLY TRAGEDY.
William Nhitney's Jealousy was excited. 1t ap-
pears, by the attention and care given to these
children by Mrs. Gaines, and this feeling led to
tragedy in this city about four years ago. which
Mrs Gaines, Capt Christmas and his children and
Mr.. Whitney and his family were then boarding at
the house on street. near 14th street, known as
the CatacaZy house. Whitney showed much bad
feeling towards Christmas, and it is said threat
ened 10 hill him. one day, as Christmas de-
Scending the stairs to the dining-ToOm Whitney
ass Iuited him with cane. Christmas shot and
killed him At the trial, which followed few
months afterwards, Mrs. Gaines sat in the court
room with her SOn-in-laW, and took active part
| IN directing the defense. He was acquitted.
MRS. GAINES SUITS
in New orleans had been pushed to a point where,
it Is clslned, her rights had been legally sane
toned, but there were many techncalitieS that
prevented her from enjoying them A suit against
the city OF New Orleans Is pending before he
supreme Court. This involves about 81 900 600.
| The judgments she obtained in New Orleans en-
titled her not only TO the property, but TO rents,
&C, during the time she kept out OF possession
| AS The deeds were warranted by the city or New
Orleans the city defended the suits and mean
while 1t is said, the persons owning the different
eceS OF property had so arranged that there was
nothing In their possession from which she could
recover the sums due her. She then began action
against the city. The long litigation has acted
like blight upon certain quarters OF the city Of
New Orleans, checking all improvements. Mrs.
Gaines, il is said, offered 81 100000 her pre-
tensions by a New York syndicate few years ago,
but refused IL.