The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-05-19
A MAN FROM MILWAUKEE,.
Who Claims About Half Of Streator ON
an old Deed, aud will Fight for II.

who Claims About Half Of Streator on
an old Deed, aud will Fight for It.
Prof. ID. w. Moody of Milwaukee, was
In this city on Wednesday and Thursday
In the interest of the heirs Of Elizabeth
Cramer, who at one time owned nearly all
of the present site of Streator west OF
Bloomington street. He isa specialist upon
difficult claims, and claims to be we'll
known throughout the country In his busi-
ness He drew the original Iapers In the
famous Gonzales claim In Montery countey,
Cal, where he succeeded In securing l4S,'
600 acres Of land to the claimants, and was
In the Sparks case in Ohio.
He was in Streator on Monday and Tues
day, and after looking up his witnesses and
after an examination of the records, lays
claims to all of that part Of Streator lying
west of Bloomington street, taking In the
Plumb House, gas works, paper mill, bottle
works, high school and many business
Blocks; In all comprising about 400 acres
of land, including mines and valuable prop
erty worth nearly two millions of dollars!
He is the husband of one of Mrs. Cram
er's grandchildren, and made the discovery
while talking with his fatherin law, from
whom he comes armed with the power of
attorney.
The records in the court house show that
Elizabeth Cramer came into possession of
the lands in question, by government
deed, given on April 10, 1884 and that In
1885, 100 acres of this land was decided by
her, signing with an Y, to John HOlderman
Since that time the land has been divided
and subdivided, until 1t now comprises
about 100 parcels OF ground, with about
1000 transfers, an abstract of which would
take the work of an expert four or five
days.
Mr.. Moody claims to have undeniable
proof that the deed, proporting to have
been executed Ia 1885 was "a bold forgery,
as, according to his statement, Elizabeth
Cramer was fairly we'll educated women,
and could read and write we'll anu farther,
that she was i'll and confined to her bed at
the time the deed was executed by the
alleged forger. He farther states that the
remaining $50 acres were never conveyed
by her or her heirs to anybody, but that she
had always paid taxes upon 1t, and the
parties who later transferred the land to
the second owners, had squatted upon 1t
and never owned foot Of the soil.
He is, according to his own statement, a
wealthy man, and says that the other four
claimants are also persons of wealth, who
will push the case to final termination at
all hazards Two able attorneys In Chi
cago, and one in Milwaukee, together with
Duncan McDougall of this city, to open the
case.
If these allegations are proven to be
facts, Streator has case In hand which
threatens to make things particularly live
y for all hands; for not only does this man
claim the lands, but each and every dollars
worth of coal that has been taken from
beneath its surface, sum, which If pay
ment be compelled, will bankrupt every
man who calls Srreator "home."
The Free Press trees the case ia advance
and says:
1.-The title to the property is all straight
with the possible exception that there may
have been an heir out of dozen who re.
fused to give power of attorney for the sale
of this land at an early day, or there may
have been minor heir who could claim at
this time his division of the property
Aside from these two contingencies there
is no possible flaw in the title, and the
claim will be vigorously resisted.
Streator and Ottawa real estate men don't
have much faith In the claims set up.