The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-03
"A Mining Romance.

Spencer & Hlner, of Fon Due Lac are
| the attorneys for the saloon keeper, Alex
andcr AcKane, who is one of the heirs to
mines " New Mexico valued at over
$l,000,000. The circumstances are as
follows: About the year 1871 Frank Nc.
Kane went from Indiana to New Mexico.
and, like nearly all men who 90 into a
mining country, he located number of
CLAIMS. lie was bachelor, and lived the
Ito OF thriftlcss vagarond for several
years, when he opened saloon. He
maintained himself III the busir ess. not
keeping very elaborate place, until 1880,
| en- and deserted. lie had not even friend
left to communicate the intelligence of his
death to his Eastern relatives If it was
| Known there he had any. Ills family, con.
sistlng OF three brothers, did not lealn of
his death until short time ago, q gentle
man appeared who was deslrOus of pur-
chasing their rights in the mines alluded
to above. .....
Mckanc's family consists of Alexander
McKanc, Of this city; James A1cKane, 0f
Clay county, Indiana, where he ls a COL
ier; and Samuel McIAane, now coRfined
in the Indiana ptnltentiary at Michigan
City. The last was incarc rated for bur
glary, but prolonged his term of lfnprison-
ment by attempting to hew legl of one
of the prison guards. There wa8 also an
other mcmber of tho family, WHO, it was
reported, died of ycllow fever III the South.
nc was fugitive IRON justice, AMID there
Slo' 'ooo reward on his head for murder
committed IN Texas some years slyAce.
Shortly after McKane's death IN trans
plrcd that some ct the mines whicM he To-
Gated were exceedingly valuabiA and
Brown " Young of st. Louis, set HEsaut
getting possession OF them. The Brown
OF the firm ls B. Gratz Brown, who was a
candidate for tho Vice Presidency with
Greeley. They sent out Daniel Murphy to
hunt up the McKunc heirs and buy them
off. Murphy obtained quit clam deed
from James McKane. IN Indiana, for
81, 900. lie made the same kind of q
trade also with Samuel, III tue pon,tcnt,.
airy at Michigan City. lie was, some time
accomplishing his object with Alexander
Mckanc OF this city, on account Of the
peculmrltcs of the person with whom he
had to deal. Murphy represented that the
mines were Of little value, that they were
undcvelopcd and involved Ill litigation,
that McKanc's claim had been sold out,
ana that he SIMPLY wartcd to perfect his
t.tlc TO the property. Alexander is some-
what eccentric and rather superstitious.
AN ""o, ~ oScHlS, a. lIttlc suspicious, ana
employed Spence & Hincr as his lawyers.
They wanted to look up the mines to as
certain their real value, but McKane was
unmanagcable by lawyers and obstinate.
Murphy offered him S5, 900, AMI, despite
the ADVICE OF his counsel, he took It, Civ
ing u quit-clalm deed of his interest in hia
Orothcr's mining claims. Spepoo " osnd li,uoi'>
and made Inquiries by telegraph, learning
enough to warrant beginning suit against
Murphy, before he left the city, to set
aside his conveyance on the groul d that it
was obtained by false rcprentatlons. Nc
Kane repentcd Of his rashncss in giving
the decd.
MIR. Hiner afterward spent some time III
hunting up james McKanc. taking Alex
an0er along TO assist HIM. James retained
the firm to fight his case also. MIR. Spen.
Ger has just returned from two weeks
trip to Mexico, looking up the legal points
in the case. Lilo found that McKane died
possessed of a clear title to q one-half in
tcrest IN no less ,han five mines viz the
Viola. the Penelope, the Wndward, the
3 lycr Bell, and the Webster Murphy had
been leterestc;! III securing titles to the
first three are worth over 81 900, 900, and
have been improved TO some extent. Muir
ply transferred his tlltlc by trust deed
10 Is. Gratz Brown, Of st. LOUIS, and John
E. Price, OF Grant county, New Mexico.
Suits were therefore begun there to set
aside their title and the whole matter Is
nav In the courts.