Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-11-30
AFAMous LAW SUIT ENDED.
Mrs. Gaines vs.. New Orleans The
Greatest Shit Known in America.


The supreme court OF the United States
has rendered final decision in case that
| in it's sensational features, the bitterness
| with which il has been contested, and Its
protracted litigation through over % years,
| stands without 81 parallel IN tho judicial
annals of this country, and throws INTO tne
| shade many OF the celeDratei cases In the
| English chancery courts
This is the suit of Myra Clark Gaines
| against the city of New Orleans. Since 1884
| this case has been in the courts. The yari-
! Gus suits have been fought ssyagely ana re-
| lentlessly. OpprobriuIn, abuse, yitupera-
| ton, and SANDER have been poured upon all
connected with the case. Mrs. Gaines has
| been assailed as an impostor, her legitimacy
has been called in question, her mother has
| been declared a biganist and an impure
| woman. When the exigency seemed 10 de-
mand il, even the manhood and virility OF
| Gen Clark whose child Mrs Games
claimed 10 be. have been disputed
| The case has been tried time and again
| in the courts of Louisiana and this - the
| tenth time IL has been in the United states
supreme court IL is now declared that the
| closing act of the drama has come, and Mr..
| Beckwith, the attorney for the city OF New
| Orleans saws the resources OF the law have
| been exhausted, and that II defeated there
| is nothing for the city TO do but 10 make
some arrangement for the damages award
| ed by the court
The contest, between Mrs. Gaines and
| her lawyers have formed not the least con-
| spicuous feature Of the case The most
| eminent attorneys have been employed and
nearly all Of them have Withdrawn from
| the case at different times. Caleb Cushing
! Beverly Johnson, Judge John a. Campbell
| and Jere Black are some Of those who
have represented Mrs. Gaines, while Dan
| iel Webster and other legal luminaries
| have represented the other side. Deserted
| by one counsel after another, Mrs. Gaines
Id. fnl Ht1n mn H.
| dent of victory until she was finally laid in
| her grave. Long years Of litigation wasted
| her money and AT times she was too poor 10
| pay the court costs. But still she
persevered in her determination to clear
| the stain from her mothers name, and TO
secure what sue regarded as her right.
| Many residents of Washington remember
her as "A little, thin old woman, whose
| checrfulncss, vivacity and energy remained
| 10 the last. For years she was familiar
| figure on the street as she went smartly
along, with her son and son ln-law at her
side. She died in January, 1885 Her son
| and sOn-in law have also since passed away,
and nobody now remains but Hattie l..
| Whitney, her daughter in law, whose hus-
| band was killed by James B. Christmas,
| Mrs Gaines son in-l law, in a family quar-
| rel "a few years ago. Mrs. Whitney is liv-
| ing very quietly in Washington.
Mrs. Gaines began her first suit in 1884
10 recover the property now in litigation,
| which had been left by her father ana
| bought by the city Of New Orleans. 1t is
unnecessary To recount the various phases
of the long fight The war interrupted the
proceedings for several years After the
war the litigation was pushed as fiercely as
| ever in the courts, and at last in 1881, Mrs.
Gaines then 80 years old, received judy
ment against the city OF New Orleans
for 81 ,92i 661 50 in the United States circuit
court. Four years later she d ed while the
case was on appeal 10 the United States
supreme court. The amount awarded rep
resents rents, interest and principal, accru-
ing from the sum for which the city origi-
nally sold the property. II is on an appeal
from this decision awarding interests and
rents that an opinion from the United
States supreme court comes now. The
case was argued in October, 1857, and
judgment can hardly be longer delayed.
Interest is running on the money awarded
by the court, so that should the judgment
be against the city, as is generally expect
ed, it will have 10 pay nearly s3,00O,OOO.
New Orleans is impoverished and practi-
cally bankrupt and il is hard question
for the city To settle just how the obliga-
ton will be met. The courts mandate
cannot be resisted and it is thought that
the matter will be arranged by the issu-
auce of the new interest bearing bonds to
those who represent the estate of Mrs.
GalI.cS.