The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-03
The Union Square Suit.

Most of our people know that there is
pending in the q. 8. court at Chicago, a
suit by somebody for some portionof Union
Square, In this city, but who is plaintiff.
or what Is the condition Of the suit few can
tell. A good many people are quite conf
dent that the case was commenced and is
carried on by some lawyers on shares, for
the purpose Of getting what they can out of
it. Shysters who call themselves real
estate lawyers" have been known to get
up suits about titles, for the purpose of
making money, taking thier chances on
them as people do in lottery.
This suit was commenced several years
before the great fire in Chicago, in the
name of one John Ruch, of Davenport,
against the city of of Rock Island, to obtain
possession of three-eights(a) of the square.
Ruch claims to be the owner of conveyan-
ces from the heirs of Jonah Fl. Case
I The square is situated in Spencer &
Cases Addition to this city, and john W.
Spencer and Jonah Fl. Case we're the orig
inal proprietors of the Addition.
The city's defense to the suit is that,
spencer & Case, at the time Of
} the laying out ofthe Addition, dedicated
that square to public use. Judge
Spencer makes no claim to any interest in
it. and long since made conveyance te
the city in order to put the matter beyond
question so far as he or his heirs are con
cerned.
A large number of dispositions were tax
5 en- in the case in the summer of 1869
and during the year previous to th'
:: Chicago fire trial was had in the Cir
cult Court of the United States, before
Judge Drummond, which resulted in yer
!, dict and judgement for the city. Th'
plaintiff awaited himself of the right give'
by the statute, and had the suit dockete'
: for new trial.
= When the great fire occurred, whicl
+ burned up the entire record in this case
i. among other dispositions taken in be
half of the city were those of Capt. Henri
Powars and Mr.. Hibberd Moore, both c
whom are now deceased.
: During the whole Of this week City Attol
ney Gest has been hard at work taking d.
D positions in order to get the record again b.
fore the court and secure final dispositio
of the suit VIM. Bracket, ESQ. of the fri
n of Bracket & Waite, of Chicago, appeare
/ and cross examined the witnesses in b,
;: half of the plaintiff.
Il The general purport Of the testimon
taken by Mr.. Gest is that Mr.. Case a
ways declared that the square was fc
l. public use; that in making sales of 10
n fronting on the square he demanded an
it obtained higher prices for them for tn;
t reason; that no taxes have ever been a
J. sessed on the square. That it has alway
h been in the city's possession and control
le shown by acts of the city in building
d school house upon it; in building ar
u keeping in repair sidewalks around il
III planting trees within it: quarrying roc
re from it; filling the holes in it; using
for dumping ground in order to raise
to grade, &C., &c.
J; No man in Rock Island who is co
:, vcrsant with the facts in the case has ar
], doubt whatever about the right of the Gil
- to the whole square. Any of the old Sc
tiers who remember conversations with Il
late Jonah Case on the subject are r
quested to report them to City Attorn
m Gest.
n We understand that the plaintiff pr
II poses to take some dispositions, but up'
ev what points we have not been informe
al We should think that one defeat befo
~ Judge Drummond would not make hi
~ banker after any more law on the subjet
IN unless at the expense of his attorneys.