Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-28
SUITS FOR MILLIONS.
Titles to Valuable Property in Chi
cago and Other Places
TO BE ATTACKED IN U. S. COURTS.
Heirs of Lieutenant T.. 7. Jamison Claim
They We're Done Up, and
DEMAND THEIR ANCESTORS ESTATES
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sPATcH.l

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
CHICAGO, Oct. 27.-To-morrow the ini-
tlal suit by the heirs of Lieutenant Louis
I. Jamison to recover property in the heart
of Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities in
Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, to the
value of $3.50, ,000, 900, will be begun in the
United States Circuit Court for this dis
trict. The papers are all in readiness, and
the first suit will be the signal for the COM
mencement of similar actions at law in the
Wisconsin and Michigan courts. The pres
ent holders of the property are wealthy New
York, Chicago and Milwaukee capitalists,
The facts in this strange case are given by
James Mccartney, who is the attorney for
the heirs, and who was Attorney General
for Illinois from 1880 to 1885. Lieutenant
Louis I. Jamison, of the regular army, COM
manded the garrison at Fort Dearborn, Chi
cago, in 1885 and 1886. Jamison invested a
great deal of money in land, which was then
very cheap. In one of his land deals he
used s., 900 of Government money. In 1881
3S hard times came on, and he found him
self with large amount of unstable prop
erty on hand, no money, and $4,000 due the
Government.
HIS SHORTAGE MADE GOOD.
The fact that he was defaulter was dis
covered by the Government, and he was dis
missed from the service. He having bor-
rowed enough money to make the shortage
good, he was not prosecuted. During his
trouble he conveyed the titles to land to
his father-in-law, John Halliday, agent of
the American Fur Company at Sault Ste
Marie.
4lo II lo
served with distinction, Jamison died, and
in 1842 Halliday died. Shortly after the
civil war q prominent real estate man of
Chicago sent an agent to the heirs of Halli-
day in Texas and secured from them what
they thought was power of attorney, but
which turned out to be deed releasing
their claims. On this deed, it is claimed
rests the only title of the present holders of
the property.
Mccartney has what purports to be the
original deeds to, the land, which include
1000 acres in Chicago, not one of which is
worth less than So, 200 an acre, and much of
it is worth $4,000 an acre. There is also
large amount of property in the original
town of Chicago, east of the river, and six
lots, of 30 feet each, on Madison street, be-
ing worth 81, 200 per front foot.
THE PROPERTY IN OTHER PLACES.
In addition, there are $4,000 acres of farm
ing land9n Illinois and several large tracts in
Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Manitowoc,
Michigan City,SInd., Kewaukee, Wis, and
other places. The property in Milwaukee
is especially valuable. 1t is located in
Sherman's addition to the original town of
Milwaukee, on the west side of the river,
between Walnut and Lloyd streets. Two
of the lots are dagonally across from the
Egeni4g Wisconsin building, which is seven
stories in height. and the land is easily
worth "a 900 front foot
The plaintiffs in the suit, the heirs, are
Bruno burst, John S. burst, Horatio burst,
John burst, Robert D. Iron and Marcella
Iron-the two last named being minors, and
bringing suit by their legal guardians;
James r. Iron, John M. Blake, John R
Moss, Louis Hopkins, John A Hopkins,
Sim Bateman and Ella Bateman are minors,
their guardians being A. E Bateman and
Robert L. Summerlin. All these plaintiffs
are residents of Texas. Another of the heirs
is w. Gussett, a wealthy banker in Corpus
Christi, Tex, and he is the only wealthy
heir among the descendants of Halliday, the
balance being farmers in only moderate cir
cumstances. Gussett it is who is pushing
the litigation.