The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-26
GETS HER SHARE.
Trustees Make a Settlement
With Mrs. T.. ]. DevIin.
Gets Nearly Half a Million in
Money.
ADJ USTS ALL SUITS.
Her Claim for Dover Rights to
Be Dismissed.
Other Adjustments Are Also
Made by Trustees.

Made by Trustees.
Cyrus Leland. James E. Hurley and
Walter Reeves, trustees for the estate
of the late c. ]. Devlin, with their at
torney, John S. Dean, have made a
final settlement with Mrs. c. J. DevIin
Tor Whatever claim she had against
the estate of her husband. BY the
terms of the settlement Mrs. Devlin
pays the trustees $4,000 of the u
million of life insurance collected and
the trustees dismissed their SUIT con-
testing Mrs. Devlin's contention for a
dover interest in the estate and the
suit TO establish a trust to take charge
OF the life insurance already collected
by Mrs Devlin. Mrs. Devlin also dis
misses all suits for dover or other in
terest in the Devlin estate. The trus-
tees also arrived at a final settlement
with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Railway company for salvage in
the Crawford county mines. The Dew
lin estate probably will be finally ad-
Indicated and settled before January
L In this way Mrs. Devlin gets
$45O.OOO.
Neither party was satisfied with
the compromise" said Mr.. Dean. But
that's the history of all compromises.
The other side thought they should
have gotten more out of it and we
thought we should have received more
than the S5O,000.'
At the time of Mr.. Devlin's death
Mrs Devlin put in claim for
widows dover interest in her hus-
bands holdings in Missouri and Illi-
nois- This amounted to about $4,000
acres in coal lands. Her interest
would have been about $3.50, 900. The
trustees contested this dover claim by
a suit in the federal court. Mrs. Dew
lin also filed a claim in Kansas of
Se4O.0O0 as the widows interest in the
entire estate of Mr. Devlin- The trus-
tees also contested this claim. By to-
days settlement Mrs. Devlin surren-
ders all rights to the estate we'll as
her dover interest and $4,000 of II
million dollars collected in insurance.
The Mount Carmel Coal company, a
Devlin company, leased the land of
the Cherokee & Pittsburg Coal and
Mining company in Crawford county,
Kansas, several years ago. This lease
expired June /. 1906. about a year
after Mr. Devlin's failure. At the ex-
piration of the lease the Cherokee &
Pittsburg company, owned by the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, took
possession of the property without re-
imbursing the Devlin trustees for i'm
provementS made by Mr.. Deylin at
the min 9s- The trustees regained pos
session Of the property by an inJunc-
ton suit and then made an arrange
ment whereby the Atchison. Topeka &
Santa Fe should operate the mines
1t was this settlement that was made
today The Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe paid s175.OOO.
The First National bank of Topeka,
owned by c. ]. Devlin, failed July 3,
1905. with liabilities of more than 2
million dollars. Devlins extensive
mining property in Kansas and Mis-
souri, was involved in the failure. Dew
lin died in Chicago November 1, 1905.
Two syndicates are after the Dew
lin Coal company property which is
the main asset remaining in the hands
headed by Dwight illinois, parties
and the other syndicate is made or
moneyed men from Kansas City. 1t
IS stated that the first named syndf-
fnstruuentality of Frank Smith. =
brother of John Smith. secretary OF
the Kansas board of state tax com
missioners.
entered by the two syndicates is de-
clared satisfactory and the trustees
are inclined to be somewhat disap-
pointed over the failure to secure any
thing like the appraised value of the
property which was fixed at $1,25I.- |
O5424 by the receivers in their re- |
port fled in 1905
I'VE are not at liberty to disclose
either the names of the parties en- !
tering this last bid or the amount of !
the bids They are not satisfactory, |
however" said J. S. Dean. attorney |
for the trustees
coal rights of 1000 acres which is VAL |
ued at 100000 and 1895 acres val (
ued at $50 per acre or S199.92O. This |
together with the mine equipment, |
employees dwellings and surface lands
give a total valuation of 9.721.56.
the remaining amount is made up OF
stocks and bonds and accounts held |
by the company.
Thus FAR the bids which were an
did not exceed 100000. one
bid was received of $4,000 but the
conditions surrounding the bid made
It impossible Of acceptance
Unless a good price is secured FOR
this property the unsecured creditors
of the Devlin estate will not receive a
cent in the way of dividends.
''I am very much afraid that II Is
going to turn out into a stupendou<
failure" said n. H. LOomis. special
referee in bankruptcy. "Unless
good price is secured for the Devltn
Coal company the unsecured creditors
stand to lose all their money.