Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-20
DISTRUST A TRUSTEE.
Heirs of James Il. Hays Think the
Estate Is Being Wasted.
MINING COAL AT A HEAVY LOSS.
Judge Stowe Decides a Long Drawn-0ut
Contest Over Bonds.
ALL THE NEWS OF THE COUNTY COURTS

The hearing in the case of the petition of
the heirs of the late James H. Hays was
continued yesterday before Judge Hawkins.
The allegations made are of interest and a
large amount of money is involved in the
case. The income from the estate, outside
of the coal mines in question, is over S45, 900
per year.
The contest between the heirs and H. c.
Bughman, the trustee, has been in progress
eight years. In the present issue the petit
tioning heirs ask that the work
ing of the coal mines be stopped,
Bughman removed as trustee and a fit per-
son appointed in his stead and that the es-
tate be partitioned among the heirs. In the
matter of working the coal mines the petit
tioners allege that they are being run at
loss and submit the accounts of the trustee
himself to show it.
A Question of Bookkeeping.
The trustee asserts by his statement that
the mines are making money, but the petit
tioners claim he does not charge to the
mines expenses that he should but instead
charges them to the general estate, thus
showing the expense of working the
mines at less than it is. They say that
he has charged mine repairs, wages OF mine
bosses, track repairs, etc., to the general
estate instead of charging it against the re-
cefpts from the coal, and thus makes false
appearance.
Taking the account of the trustee for the
period from April, 1890, to April, 1891 in
which time 80 acres OF coal were mined the
trustee claimed the earnings were $24, 1000
The heirs produced figures from his general
account to show that had he made the
were $, 900 greater than the income and in
addition the coal was gone and it was
worth at least 600 without the
expense of mining. During the eight years
Bughman has been trustee the petitioners
presented figures to show that 2l7 acres of
coal have been mined. The gross receipts
were 81, e97, SIS 81 The expenses were only
$4,000 less than this, leaving that amount as
the only return for the coal in 2l7 acres. This
they claim, could have been leased at ST. 900
per acre without the equipment and with no
expense, return of s2l7. .Oo0 or by working it
the profit should have been at least 81, 500 per
acre, or SS25, 500 clear.
Losing Both Money and Coal.
In the last year. it is stated, the estate re-
ceived SIS 500 from rents, royalties, etc, out
side of coal. The expenses in insurance,
taxes, etc. were about So, 600 Had no coal
been mined the earnings would have been
S23, 600. As it vas, the amount left of the
whole business WIS only $4,000, and 80 acres
of coal had disappeared.
At the hearing yesterday the petitioners,
after submitting their figures as to the ac-
counts, offered expert testimony as to the
value of the coal and what the mines should
produce. G. W. Stone testified that he had
mined up to the Hays land. He said he
would give $500 an acre for the coal without
the equipments, and would take 100 acres
now.
Thomas Fawcett the coal operator, testi-
fed that the coal should lease for S, 600 an
acre with the equipments, and the lessee
make profit of at least $500 more
Joseph Keeling also testified the coal
should lease at not less than 81 600 an acre
The petitioners concluded their case and
the hearing was continued until next
Wednesday, when the defense will be heard
The estate still owns at least 2 900 acres of
coal land that has not been mined.