The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-05-15
The Story Of ars. Gaines.

travels Of late years twice met the re-
markable woman whose case has Just
been finally decided by the United
States Supreme Court, Mrs. MyR Clark
Gaines, and became sufficiently &C.
quainted with her to learn from her the
story Of her life, says that 1t Is probably
the most romantic history Of litigation
on record,
She was an old woman when this
gentleman met her first in Washington
in 1880, and again in New Orleans three
years later, But she was old in years
only, In all other respects she was
young, Notwithstanding she had out
lived two husbands and been In the
courts contesting for her just property
rights in New Orleans for half q century.
She was very active on her feet and
walked about thereon almost inCessant'
ly as she talked, and occasionally as
she related some amusing incident Of
her experience her laugh was as CHEEKY
as that Of girl, Her faith in her cause
and in the triumph OF the right was
simply marvellous, She believed in the
efficacy Of prayer, and 1t was moving
to hear her tell how in her darkest
hours Of poverty and loneliness In New
Orleans, when she pledged her jewelFy
for bread for herself and two children,
she would come back TO her humble
lodgings and "taIk" as she expressed 1t,
to her Heavenly Father" and explain
to him her case and her need ofhishelp,
Some oil the greatest lawyers Of the
land were In her case for years, on one
aide or the other. Among them such
men as Daniel Webster, ReYerdy john
son and John J. Crittenden. She used
to tell OF the compliment paid her once
in the United States Supreme Court by
Webster, who, although on tho other
side, in alluding to her long pending
suits, even at that early day, spoke oil
her as q woman whom the breath oil
calumny had never reached.
Her case was tried in the United
States District and Circuit Courts at
New Orleans, Nashville and other places
at various times on technical points, and
carried up almost as often to the United
States Supreme Court, and still the city
OF New Orleans resisted by one shift and
an other her victories, whilO she never
quailed under her defeats.
Until this woman was Of age she
never knew her true name or origin
Born in New Orleans she supposed she
was the daughter OF u wealthy man in
Philadelphia, in whose house she was
brought up-the man, as she claimed
who was the fraudulent beneficiary oil
her real fathers largo property In New
Orleans. In fit OF anger one day helet
the secret out To her that she was not
his child, and with that disclosure began
the great quest Of her life, to vlndicate
her rights to her name and fortune. She
made this the business OF her life and
had the assistance Of her two husbands
two OF the best men, as she was &C.
customed to say, with whose love and
devotion God had ever blessed any
woman. The second was Major Cen
eral Gaines, OF the United States Army
who at one time drew his sword in open
court on one Of the opposing counsel
This was away back in the thirties.
1t was supposed years ago that Mrs
Gaines would be but . limited beneficiary
in her litigation, even II finally success
full, so great had been her expenses in
the shape Of money borrowed aud CON
tingent fees contracted for. She did not
live to see the Anal victory which came
on Monday last, but her wonderful
faith in her case and her cause were
fully vindicated, and her name will re-
main in American annals as the most
remarkable evidence and instance oil
what faith and perseverance, can accom-
pligh, even in the hands Of a woman,
that our history thus far gives any ac'
count OF.