Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-01-14
AGAIN gPoS THE SURFACES.

| Wilmington Bug.a.b0O Being
Looked GntO-Caa the Springer
Family Estabiish Their Claim
what Their Lawyer has DiscOv.
cred and Hts Opinions.
The ancestors OF Charles Christopher
Springer may have bsen poor; in fact
they may have been 80 INDECENT as to
have been compelled to wander aimless-
ly around the back alleys of Stock holm
gathering in stray articles Of value
injudiciously left out by shiftlsss kitch-
en- maids; for they left to Charles
Christopher no record OF their calling.
The may have worn the ermine of kings
counsellers or with delapitated clothing
pinned together with butchers akewers
or rusty lath nails, or may have wrest-
ed the city's ash barrels just to gain
an honest livelihood.
Whatever their business however,
that enters not into the fact We are
about to chronicle. Charles Christopher
Springer himself, as development will
show, it seems lived just long enough
to incidsutly plant the germ OF pro-
tracted struggle which may be drawn
out to an interminable length and even
then Ihavs no other result than vast
Expenditure of money. This germ has
been gradually taking root and after
half century Is about to burst into ma
ture development. Matters relating
TO the ca1se at issue are being brought
proximity forth as material bearing
upon the result at issue.
Learning tina. there was a strange
lawyer loose in our midst, and also
learning that he was engaged in work.
ing up an extensive suit, our inquiries
subsequently made revealed to US the
fact that the said gentleman was
IN this city, stopping at Dickinson's
Hotel, on Front street near Snipley, rep
resenting the heirs, soms six thousand
in number, Of the family who claim to
bs the lineal descendants of the before
mentioned Charles Christopher. We
also learned that he had been in this
city for some weeks quietly working up
the case and that 80 he had about fin.
ished, he intended to return to his
home in Iowa this week. where he in
tended to call one more meeting of the
heirs before instituting proceedings for
the recovery of the property which our
citizens, through the REPUBLICAN are
we'll aware of, they claim.
As to the status of the case, together
with the result Of the lawyers labor,
which it is said has established proof
beyond question, it is found that in
1893, Charles Christopher Springer was
appointed q trustee Of the Old Swedes
church, to purchase land in the name
and for the use of the church. He Sue
ceeded in buying some 500 or more
acres, Immediately adjoining the build
ing. About 174o Springer leased the
land from the church, paying therefor
certain ground rent, and agresing
that upon Springer's death, or upon
failure to improve the land or meet The
rent charge promptly when due, the
land shonld revert to the church.
The following year Spring died and
the lands reverted as In the conditions
of the lease provided The church re.
tanned control until l777, when the
trustees then in power leased the land
to Joseph Townsend for the term of q.
900 years. How long he kept posses
sisn is unknown, but the church, about
the beginning of the present century,
sold the land, subject to the lease, to
John Springer, hat-maker, who is
supposed to have been the son Of
Charles, above mentioned.
1t seems the church soon after didn't
recognize this claim aud the land wss
again sold, divided into building lots
and resold, and has since become the
centre Of our goodly little city. The
Springer family separated and went
out to Iowa.
Mr.. Cole has established this it is
said; but there are several drawbacks
to the success of the claim, which might
be considered as giving an air of doubt
to the matter of victory. There were
at the time of this sale to Springer two
John Sprinsers in Wilmington.
The heirs claim that the John Sprin-
ger had wife named Rebecoa, aud o
John Springer and Bebecca. his wife,
are buried in a graveyard near here,
and their tombstcnes show that they
lived at the time of the execution of the
deed. Certain papers on record made
by John Springer are signed by him
and Mary, his WIFE. And then the
only action available is that of eject
ment; and since that must rest upon the
strength of the plaintiffs title, and our
law supposes right Of possession where
1t has uninterruptedly existed for over
twenty years, this further complicates
the matter.
Mr.. Cole, is reported as saying: "We
have finally consummated our plans
and we will 60 into this matter with
every advantage that clear title and
unlimited funds can give towards sue
cess consider our victory as GER
tain" What the result will be is only
matter of conjecture. Among the
heirs who are taking an active part in
the matter are Hon. James G.. Blaine,
Hon. Moses p. Springer, member Of
Parliament Of Canada, and Hon, Harry
Sharpley, of this city, State Senator
and president OF the City Council.
New Houses.