Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-28
MILLIONS AT STAKE
Alleged Heirs of Chicago Prop
erty Enter Suit
LAND CLAIMED WORTH S5O,Ooo,ooo.

Charge of Fraud in the Title of Those
Now Holding the Property-A Story
That Goes Back to IS39-The Attempt
to Get One Signature to Clear the Title
and the Way 1t Failed-Real Estate in
Illinois, Wisconsin. Indiana and Mich
igan Involved-Views of One of the
Defendants
CHICAGO. Oct. % The initial suit in a
,ong list of similar action to recover
millions upon millions worth of centrally
located real estate in Chicago Milwaukee
and towns in Illinois, Wisconsin and
Michigan was begun in the United States
circuit court yesterday. The facts in the
case appear more like an improbable fic-
tion, but the people behind the litigation
declare they will push the case to the end.
The suit is begun by Robert L. Summer
tin, n. Gussett, Bruno burst, John 8.
burst. Horatio burst, John burst,
Robert d. Iron and Morcellita Iron, the
two latter being minors; Matilda Moss,
Louis Hopkins, John A. Hopkins and
Simeon and Ella Bateman, the two last
also being minors, all of Texas, against
Edward Nelson. johnson Nelson, John
Kruger and Mary j. Lambert, the latter
being from Michigan.
The Land That Is Claimed.
The land sought to be recovered is owned
or controlled by the defendants, and con-
sists of the south half of section 6, of
township 50 north, range l3 The prop
erty is on the southwest side, and well
adapted for manufacturing purposes, al
though the bill filed claims it is now used
as farming land by defendants or is COW
cred by buildings and otherwise improved,
and the income derived is s. 600 per an
mum. This land, the bill says, was sold
by the United States government in 1889
to John B. Russell, and by him sold to
Louis T. Jamison, then lieutenant in
the United States army and the recruiting
officer here and commandant at Fort
Dearborn. Jamison afterward disposed
of the lands to his father-in-law, John
Holiday, and through him it descended to
the complainants in the present suit, who
are Holidays heirs.
The Story of the Title.
The heirs do not now possess the land,
but contend that the present holders have
no title, inasmuch as they or the original
holders of the land never decided the prop
erty away. 1t seems, according to the at
torney for the complainants, General
James Mccartney, ex-attorney general of
Illinois, that Lieutenant Jamison was a
big land speculator when he commanded
at Fort Dearborn. and became so heavily
involved when the panic of 'S3 came that
he was compelled to use large portion of
government funds in his possession to
save himself He paid up his shortages
with money borrowed from John burst,
of Texas, and being dismissed from the
service went to Texas to live.
A Charge Against John b. Ogden.
While in Texas he decided to John Hol-
iday, his father-in-law, nine tracts of the
land in dispute. After he and his imme-
diate heirs died the land remained uncul-
tivated, and in 1885 the late William B.
Ogden sent an agent to Texas to find the
heirs and if possible to get them to deed
their property over to him. The agent
did this work altogether too well. 1t is
claimed he represented to the heirs that
the property was about to be sold for
taxes and he wanted them to give him q
power of attorney to pay the taxes and re-
deem the lands. The heirs signed the all
legged power of attorney, but it proved to
be release on their part of their claim
upon the lands. In this way, it is alleged,
Ogden secured possession of the pr operty,
his agent having in turn decided it to him,
and sold it to the present holders.