The New York herald., 1869-02-22
EXTRAORDINARY LITIGATION.


There Is IN every country . class OF persons VINO
that they have been wrongfuy deprived OF vast
ordinary possessions to which they are legitimate
bars and 1t must be confessed that In majority OF
Instances they have furnished plausible foundation
for the charge. This class is becoming exceedingly
numerous; for all the traditions embodylng Their
hereditary rights and titles TO the property enjoyed
BY their ancestors transferred from SIRE TO son TIL
It becomes one OF the most treasured portions OF
the history Of each family. And yet nous uerrons'
The broad acres OF real estate which they claim, the
valuable buildings which hide forever the old sites
OF the quaint mansions OF their fathers are last held
by slrewd men who regard the controversy with
aggruvating indinerence-wno .mock them III their
calamity and laugh when their fear cometh." These
men do not pretend 10 assume that they are the
sorg nal Iacobs OF their estates; they care nohng
sbout who held them century or two ago. and they
regard the family records and the musty deeds OF
the host Of hligsnts whose chronic hatred or envy
they have provoked as the mcanest rellcs OF anti
cuated rubbish. In word, they proclaim, with the
sarcasm worthy OF hypocritica deacon while they
hug their title deeds to their bosom, "o!d things
have passed away; behold al things have become
new.u
In our own city Of New York these two classes OF
men--diametricany opposite in lheir tastes and
worldly clrcumsrances-are exceedingly numerous.
We have here the wealthy OF real estate de-
yed from mere statutory titles which the breath OF
the Legislature and the ratnying decisions OF tue
courts might sweep away before the lapse OF little
month; and we have Inc claimants, II not heirs, OF
the property clamorng for justice. The Que ciass
Il rich, tile other poor; ana rs the curse OF poverty
that Il Is helpless before the ctyl not the CRIMINAL
law
Plate sin With gold
ciothe 1t with rassa pigmy straw WI! break It.
These classes oil men are continually at variance,
and the controversy between them has been ren-
dsred the intense by the value OF the property
IN dispute. II is natural that the assumed heirs OF
OF real estate on this Island which has
30 rapidly advanced in value during the last oecade
saouid cling To the hope that some day or other the
law relation TO Titles Will be based more on justice
than statutes, and that the property OF their an
cestors VIII at length come INTO their possession. II
tis expectation Ia deusve 1t has al least, the merit
OF comforting The hearts OF the heirs, who become
Wiling converts to tire transcendental doctrines Of
The good rne coming. Some OF the claimants, how
ever, are shrewd, thrifty men-men who know their
rights, but who have not yet been provided with the
legal power to maintain them. Their nership and
kGes TO real estate IN this city are founded upon
deeds similar to those By which property has been
held for nearly two centuries aud half. They have
not been deceived by bogus papers worthless
UadilOHs lOr tlere Is Ouy one Oar 10 the recovery
or tneIr land, and that Is the titles, which are
elusiyey or partially based on adverse possession.
We propose TINS article to describe some OF the
OF real estate now IN dispute on this
island and the liiigants who claim the property.
La dong tn is shall necessarily have to refer to
OLD NEW YORK AND THE EARLY MAPS
To an antiquarian no study can be more inte-
resllng Than the early topography OF this island
for il presents evidence OF more progress In couple
0f centuries than the other cities OF the world In
thousand years. The old Dufchmen, the schepens
and burgumasters and tie common subjects OF Hol-
lapo SMOKED tneir pipes and quared their wine IN
terror when Wall street was the extreme northern
boundary OF The '.up towur OF their days lest
horde OF Inaian savages should make descent upon
taer village, and send a few poisoned arrows into
their brains or a5domens. which would rid them OF
t1eT proyerbll obesity forever. Then nearly all OF
this island was a huge bleak desert. But III the pro-
geSs " ame, hen The Indians we're driven out and
iO.ced TO fellow the setting sun, the butchmen here
AID their cDuutrylnea at homs obtained grants OF
land; and we and their farms and the mansions
tlereon scattered over the island IN some OF tue
cary maps. Let Is give lew Illustrations OF this
fAcs In tracing these maps-wnicn are In our pos
sssouwe bnd al the vicinity oil tue Park the place
known as The old y4neyara OF tie hnicAeTbockers.
hear u not on the site OF the HERALD once; We Ind
the Beekmaa farm, including portion OF Park row
s4a extending towards the LasL river by the street
~ led aileF the propGietor ihen We have the Old
swamp, running eastward, which still rel aims the
name, the reg on beng now devoted 10 tanyards.
