Seventh Generation

2712. Denton Darby Coffey was born on 8 June 1859 in Oregon Territory. Denton made the news on 28 June 1908 in The Sunday Oregonian in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR after charges he defrauded his daughter.⁹⁸¹⁶

REFUSES PITTANCE TO GIRL

D. COFFEY ACCUSED OF FRAUDING DAUGHTER.

Well-to-Do Contractor In Court for Failing to Provide $10 Monthly as Ordered.

D. D. Coffey, a building contractor, was accused In the State Circuit Court yesterday of plotting with his fourth wife to defraud his own 11-year-old daughter out of $160. Presiding Judge Gantenbein said he was convinced the father was trying to beat the child out of the money, and Intimated that, unless the matter was fixed up by next Wednesday, Coffey might expect punishment for contempt of court.

The mother of the child is Coffey's third divorced wife. She got a divorce from Coffey more than a year ago and the court at that time ordered Coffey to pay $10 a month towards the support of the child. The payments have not been forthcoming. Coffey was haled [sic] into court on supplemental proceedings and subjected to a trying examination as to his financial condition. He said at the out set he was not able to pay the amount, small at it was.

But the examination of Coffey developed, much against his will, that he is in a most prosperous condition, even though everything he has Is in the name of wife No. 4. It was brought out that he has built two houses worth $3000 apiece, and is just completing two others worth about $2400 each. . While these houses belong to wife No. 4 ostensibly and are mortgaged for $5200, the surplus above the mortgage is $5600. Coffey said that wife No. 4 had $1000 when he married her last March.

Coffey attempted to maintain that he is and has been in straitened circumstances for some time. He said his profits as a building contractor were barely enough to get along on and protested that since his fourth marriage, last March, he has been unable to give his present wife more than $90.

When the examination of Coffey had been completed, Judge Gantenbein said he was convinced that Coffey and his fourth wife were trying to defraud the little girl. He said he believed Coffey was guilty of contempt of court in not having paid the child. In continuing the case, the Judge said he hoped that would allow sufficient time in which to get the tangle straightened out. Denton Darby in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR .⁹⁸¹⁷

Lawsuit Filed - The Oregonian, Portland, OR, Tue., Aug. 18, 1908, Page 11

Carrie sued Denton D. Coffey, charging him with failure to comply with divorce decree and pay her $10 per month for child support. Complete news item attached. Denton and wife no. 2 made the news again on 19 March 1909 at The Morning Oregonian in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR citing failure to pay alimony to wife no. 1.⁹⁸¹⁸

ALIMONY MUST BE PAID

WIFE NO. 1 CAMPS ON TRAIL OF COFFEY AND WIFE NO. 2.

Alleges He Gave Present Spouse Diamonds, but Did Not Deliver Money Ordered by Court.

D. D. Coffey, at one time Assessor in Marlon County, and his wife, Margaret M. Coffey, must pay Carrie W. Coffey, Coffey's former wife, $160 alimony. This was the decision of Circuit Judge Gatens [sic] yesterday afternoon. Coffey obtained a divorce from Mrs. Carrie Coffey in February, 1907. The decree carried with it alimony of $10 a month. When her ex-husband failed to pay, Mrs. Carrie Coffey brought suit, obtained judgment for $160 and the Sheriff was directed to levy an execution of Coffey's property. But he could find none on which to levy, so Mrs. Coffey brought suit against her ex-husband and his present wife, charging them with having conspired to defraud his creditors. The complaint charged that various tracts of land in Vernon were bought by Coffey and his second wife but that they were all placed in her name.

Mrs. Margaret Coffey, whom Mrs. Carrie Coffey says is otherwise known as Maggie South, said on the witness stand yesterday that she had $1000 when she married Coffey. He was to manage the real estate transactions and upon the interest of their investments they were to pay expenses.
Mrs. Coffey No. 2 said that her first husband, whose name was Montgomery, failed to support her, so she secured a divorce from him on Washington's Birthday, 1906. She married Coffey at Everett, Wash., in March, 1907. After obtaining her divorce from Montgomery, she said she worked in logging and mining camps and in restaurants as a cook until she had accumulated $1000. She said she was at work in the logging camps for about three months. The testimony showed that although Coffey was able to give his second wife a $25 diamond as a Christmas present in 1907, he had not paid his first wife's alimony. Denton Darby was indicted on charges of wire tapping on 2 September 1916.⁹⁸¹⁹

Indictment, The Oregonian, Portland, OR, Sun., Sep. 3, 1916, Page 7

Wire Tappers Indicted

Three Men Held on Dr. Anna Wheeler's Complaint.

