Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-02
CHARLES ]. DLVLIN DEAD
Former Kansas Banker and Coal King
Passes Away in Chicago,
ESTATE IS IN HANDS OF RECEIVER
He Carried over Million Dollars I'm
Life Insurance, Most OF which
IL Assigned 90 Cred
itorH.

widely known coal mine operator, who re-
Gently underwent bankruptcy with liabili-
ties of A,OOOOOO, died at st. Elizabeths
hospital last night as the result of a stroke
of paralysis. He had suffered a previous
stroke last summer
Mr.. Devln died shortly before midnight.
He had been at the hospital several days,
with his wife and children. He was in i'll
health on his arrival in Chicago from New
York, and went direct to st. Ellzabeths.
Yesterday he was attacked by a rush
of blood TO his head and despite the efforts
of surgeons, succumbed to brain hemor-
rhage.
Mr.. Devlin was 81 years old, and leaves
a widow and five children. His body will
be taken to LaSalle, Ill.
Owner of Many Coal Mines.
KANSAS CITY, Nov. 1.--Charles ]. Dew
lin, who died at Chicago last night, was
before his failure in July last generally
credited with being one of the weathiest
men in Kansas City. He was at the head of
twenty-six different companies, coal mining
enterprises and mercantile establishments,
in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and other
states. For many years he was one of the
most active business men in the southwest.
His wealth consisted largely in coal mining
properties in southern Kansas. in the vicin-
ity of Merceline, Mo, and in Illinois. They
included the Mout Carmel coal mines, the
Toluca coal mines, the Marquette Third
Vein mines, the Devlin Coal company, the
Devln-Millcr Coal company and the South
western Fuel company.
AS the result of overwork Mr.. Devlln
collapsed last summer. and while papers
We're being drawn up at Kansas City to
form corporation intended to take over
and manage his vast enterprises the First
National bank at Topeka, Kan, of which
he was the principal stakeholder, failed
owing depostors over 100000, the state
of Kansas over 900 and the city Of
Topeka $4,000 and various banks and con-
Germs several hundred thousand dollars
additional. The bank was found to hold
close to S1,OOOOOO of Devlin paper and its
failure caused runs on several Topeka
banks and caused the failure of one
Kansas City bank that held his paper
The failure of the First National bank
of Topeka put a stop to the Incorporation
of Devlins properties and instead Devln
went into bankruptcy. The report of the
Devlin receivers made on October 10 placed
his liabilities at S5.6Sl,OOO.
Two months ago Mr. Devlin went to
Europe for his health, and only recently
returned to New York. When he died at
Chicago he was on his way to his home
at Topeka.
sketch of Remarkable Career.
c. ]. Devln was born of Irish parentage
in St. Louis fifty-four years ago. Until a
few months ago he was a powerful man
physically and mentally. His rise in the
financial world has been phenomenal. He
started in the coal business as a clerk in
a coal Office and soon became manager Of
one of the small coal companies, in northern
/ Illinois. In 1889 he was made manager of
fuel properties of the Santa Fe railway
system, with general control of all the
companys minesA After the Santa Fe re-
ownership ten years ago the railroad COM
pany stopped mining and leased its coal
properties to Mr.. Devlin. He already owned
mines in Illinois and later bought others
in Kansas and Missouri He was a big
operator at the time of the long strike in
1897. The miners and tho big coal COM
panies had long battle over the question
of recognition of the union, the United
Mine Workers of America. The men wanted
a small advance in pay. The other big
opera tors refused it. The worst trouble
was in the southeastern Kansas field. Mr.
Devlin sat around with the miners, talked
, things over and then with some other
workers. While the Kansas & Texas COM
pany and the Gould Mining company were
bringing negro miners from Alabama and
the strikers We're shooting at them the
Devlin miners were working two in a
room. Each of the miners took a striker
into partnership. Two men worked where
one would work ordinarily. The coal sup
ply was short. Extensive coal users would
pay almost any price and soon Devlin made
money so fast that he hardly knew what
he was making.
Then Mr.. Devln spread out, purchasing
other coal properties. When the mine
operators finally started up they cut prices
and in the war that followed Devlln I'M
questionably suffered But his properties
all prospered and he made money fast
until he was compelled to stop active in
terest because Of a physical and mental
collapse following a long period of over
work.
over Million in Insurance.
TOPEKA, Kan, Nov &c. j. Devlin.
at the time of his failure, in July carried
1928, 500 in life insurance. OF this amount
$4,000 has since been allowed to lapse,
$G67,OOO was turned over to Receiver ]. T
Bradley Of the failed First National bank
and the remaining Ss3,5OO is in policies pay
abe 10 Mrs. DeVlln and the children, which
| cannot be legally assigned.
The policies assigned to Receiver Brad
ley have all been kept fully paid up, and
settlements from the companies are ex-
pected at an early date.
Aside from the insurance money which
will 90 to the First National bank. the
death of c. ]. Devlin will have little effect
upon the standing Of his estate which will
remain in bankruptcy.
At the time of his death, the estate of
c. J. Deviin was in better shape than it
has been at any time since the failure.
In the report of the receivers an excess
Of assets is shown over the direct La
bN!t.cs.
Contingent liabilities appear, the validity
of which must still. however. be deter
mined. Should they all be upheld, then the