Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-06-08

Chicago, Especial. )-Three hundred police
officers Of the city Of Chicago, headed ny
Chief Ripley, and every man bearing a re-
peating rife, marched from the East chicago
Avenue Station, on the North Side. to the
foot of Superior street, where Captain George
Streeter had fortified himself on strip OF
land created by the washing up of soil from
the bed of Lake Michigan, and which Street
er claims as his property by right OF discoy-
cry. In the entertainments were ABOUT sew
enty men, armed with rifles and two eating
guns. Earlier in the day party OF Lincoln
Park officials had been fired upon by pickets
around the improvised fort, and boy, iour-
teen years old, had been wounded severely
In the right Leg A horse driven by the PARK
officials had been killed.
At $50 o'clock "Brigadier General Niles
and four of his men, perceiving the over
whelming force OF police approaching,
climbed over the emplacements OF their i'm
provised fort and offered to surrender to the
park police, providing they were protected.
The surrender was accepted, and the park
policemen started on foot toward the ponce
station. followed by an immense crowd.
Those in the crowd pushed and jostled Niles
roughly, aud he suddenly whirled around
and tried to bayonet one Of his prosecutors
A rough-and-tum fight ensued, IN which
Niles rife was wrenched from his hands
and clubs were freely used on the erstwhile
"brigadier generals" head. He was Knocked
down and was about to draw revolver
when he was manacled and dragged of by
the officers. The four men with him were
also roughly handled in the melee.
The remainder of streeter's force, seeing
the fate OF their leaders, deserted their guns
and escaped in the throng. The police at
once took charge Of the fort, with lis entire
store of arms and ammunition.
Captain Streeter was not found In the
fort.
The shooting resulted in a call upon the
CITY officials for the arrest OF the occupants
OF Streeter's Fort, but the city authorities
declined to lake the initiative, owing to the
fact that the Supreme Court of the United
States once declared the land to be part oil
the territory of Illinois.
It was finally decided to mobilize 800 police
officers, under the leadership OF Chief Kip
ley, and to march against the squatters and
demand their surrender.
Sheriff Magerstadt went with the chief OF
police. and it was planned that in case OF re-
fusal to surrender that the sheriff should
Immediately swear in the 800 police officers
as deputy sheriffs, again demand the surren'
| der OF Streeter's force on the ground OF riot
and disorderly conduct, and proceed to ar
rest the occupants of the fort, regardless o.
cost.
A fireboat with Calling gun aboard, was
! dispatched up Lake Michigan to make
! demonstration from that side, and to cut OF
the escape OF Streeter's men by means o.
their yacht.
1t had been determined early in the day
at conference between the acting mayol
and corporation counsel that in view OF th'
decision OF the Supreme Court OF the Unitee
States that the land claimed by Streeter Il
territory Of the State OF Illinois, the cit.
police forces could not legally precipitat'
a battle with Streeter's forces. Counsel ex
pressed the opinion that the matter could
only be settled by the State authorities who
control the park police, large number O
whom are stationed in Lincoln Park.
Captain Streeter claims to own the land
which, were the title clear, would be worth
between thirty and fifty millions Of dollars
In 1885 Captain Streeter and his wife were
stranded on little sandbar a few yards
from the shore at the foot of Superior street
The spot was not down on the maps, ant
The doughty navigator laid claim to thu
land and declared his right, being the whole
population, to elect himself to all the offices
which he, in framing constitution, deemed
the territory in need Of. AS the years passed
by the dumping OF all sorts OF refuse ant
earth washed up by the lake formed larg
tract, now 1870 acres in extent, and Captain
Streeter became man OF importance.
With his importance and the increased
value of the lands his troubles began. The
tract became connected with the shore, AM
owners OF adjoining property resented tn
presence OF Captain Streeter and the re
tanners he had gathered about him. The
carried the matter into court. The Suprem
Court of the United States decided that III
land was within the jurisdiction OF tn
State of Illinois. Streeter thereupon offere
the district to the federal government. !
year ago he organized, under the nam
"District of Lake Michigan" a tcrr'torla
government, and elected himself CT e jus
tice and to other offices OF importance. III