Plot to Defame Good Name Charged. Threatened Divorce Case Revelations Never Published

Denton D. Coffey, a carpenter, Charles B. Dill, hotel clerk, and Edwin G. Hayman, salesman, were indicted by the grand jury yesterday for tapping the telephone wire leading to the office of Dr. Anna M. Wheeler in the Platt building February 24. They were held to answer to the grand jury March 15, but action was then delayed.

The wire-tapping was part of a conspiracy to defame her good name, Dr. Wheeler declared in connection with the case when she caused the arrest of the three men last February. She asserted that she was certain F. D. Stephenson, manager of the coffey department of Wadhams & Co. "prepared and paid for the plot" against her, as a result of her securing a criminal indictment against him for libel.

Dr. Wheeler was named as a woman with whom Alex G. Riddell, secretary of the Liberty Coal & Ice Company, was infatuated, in the answer of Mrs. Marie Riddell to the divorce suit filed by her husband last De member. At the time of the Riddell trial last March, Attorney Roger Sinnott, appearing for Mrs. Riddell, threatened to reveal conservations heard over the telephone of Dr. Wheeler by the alleged wire-tappers. Fear of publicity cut the suit short and threatened revelations were not make public.

Attorney Sinnott will represent the three men indicted, in the coming trial. Denton died in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR on 13 September 1921 and was buried at Rose City Cemetery in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR on 16 September 1921 .^{9820,9821,9822}

Obituary, The Oregonian, Portland, OR, Thu., Sep. 15, 1921, Page 17

Coffey - In this city, Sept. 13, Denton D. Coffey, aged 62 years, beloved husband of Maggie M. Coffey, son of Mary M. Coffey, Salem, Or., father of Mrs. Lulu Cane of Walla Walla, Wash., brother of Frank N. and John N. Coffey of Salem, Or., and T. S. Coffey of The Dalles. Funeral services will be held Friday, Sept. 16, at 1 o'clock P. M. at the chapel of Miller & Tracey, Washington and Ella Streets, between 20th and 21st. Interment Rose City cemetery. Friends invited.

Denton Darby Coffey and Mary Catherine Drury were married on 25 December 1878 in Linn Co., OR.⁹⁸²³ They⁹⁸²³ appeared in the census on 12 June 1880 in Linn Co., OR.⁹⁸²⁴ Mary Catherine Drury was born circa 1859 in Iowa. Mary resided with her parents in Union Twp., Hardin Co., IA on 2 June 1860.¹¹⁹⁸

Denton Darby Coffey and Carrie W. Woodrum were married. They appeared in the census on 5 June 1900 in Multnomah Co., OR.⁹⁸²⁵ They⁹⁸²⁵ were divorced in June 1907. Carrie W. Woodrum, daughter of Elijah Woodrum and Martha E. Deupree, was born on 16 September 1866 in Nebraska City, Otoe, Nebraska. Carrie resided with her parents in Glenwood, Mills Co., IA on 11 August 1870. Carrie died in Roy, Weber Co., UT on 26 March 1935 of a fractured right hip and chronic hypertensioin and was buried at Aultorest Memorial Park in Roy, Weber Co., UT on 29 March 1935 .^9826,9827

Denton Darby Coffey and Carrie W. Woodrum had the following children:

Denton Darby Coffey and Margaret M. South were married circa 1907. They appeared in the census on 30 April 1910 at 105 N. 11th St. (boarding house) in Boise, Ada Co., ID.⁹⁸²⁸ They⁹⁸²⁸ appeared in the census on 10 January 1920 at 3704 42d Street in Portland, Multnomah Co., OR.⁹⁸²⁹ Margaret M. South was born (date unknown).