The age-herald., 1900-05-27
Halted the Invading Park Com-
 miSSionerS.
HORSE KILLED AND BOY WOUNDED
Total List of Casualties Command. ant" Wilson ard Military Forces Finally Capitulated and the
 War Was Ended

| Chicago, May 26-Chicago was invaded
 at l o'clock this morning by the army of | a hostile state, numbering 13 men-the Dis-
 trict of Lake Michigan. The invasion ended | in a farce comedy but came near to being
 finished in deadly earnest The casualties l included one boy shot in the leg and one horse killed. Five of the invaders were arr rested and the balance were allowed to escape.
 The trouble was precipitated by Captain
 George w. Streetor, a squatter, who has from time to time created much trouble and litigation by his efforts to seize land
 along the shore of Lake Michigan. The
 land which he las for some time claimed to
 be the District of Lake Michigan consists
 of made land on the shore of Lincoln Park,
 part of it including one of the main park boulevards.
 The courts have decided against the squatter again and again, but he has been persistent in his efforts to grab the prop erty Streetor organized the force which made the descent upon Lincoln Park today,
 but was not with it in person. The trans- | port containing the troops arrived off l Lincoln Park soon after midnight, and
 without difficulty they made @ landing at | the foot of Superior street and formally | took possession of 1S6 acres of land claimed
 by Captain Streetor and his subjects, as
 .the independent territory. the District or 1 Lake Michigan
 Rapsd Fire Guns Rapid fire guns, it is alleged, were on the transport decks, ready to cover, if ncces- sary the landing of the troops, but the shores were unprotected, and without op- position the men made their way through the surf, rallied around their leader Com mandant'i William Niles, and hoisted an
 American flag in the center of the invaded district The landing was conducted quiet ly but was not unobserved. Police Officer James OMalley was on guard and haStened to send report of the matter to the East Chicago avenue station, which in turn transmitted the information to Inspector i Heidetmier. It was decided to take no ac- tion against the invaders until after con-
 sultation with the city law department. l As far legal advice was concerned, the 1 invaders had all the best of it. | The "commandant" Is the legal authori- 1 ty of the district government, holding hold l ing besides his military title, that of chief justice of the supreme court. Under his orders the transport which Is known only
 as "Bckeburg's sail boat" hove to and | dropped anchor. Then, 1t is alleged there
 were landed 75 Springfelds with 1,200
 rounds of ammunition and two Calling guns. This statement of armament is from the side of the invaders, for no one else has seen the Gatling guns and the 75 rifles are sufficient to give three to each member
 of the invading force.
 | Lincoln Park Secretary Charles Erby re-
 ceived a notification by telephone that the ! park property had been invaded by armed
 men. Erby jumped into his buggy and f drove rapidly to the scene of the reported i disturbance taking with him Animal Keeper Charles McCurry.
 The secretary. !ia ted
 They attempted to drive past the picket
 line, but were stopped by a man with rifle who warned them back. q am secretary of the Lincoln Park
 board" said Irby, and this is park prop i erty"
 l "I can't help that" replied the sentinel. q have instructions to allow no one to
 pass this line and will be obliged to carry l that out, even if am obliged to kill some
 one.'
 retired
 In short time Park Superintendent Paul Rediesld also came hurrying up in
 his buggy but facing the same situation, | he withdrew. At this juncturc Captain | Barney Baer of the park police, dashed up
 in his buggy. A few words from the other | park officials and Captain Baer exclaimed: | "I'l see if I can't pass those lines" At | this he gave rein to his horse, and it | would have crossed the line, Niles ran | forward and fired four shots. It is sup | posed that he did not mean to wound the | captain, for he appeared to aim only at l the horse The horse fell dead and one
 of the shots having sped beyond, seriously 1 wounded Reuben Manloy. 14 years of age,
 an onlooker. Another bullet passed through the lapel of Detective Histts coat
 Gave Way to T Panic
 While the onlookers fell back and the ex- citemcnt of the morning gave way to
 panic Chief of Police Ripley began to tel
 ephone. The cooperation of Fire Marshal Sweeney was secured and the tug Illinois
 was detailed to carry forty men with rifles down the river to approach the district from the lake. Then orders were issued 10 bring up the police battery, consisting of one Gatling gun and two smooth pores. By D. m. street cars and sixteen patrol | wagons had collected 800 policemen at the East Choago Avenue police station. At | the same hour Chief of Police Ripley had l a telephone message that two hundred of- l ficers were on their way from Hyde Park l by way of the Illinois Central railway 10 | the north side.
 | It was found that the fire boat was so | busy with the big fire on South water 1 ---~-------">--->