The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-27
GUARDIAN FOR MRS. l. B. COKE
BROTHER AND SONS MOVE TO
PREVENT HER REMARRIAGE.
Set Yin I'm Court That the Coal Operators
Wealthy widow Is silly Over Men, n
That DIR. Hill. Her F1Rnce, Isn't q Proper
Person at All-Spent Money Freely.

That DIR. Hill Her Itance, Isn't q Proper
Person at All-Spent Money Freely.
PHILADELPHIA, March 2e,-Mrs. Henry b.
Coke, the wealthy widow Of the coal opera
tor, was supplied by her children and her
brother with a guardian at the West Chester
Court to-day because of her determination
to marry DR.. John Devere Hill, a Liver
pool physician, with a small salary. The
Girard Trust Company was made guar
dian.
For years past, her relatives alleged In
asking for a guardian, that Mn. Coke has
patted the physician upon the head, called
him her beau and given him money for
hotelbills, champa gne and charity They
felt that something must be done to pre-
vent the maria q anpouncedt two weeks ago
or else make certain that none Of Mrs
Coxe's income Of CSC. 900 a year reached the
e nglishman.
Mrs. Coxe Is at present making her home
In New York, awaiting the arrival OF DR..
Hill from England. At the court proceed
ings to-day, a physicians certificate was
produced to show that she is not able to
make such a trip.
She was pictured by witnesses as giving
$3.50 tips to boys who open doors for her,
carrying around thousands in a small
leather bag, discussing "her beaux" with
callers, spending great sums on tips and
acting like a girl Of 10 when men were
around
One Of Mrs. Coxe's sons testified that he
thought his mother could be induced to do
almost anything at the present time through
fattery. her condition being apparently
due to the effects Of a stroke Of paralysis
received about three years ago. The two
sons In court were Henry B.. Coke, Jr.,
and Charles E. Coke. The third son, Alex
ander Brown Coke. Is in Paris and could
not be communicated with in time. Her
brother, John A. Brown, Jr,, was on hand.
Mrs. Coke was represented by Evan
Shelby, a New York lawyer. For the sons
there appeared George Tucker Bispham
and John Hampton Barnes. Joseph d.
Mccoy. a lawyer in Mr.. Barnes's office,
told of Mrs. Coxe's conduct when he served
the papers in the present case upon her.
"She seemed so apathetio that | had TO
read parts Of the petition to her twice.
She didn't seem to grasp what 1t meant.
When l told her her brother was a petitioner
she said that Johnny had no business to
interfere. She said he was a trustee of
her estate, but that he was also q beast and
a thief. She didn't say this in a violent
manner, but laughed at the time"
What sort of q laugh was it?'
"A very silly l~augh-like that Of a child
What did she say about her sons?"
She said that the boys ought to look
after her. Then she referred me to her
lawyer. She couldn't remember his name,
but che said he was large and thought a
a great deal OF her. She said her BOYS
were afraid she'd run of and marry him."
DIR. Robert C. James Of New York and
DR.. John H. Musser Of Philadelphia gave
medical testimony. DR.. Henry Allen, who
described DR.. Hill as "a port physician at
Liverpool who inspects incoming steamers.
He is about IS years old and looks like a
hard drinker; His face is red and flushed
and he has bleary eyes"
Mrs; Coke once told me " said DR.. Allen.
that she had given him $3.50 for charity.
His influence over her was marked"
DR., Charles F. Weber of Philadelphia
was the physician who succeeded DIR.
Allen. He went abroad with Mrs. Coke
DR.. Hill last October, he testified.
She gave me two to three times the
ordinary fee given by wealthy people.
On the steamer, going over she tipped
twenty-five people. 10 tne Shlp'S doctor
she gave 500, though | was attending her, "
said DR.. Allen.
Mrs. Coke, said DR.. Allen, paid DR.. Hills
champagne and hotel bills when she was
in England, and Hill drank much cham
payne, lie suspected that she gave much
money to Hill. who is a rough looking
man. typical Of Lancashire, where he
comes from, He appeared to be a mar
who drinks steadily.
How did she behave when with him?-
Very silly, like a young sirl. She would
pat him on the head sometimes. She
often asked me whom | thought she ought
to ~marry-which one Of the men who adj
mired her"
There was much other testimony, among
others Mrs. William H. Williams OF Phila-
delphia AN old friend, who said Mrs. Coxe's
mind was always ri the men" Once she
deposited a s13 900 check and thought it
only 81 $50. Another time she wanted to
sell a SIS 900 property for %, 900.
The private fortune Of Mrs. Coke amounts
TO a little over 81 600, 900. All this she in
herited from her father and grandfather,
Alexander Brown and John A.. Brown.
She was Miss Isabelle Brown, a noted belle
before her marriage to Mr.. Coke, the
wealthy coal operator, who died in Brussels
eighteen months ago.