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Mr. Charles J. Devlin, the western operator and
banker, whose prostration by a stroke of paralysis
early in ine summer was a factor in the failure
of the First National Bank o£ TopeKa, Kan., and
a seiies of otlier failures that threw into bankruptcy
a large number of enterprises which he
had been managing or controlling, died at St.
Elizabeth's hospital in Chicago November I.
Death resulted from a third paralytic stroke.
Since his partial recovery from previous attacks
Mr. Devlin had been traveling in Europe with the
hope of restoring his health, and a stay of three
months there so much improved his condition as
to bring hope of ultimate recovery. Born in St.
Louis 52 years ago of poor Irish parentag?, he had
the innate force that so often characterizes the
Irish people and early showed strength of character
and purpose. Marly in his career he became
interested with a syndicate o£ coal men making-
large investments in l.a Salle and Bureau coun­
ties, and this syndicate laid out. the town of
Spring Valley, Mo. ln 1889 Mr. Devlin was made
manager of tne fuel properties of the Santa Fe
railroad system, and after the receivership ten
years ago ihe coal properties of the road were
leased to him. Then began his career as a coal
magnate. He moved his home to Topeka at this
time. His influence was felt during the strike
of 1897, when he succeeded iu securing a contract
from his miners, by which he was making money
fast while others were in great difficulties owing
to the strike and a spirit of lawlessness generally
was prevalent. He extended his business, buying
more coai mines and purchasing banks. His
business interests continued to expand till his re­
cent financial crash came.
Mr. George B. Hadesty. for the past several
years superintendent of the Honeybrook division
of the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Co., has ten­
dered his resignation to accept a position with the
Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. as superintendent
of the Pottsville division. Superintendent
Hadesty will have his headquarters in the
office of General Manager Richards, at Pottsville,
and for his assistants will have Thomas Downing
as inside superintendent and William Tiley as
outside superintendent, both practical men with
a varied experience. E. W. Newbaker, engineer
of the Honey Brook division, will succeed Mr.
Hadesty as superintendent of the Honey Brook
division.
Mr. William Dodds, for some years secretary
and treasurer of the Pittsburgh miners' organi­
zation, has been elected clerk of courts in Alle­
gheny county by a handsome majority. He re-
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. II
reived a large complimentary vote from the miners
of the county regardless of party. The mineis
of the Pittsburgh district have never had a secretary
who was near the equal of Mr. Dodds in
ability, thoroughness and steadfast loyalty lo their
interests.
Colonel VV. Reese Tipton, of Reed Island, Va.,
is dead, aged 01 years. For 15 years he was
superintendent of tlie Graham-Robeitson furnaces
ami mines and farms at Reed Island, and since the
organization of Ihe Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Co.
absorbed this iiroperty he had been general manager
of that section for the Virginia Iron, Coal &
Coke Co.
Mr. T. W. Guthrie, formerly manager of tlie
Continental Coal Co., at Columbus, 0., has been
appointed as manager of the coal and coke inter­
ests of the Republic Iron k Steel Co. and will
make his headquarters in New Vork.
.Mr. John McFadyen, vice-president and general
manager of the Vandalia Coal Co., Indianapolis,
has been quite ill at his home in Pittsburgh. He is
recovering at this writing, November 13.
|| COAL TRADE CASUALTIES.
The coroner's jury which heard testimony as
to the cause of the gas explosion in the Hazel
Kirk mine, near Monongahela, Pa., on October 29,
when five men were killed, returned its verdict
November 9. The jury says that Supt. John
Hornickle, one of the men killed, failed to use
proper precautions in opening the mine. Mine
Inspector Louttil asked Plummer Thomas if he
had told Mr. Hornickle he would not go down
into the mine just before the second explosion and
if Mr. Hornickle had told him he would lose his
job if he did not. The witness said Mr. Hornickle
told him he, Thomas, would be out money if he
did not go down. Mine inspector Louttit read
a statement made by "Andy" Roder, the only one
of the six men who escaped and who was unable
to attend i.ie inquest. Roder explained the man­
ner of the explosion, but threw but little additional
light. Mr. Louttit also read a letter he
had written to Superintendent Hornickle warning
him of danger and ordering locked safety lamps in
the mine.
The Lehigh Coal Co.'s storage trestle on the
banks of the Oswego canal at Syracuse, N. Y.,
partially collapsed a few days ago and precipi­
tated several hundred tons of anthracite into the
water, blocking the canal so that it had to he
dredged out before traffic could be resumed.
The Utah Fuel Co., of Salt Lake City, Utah, has
sustained a considerable fire loss.