The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-29
A NOTORIOUS CASE.
The Suit of Myra Clark Gaines Settled at
Last-New Orleans City Involved for
S3,Co0,OCO.

Ad9I-NS" OIteauS SlCy 1nVOlVeO lot
$1,000 ,OcO.
WASHINGTON, D. c., November 90
The supreme court of the United States
will probably render final decision in
few hours in case that in its sensa-
tional features, the bitterness with
which it has been contested, and its
protracted litigation through over fifty
years, stands without parallel in the
judicial annals. of this country, and
throws into the shade many of the cele-
brated cases in the English chancery
courts. This is the suit Of Myra Clark
Gaines against the city of NewOrleans.
Since 1884 this case has been in the
courts, and in that time nearly every
prominont lawyer in the country has
taken part IN the case on one side or the
other. The various suits have been
brought savagely and relentlessly; op-
probrium, abuse, vituperation and
SANDER have been poured upon all con-
nected with the case. Mrs. Gaines has
been assailed as an impostor. Her legit-
imacy has been called in question, her
mother has been declared bigamist
and an impure woman. When the ex-
igency seemed to demand it, even the
manhood of General Clark, whose child
Mrs. Gaines claimed to be, has been dis
puted. The case has been tried time
and again in. the state courts of Louisi-
ana, and it is said this is the tenth time
it has been in the supreme court of the
United States. It has been regarded as
settled and determined conclusively at
various times in the past thirty years,
but each time the ingenuity of the
counsel employed has found some
means of postponing the final settle
ment. It is now declared that the clos
ing act of the drama has come, and Mr..
Beckwith, the attorney for the city of
New Orleans, says that the resources of
the law have been exhausted, and if de-
feated, there is nothing for the city to
do but to make some arrangement for
the damages awarded by the court.
The contest between Mrs. Grimes and
her lawyers have formed not the
least CONSPICUOUS feature of the case.
The most eminent attorneys have been
employed, and nearly all of them have
withdrawn at different times. Caleb
Cushing, Reverdy Johnson, Judge John
Campbell and Jere Black are some of
them who have represented Mrs. Gaines
while Daniel Webster of legal lumin-
business has represented the other side.
Deserted by one counsel after another,
Mrs. Gaines struggled on hopeful,
buoyant, confident Of victory, until
she was finally laid away in her grave.
Long years of litigation washed away
her money, and at times she was too
poor to pay the court costs. But still
she persevered in her determination to
clear the stain from her mothers name,
and to secure what she regarded as her
right.
Many residents of Washington re-
member her as little. thin, old wo
man, whose eheerfulness, vivacity and
energy remained to the last. For years
she was familiar figure on the street
as she went smartly along with her
son and son-in-law at her side. She
died in January, 1885. Her son and
son-in-law have also passed away, and
nobody now remains but Hatty L.
Whitney, her daughter-in-law, whose
husband was killed by James H.
Christmas, Mrs. Gaines son-in-law, in
family quarrel few years ago. Mrs.
Whitney is living very quietly in
Washington.
In 1881, Mrs. Gaines, then Is years
old, was given judgment against the
city Of New Orleans for 81, ,925, ,667.S1 by
the United States circuit court. Four
years later she died, while the case was
on appeal to the United States supreme
court. The amount awarded repre-
sents rents, interest and principal ac-
cruing from the sum for which the city
originally sold the property. 1t is On
an appeal from this decision, awarding
interest and rents, but an opinion is ex-
pected from the United States supreme
court in few days. The case was ar
gued last October year ago, and judg-
ment can hardly be delayed longer.
Interest is running on the money
awarded by the court, so that should
the judgment be against the city, as is
generally expected, it will have to pay
nearly S9,0O0,0OO. New Orleans is i'm.
poverished and practically bankrupt,
and it is hard question for her to set.
tie just how the obligation will be met
The courts mandate cannot be re,
sisted, and it is thought that the mat.
ter will be arranged by the issuance o;
new interest bearing bonds to those
who represent the estate of Mrs. Gaines
The Execution of Women.