The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-17
Col. Coxe's CoaI-Mine.

The Coke family being well aud favor
ably known 10 Charlotte and throughout
The State, the recently published state
ment that they had been Compelled to
SURRENDER deeds TO coal lands va ued at
&. 900 900, excited a good deal OF IuleIes,
among our people Anxious 10 set Al
the facts In the case. the reporter last
tight had an interview with Cot. Frank
Coke, who explained that thu report a.
published was a grossly Inaccurate state
ment- 1t was published, NO doubt, By
Derringer. or some of his trlends- aud
was 10 substance AS follows In the Com
mon Pie Is Court at WIke.barre, on last
Monday, EckleyB Coke, State Senator
from WIlkesbarre, surrepderei the deed
To coal lands valued At about s., 100, 900,
which he had obtained by one of the
sharpcst pieces OF legal practice ever
known In this country. For the last ~
years the Coke family have been striving
To gain possession OF very valuable coal
lands in Sugar Loaf and Black Greek
townships, Wilkesbarre county, the
property OF the Derringer family. The
lands al present belong to five members
Of the family, one OF whom Is Col Z VI.
Derripger, now of Washington, d. e.
The case las repeatedly come before the
courts j WIlkcsbarre county, aud has
twice LEA decided against the Ccxes.
In the fall Of 1850 j. Jones Clark, 4
nephew Of Col. Derringer, resldlux in
Philadelphia, commenced proceedings
against his uncle for money due, and OBJ
tanned a j~udgemen. of 1880. This Judge
ment Was forwarded To Wilke, barre
county aud entered in the p~rothonotary's
oH.a NJ Nal arAs, 49, - -.
lone merely to obtain a lien upon Col.
Derrlnger 5 property, and not for the
purpose o. procuring any execution.
Shortly after, without any Instructions
from MIR. Clark, and 1t is supposed, act
ing In the interest of Mr.. Coke, the
Philadelphia lawyers sent on and with
out any notice to Col DerriDger had an
execution issued, on which the Lands
we're sold by the sheriff and bought by
toxe' 5 agent here tor $500. When Col.
Derringer heard of snis he imlnediAi ely
threaten 4 legal proceedings unless Coke
first refused, but finally was compelled to
tered setting aside the sheriff 5 sale, and
the deeds were returned to Col. Derrin-
ger"
INT stTdlRHt VI Tue mdJIeF Is LnlS
Col. Coxe's grandfather, Tench Coke,
who was a member of the First Con
gress. Assistant Secretary of the Treas.
ury and COMMISSIONS of the Revenue,
owned 200, 0vO acres Of land in the wilds
of Pennsylvania, which was 10 the hands
OF agents. The agent sometimes failed
to pay tax. and small tracts w.re conse-
quently sold. The Derringer family
bought ore tract OF loo acres on tax
title, and the Coke family fought then on
II IN the courts from that time up to four
years ago. The case was first in the SUI
perior court, and was decided against the
COxes, who took to the Supreme court,
where they won it. This operation was
repeated twice, when the Derringer fam
lily, consisting of nine heirs, accepted
terms offered by the Coxes. Ole of the
~Derringers, who refused to accept, re-
tanned his ninth interest. This ninth
interest was afterwards sold at auction
at Wilkesbarre, and was bought in by
the Coke heirs. The Derringers aud
Coxes have rented out the land 1, coal
companies and divide the royalty. The
81, oO0, 900 doed claimed to have been re-
covered by Derringer is simply the deed
to his ninth interest, the same that was
sold at auction and brought ia by the
Coxes. There no 81, O00, 900 about it,
and it is an exceedingly small fraction of
the Coke estate.
The Derrlnger in question is the origi-
nal INVENTOR of the Derringer pistol
Charlotte Observer.