Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-21
ONE PARTNER GONE,
And a Warrant Out for the Arrest of
the Missing Gentleman,
COAL OPERATOR DEVICES WANTED
For an Alleged Embezzlement of $500 by
the Sale of a Lease,
WITH OVER $4,000 DEMATERIALIzED

There's pretty peck of trouble on hands
for the Osceola Coal Company to get rid Of
If it can. There are dissensions, distrust
and, if some of the sworn allegations are
true, dishonesty enough in the concern to
wreck many larger and more famous coal
mining firm. 1t is an interesting little con-
test too. The Osceola coal mines lie partly
in Allegheny county and partly in West
moreland, the latter portion being by far the
larger, though all deliveries Of coal from the
mines are made from the Allegheny county
opening.
In the fight that has been forced within
the past few weeks between jesse H. De-
wees and John Shields, the only remaining
members of the company (and one of them,
it is alleged, doesn't remain to any percept-
ible extent) the Sheriff. first of WeStmore-
land, and then of Allegheny county. has
been selling the mines. To-day the Allie
gheny county functionary will take his
trick at the wheel, so to speak.
Meanwhile there is a warrant out for
missing member of the firm, Jesse H. De-
wees, of McKeesport. He is charged by his
remaining partner, j John Shields, of Osceola,
with embezzlement, and the warrant is
drawn to correspond with the following in
formation on file at Alderman Gripp's Office
in this city:
THE SWORN ALLEGATIONS.
Personally appeared before me, John Gripp.
Alderman for the city of Pittsburg, John
Shields who doth depose that on the 18th day
of January, 1885, Jesse H. Devices and afiant
being then and there copartuers, doing busi-
ness as the Osceola Coal Company, said Jesse
H. Devices proposed to said affiant that they
should exchange a certain lease of coal in
Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, which he
and affiant held from and under R. s. Robson,
with the Westmoreland Coal Company, for
lease from it of certain other coal underlying
lands of Henry Meyers, and requested afiAnt
TO sign transfer of said lease so that he Jesse
H. Dewees) might take it to Philadelphia to
the Office of the Westmoreland Coal Company
in order to effect said exchange and tranfer;
and affiant signed as requested and thereupon
Jesse H. Devices took the lease so assigned by
affiant went to Philadelphia and sold the
said Robson lease to the Westmoreland
Coal Company for the sum of $780, sum large.
ly below its value, and kept and appropriated
said money to his own use, without the knowl-
edge or consent OF the affant, but on the con-
trary. told the aff1ant that he had made the
contemplated exchange and had the other
lease, which was untrue, and said Robson
lease was the property of the Osceola Goal
Company.
Complainant therefore desires that warrant
may issue. and the aforesaid. defendant, Jesse
II. Devices, may be arrested and held to an
swer this charge of fraudulently appropriating
the property of said Osceola Coal Company.
JOHN SHIELDS.
In an interview, yesterday, brother of
Mr. Shields sought to- explain matters by
saying that Mrs. Devices had gone, evil
IDENTIFY, to Colorado, but he didn't know
where Jesse had gone. Neither did Consta-
Bile Murphy, who had the warrant. Mr..
Shields said there were greater and graver
differences in the firm than the little alleged
embezzlement above charged.
HOW IT CAME TO A HEAD.
According to Mr. Shields, the $40, 600
which it is alleged Jesse Devices raised,
and confessed judgment on to his brother,
Thomas Shields, two weeks ago (who was
never known on the books as a creditor),
didn't appear on the books of the firm and
didn't help it worth continental, because,
when the judgment was confessed the Sheriff
took charge of the remainder of the coal
The judgment note in question, for S10,-
600, was drawn January a. and, as Mr.
Shields says, was Endorsed by his brother on
representations that this had to be done to
afford double security for loan of S., 900
which Jesse had found it advisable to ne
gotiate for the immediate wants of the firm.
But alas, the Sheriff, etc., etc. The note
has been adjudged TO be legal one, and
the little alleged embezzlement of $500 ap-
pears to be the only immediate ground the
prosecutor, j. Scott Ferguson, Esq, has to
go on, in his pursuit OF the missing Jesse.
Mr.. Ferguson, as prosecuting lawyer in
the case, was asked if there were anything
new in the Devices affair, and answered
pertinently: ..-
Nothing Few, except that Devices mas
skipped. He has gone out West some.
where, to Colorado or Montana, or some
where. Anyhow, the case goes on in the
morning without defendant I suppose
a wrangle will follow over division of the
proceeds