"a the other side OF broadway we the old Dutch
v India farm adjoining the properly OF Anneke
Jlls. or tue Domi1e's BOwery. which extended from
waat Is now known Us Robinson street 10 30 INT near
Christopher street subsequently known - Green
wlcn Wiage Then IL We glance our eyes on the Ut
g. Angular spot on our maps now known ~ the CITY
han IaTk, We Lnd the al b0!sufn subsequently
tae hip estate, which trespasSei on the southern
boundaries, aud included tie SQUARE bounded by
Chambers. Eeade, Broadway aud Centre streets.
Ale collect, o. Fond, where tAere was dAe fishing IN
lIose happy days, nortn Of tnis farm and run
AZ almost palalei sItn Il. Then we nLi the farms
Cf Cornelius san, OF Jacobson Still OF Cornelius
absen, VI Van Dldenbucg, OF Hans Aersted, and of
Isaac DE Peystsr, adjoining each other and occupy
ing nearly tue great ciicn OF lan1 bounded by
L tatham street, tie BowerF Cherry street and
Houston street 10 tne Last river. IL unnecessary
g. pursue tie inquiry uriner ani 90 we proceed 10
consider tie Inaa subject of our artice-tae real
Cs.ate In dispute on tnis Island. To exhaust tnis
s4bect whica l. oae OF tue most prolific character,
last ole year. but we snail give some account Of
lew oi tic OLD Dutch estates Which are claimed Dy
tsie descendants OF LIE ollglna. owners. We shall
Commence with the
D1AiNiL's HowERY-oLD JAss' LAND.
This properly involves the old Anneke JAMS suit,
VII ca mas IN lt cation nearly a century. ii
L. nov head by Trinity Church. WHO eylnCe no dls-
iosiilon 10 give y up Tue grant OF ulis land Was
sans, Inc husband OF the celebrated Anneke aad 50
IL as &c cau trace the maps We Bad that 1t coui-
Lleace4 near what Is now known as Murray street
aud extended ~ within q short distance OF Chris
TOPPER street II taus inciuues properly in what
has become tie Commercial heart or the city,
hALi wards. To give some Idea OF tue vaue
Q. this properly II need only 70 DO stated
tiat The siIIgc stores Of the iron buildings
erected on portion OF the property yied annual
rental OF s12 0J0-a amount Tor wiicn the lots and
taO story buildings. win Eizabethan attcs, which
stood on the sites tweive years ago could have
bee1 purchased. The corporation of TIE church
h0ds tIis real estate-n0t W title derived by ruf-
eGase from OLD JAMS or ni5 welIknown lady, but by
tte which appears to ue equally potent In law, and
when 10 embodied IA Two woIds-sdyerse pos
Session. The lawyers employed by the heirs to
~ Oser this vast estate during the past sixty years
successfully proclaimed that they were upon the
y-tgeoi success, and that the proud and wealthy
vestymcn OF Oid Trinity would be Obliged aG last
- giad 70 the honest and Just demands OF the ht-
Eants But ala tleir professions and promises have
proved dsusive. They have never been aDle 10 OBJ
Ian a Jury trial OF the suit ana some OF the cany
Judges no nave rendered detis.0us Ia vi the
corporation on technical points Of law are known
20 have bcen exceedingly intimate with members OF
tne yestly of thai day. There Is perhaps no point
~ i0n which more conclusive testimony can lie
Thought tban that the original tt.e 20 THIS aud was
IN I'd Jams: and the corporation OF Trinity have not
Ezsuinet taat II was ever purchased RON the old
gentleman or his vile, Or his wifes second husband,
LIE isev. Eyerardus bogaruus, iact any mem.
her of this yeiy prollnc family, witn one exception