Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1883-04-12
A MINING ROMANCE.
The History Of a vagabond : Un'
expected Heirs to an Inn
mense Fortune.

FoN DU LAC, March 21.- Suit
have been recently institute,
by Spence & Hiner, of this city
concerning some Mexico minin,
property that develops q lony
and interesting story and con
siderable family history. Spenc,
& Hiner are the attorneys fol
tho saloon-kceper, Alexander
McKane, who is one of tn,
heirs to miEes In New Mexico
valued at over 81, 100000. TIL,
circumstances are as follows:
| About the year 1871 Franz
McKane went from Indiana Il
! New Mexico, and, like nearly al
men who go INTO a mining coun
try, he located q number O
claims. He was q bachelor, ant
lived the life ofa thriftless vaga
bond for several years, when ht
opened q saloon. He maintain
ed himself in the business, moi
keeping a very elaborate place
until 1880, when he died of small
pox, poverty-strickcn and de-
serted. He had not even 0
friend left to communicate the
intelligence of his death until a
short time ago, gentleman ap,
peared who was desirous ofpur'
chasing their rights in the MINES
alluded to above.
McKane's family consists OF
Alexander McKane, ofthis city;
James McKane, of Clay county,
Indiana, where he is q collier;
and Samuel McKane, now con-
fined in the Indiana penitentia-
ry at Michigan City. The last
was incarcerated for burglary,
but prolonged his term of i'm
pris0nment by attempting to
hew a leg off one of the prison
guards. There was also anoth.
er member of the family, who,
it was reported, died of yellow
fever in the South. He was a
fugitive from justice, and there
was $4,000 reward on his head
for q murder committed in Tex
as some years since.
Shortly after McKane's death
1t transpired that some of the
mines which he located were
exceedingly valuable and Brown
& Young, of st. Lonis, set about
getting possession of them. The
Brown of the firm is b. Gratz
BroYape veSe Presidency with
Greeley. They sent out Daniel
Murphy to hunt up the McKane
heirs and buy them off. Muir
ply obtained a quit claim deed
from James McKane, in Indi-
ana, for $1,000. He made the
same kind of a trade also with
Samuel, in the penitentiary at
Michigan City. He was some
time accomplishing his object
with Alexander McKane, ofthls
city, on account of the peculi-
arities of the person with whom
he.had to deal. Murphy repre-
sented that the mines were of
little value, that they were un-
developed and involved in liti-
CATION, that McKane's claim had
been sold out, and that he sim
ply wanted to perfect his title
to the property. Alexander is
somewhat eccentric and rather
superstitious. He was, it seems
q little suspicious, and employed
Spence s. Hiner as his lawyers
They wanted to look up the
mines to ascertain their rea
value, but McKane was unman
ageable by lawyers and obsti
nate. Murphy offered him $4,000
and, despite the advice of hii
counsel, he took it, giving a Qui
claim deed Of his interest in his
brothers mining claims. Spence
s. Hiner, however, had their sus
picions aroused, and made inqui
ries by telegraph, learning
enough to bring suit agains
Murphy, before he left the city
to set aside his conveyance OF
the ground that it was obtained
by false representations. Nc
Kane repented of his rashnes
in giving the deed.
Mr.. Hiner afterwards spen
some time in hunting up jane
McKane, taking Alexande
along to assist him. James re
tanned the firm to fight his cas-
also. Mr.. Spencer has just re
turned from a two weeks tril
to Mexico. looking up the lega
points in the case. He foun'
that McKane died possessed Of
clear title to a oAe-half interes
| in no less than five mines, viz
the Viola, the Penelope, tn
Windward, the Silver Bell an
the Webster. Murphy had bee
Interested in securing titles t
the first three only, and all c
them are located in Grant coul
J ty, New Mexico. Suits wer
therefore begun there to sc
aside their title and the Who'll
matter is now in the courts.
The two mines not decided I
: Murphy are very rich, but {
, considerable less value than tn
, others. AS Frank McKane owl
ed one half the property, th
sum of 100000 or thereabout
= is what the brothers expect
obtain out of 1t. Besides thi
there are the two mines
9 which their title is free fro
I, t.4:..+:o. onI nooh ono nf |