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PITTSBURGH COAL COMPANY SUIT AGAINST
ROBBINS ESTATE DECIDED IN FAVOR OF
DEFENDANT.
By a final decree handed down by Washington
county, Pa., court. April 9. the Pittsburgh Coal
Co. loses in its contention that fraud existed in
the deed given by Francis L. Robbins, deceased,
former president of the company, transferring 90
acres of coal underlying the Washington fair
grounds at Arderi.
The company brought action against VV. Ham­
ilton Brunt, executor; Mrs. Helen Gill Robbins,
Virgil M. McDowell and James I). Hind. Robbins
became owner of the coal in 1900. On Jan. 5,
1911, he and his wife conveyed it to .McDowell.
At that time Robbins owed the Pittsburgh Coai
Co. about $300,000. lie and his wife had sepa­
rated previous to the conveyance of the deed and
Mr. Robbins owed Mrs. Robbins $5,000. He also
owed the law firm of Donnans, Brownson & Miller,
of Washington, $1,000, and Hurd $5,000. It was
agreed in the conveyance to McDowell that he pay
these claims out of money raised on a mortgage
on the eoal transferred.
The coal company in its action against those
interested raised tlie contention tlie deed to tbe
coal had been transferred yvith the idea of de­
frauding the coal company* in its claim against
its former president. The court finds that Mc­
Dowell by reason of his failure to deliver the
mortgage required by the contract and by failing
to pay the $11,000 consideration money that the
mortgage was given to secure now holds tbe legal
title to the property in trust to pay tiie sums
named to the various creditors designated by Mr.
Robbins in his agreement at the time ol the trans­
fer. The court's order also provides for a sale
of the coal for an amount sufficient to pay the
$11,000 with interest. Should the Pittsburgli
Coal Co. pay tbe claims of Mrs. Robbins, Hurd ancl
tbe law firm before tbe date fixed foi- the sale,
then the Pittsburgh Coal Co. shall receive a deed
for the coal free of all encumbrances.
ANTHRACITE SECTION OF AMERICAN IN­
STITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS ELECT
OFFICERS.
At a meeting last week of the Anthracite Sec­
tion of the American Institute of Mining Engi­
neers, R. V. Norris of Wilkes-Barre yvas elected
president, and four vice presidents were also
elected, each of whom is to have general direc­
tion of the section's activities in one of the coal
fields: W. J. Richards, vice president and gen­
eral manager of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal
& Iron Co., is to have general direction for the
southern coal field: Edward Ludlow, vice presi­
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 57
dent and general manager of the Lehigh Coal &
Navigation Co., for the middle coal field; Arthur
Storrs, milling and consulting engineer, lor the
Lackawanna Valley, and C. F. Huber. vice presi
dent and general manager of the Lehigh & Wilkes-
Barre Coal Co.. for the Wyoming valley. Charles
Enzian, mining engineer and the government reii­
resentative of the I'nited States Bureau of Mines
in tlie anthracite fields, was elected secretarytreasurer.
An executive committee was formed, consist­
ing of Frank Hill, a eoal operator; R. A. Quin.
vice president and general manager of the Sus­
quehanna Coal Co.; Rufus Foster; A. B. Jessup.
vice president and general manager of the G. B.
Markle Co.; D. Bunting, chief engineer of the
Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Co., and .1. M. Humph­
rey, mining engineer of tbe Lehigh Valley Coal
Co.
A request from the president of Pennsylvania
State college was read, asking that three dele­
gates be appointed by the society to vote at the
annual election for trustee of that institution.
The appointment of delegates yvas left to the
president and secretary-treasurer.
Douglas Bunting was elected chairman of the
< ommittee to select the subject for discussion at
tbe next meeting. The committee selected "The
Limits of Mining Under Heavy Wash," ancl J. M.
Humphrey will also read a special paper on strip-
pings. Tbe meeting will be held May 9, at
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
COAL LAND SALES FROM RECORDS
A deed was filed in tlie Greene county, Pa.,
courts April 3 in which Josiah V. Thompson of
Uniontown transfers 8,000 acres of coal land in
Perry township to the St. Paul Coal Co. of Pitts­
burgh. This is the coal that yvas reported as
iieing sold by Mr. Thompson to H. C. Frick. The
consideration is given as $1. The deed is in
book form and covers 205 pages and includes the
eoal underlying 149 tracts of land in the astern
party of Perry township. At the time of filing
the deed a mortgage was filed for record. The
mortgage is for $1,165,000 and covers the coal
lands named in the deed. Tbe St. Paul Co.
recently received its charter of incorporation.
The names of stockholders contained in the char­
ter are Allen T. C. Gordon, Alexander Black, Miles
H. English, John C. Buchanan, all of Pittsburgh.
Karl F. Overholt signed the mortgage as president
ancl Frank W. McElroy as secretary.
Isaac Semons of Uniontown, Pa., has sold to
H. A. Davis of Pittsburgh 84 acres of coal near
Clarksville, Greene county, Pa., for $81,400.