The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-13
CHICAGO HAS REAL WAR
500 Policemen Check a Waterfront
Seizure On Lake Michigan.
ARMY OF INVASION CAPTURED.

Take Possession OF Land, IhroU VI
Breastworks and Do Some Shooting
Horse Killed aud Boy Wounded-
Surrender When Force Was Used.
CHICAGO (SpeciaD.-Flve hundred police
armed with rifles and acting as deput.
sherlfYs invaded the "TerrItory OF Lak'
Michigan" capturing President George
Streeter and his entire force including al
he members Of his cabinet, the 'comman
ier-in. chief OF the army and the rank ant
lie OF the latter organization. In al
:wenty-nlne men were gathered In ant
,laced In cells In the Chicago Avenue Po
ice Station.
When dwellers along the Lake Shore
irIve awoke In the morning they saw
schooner at anchor just of shore. while
close to the eastern edge OF the drive,
which formerly mar....sd the shore, trenches
1ad been thrown up and armed and uni.
formed sentrles were pacing beats. Cap
Jain George Streeter's army Of invasion
aad come In the night by way OF the lake
and had again taken possession OF "Terri
:ory OF Lake Michigan" from which the
Captain and another army had been driver
oy United States Marshall Ames and force
of deputies several months ago.
The men were armed. provisloned for 8
months siege and the determined front Of
The garrison indicated that this was nc
fully planned and executed. The city au
:horlties we're notified as soon as possible
and Acting Mayor Walker and Chief Of Po.
lice Ripley decided after consultation thai
he city authorities had no right to inter
,ere. The Lincoln Park Board was hurled
" called into session and decided thakii
1ad no jurisdiction.
Meantime Captain Bner Of the Police De-
partment rode over to the boundary line
20 see IL "President" Streeter could be
persuaded to leave his "territory." The
captain attempted to cross the line from
he United States to the TERRITORY oil
Lake Michigan" when he was ordered tc
halt by William Niles, Chief Justice OF the
Supreme Court, who was In command o.!
streeter's army. The captain didn't halt
and General Judge Niles picked up q rife
aud took shot at him. At the first shot
:he captain halted, turned his horse and
started for the United States and safety at
.ull speed.
The rife was a repeater and General
Judge Niles worked tue lever with rapidtty
At the second shot Captain Baer's horse
Tell dead. A third shot tcre the lapel from
companisd Captain Baer. A fourth shot
struck fourteen-year-old Reuben Manly,
one Of the crowd attracted by Streeter's
military demonstration, In the leg, MAIN.
Ing him for life. Niles continued firing till
his rifle was empty aud the streets clear,
but no other casualties resulted.
A riot Gull took putrol load OF officers
to the Lake Shore, but the policemen re-
turned without accomplishing anything,
as Streeter's men had lined up and were
in their rifle pits awaiting attack. The re.
tion In the city. Rifles and ammunition
were secured from the city armory and
served to the men, who were being formed
into companies and battallons. They
had preliminary drills as fast as they re.
ported for duty.
At S o'clock Sheriff Magerstadt, who
had been in consultation with his attorney
and the United States Marshal since the
attack upon Captain Baer, decided that
the peace and dignity OF the county had
been outraged aud swearing In the SOC
police us deputies started for the Lake
Shore. Fifty men were put on board OF 8
tug and sent out to-attack Streeter's army
from the rear, while the remaining 4a
men were to march upon the intrenched
enemy from three different directions.
There WAS N uch excitement in the north
side, while all these warlike preparations
were going on. General Niles, who did all
tho talking for President Streeter and all
the shooting up to that hour, when advised
that the police were coming, called his
Falstafflan crew about him and delivered
q spread-eaole speech, In which he urged
them to shoot to kill and to fight to the
IooE o. oH mi
repeating rifles and we're we'll supplied With
ammunition. After Nlles's address they
returned to their trenches.
Sheriff Magerstadt had 80 arranged his
forces that all approached the Streetei
fortress at the same moment. They came
from north, south and west by land, while
the fifty men sent by boat appeared on the
east. Niles was for opening fire and max.
ing a fight even though surrounded, but
President Streeter, seeing the hopeless
ness OF 1t, advised surrender and without
The men luid down their rifles and
marched out OF their dugout fort to be
thrown unceremoniously into patrol wag.
ons and hustled of to police station cells
more like lot Of common drunkards than
prisoners OF war.
The men took this desperate step fol
possession OF strip OF land formed by &C.
cretions about the wreckage OF Captain
Streeter's schooner which was driven on
the beach during the storm In 1886. The
tract now includes more than eighteen
handred.lots OF 160 acres. In the fight for
the possession OF this land the Supreme
Courts never have rendered any definite
decisions. The land Is claimed by the
Newberry estate and other large property
owners along the north shore under
riparian rights: The Park Board also
claims most OF the territory.
Streeter asserts that the land is made
land and Is as free as the undiscovered ISL
ands OF the sea. It Is his intention to es.
tabllsh claim to 1t because 1t grew up by
wave action against his old boat. After
he has established claim he intends to
have the territory annexed to the United
States. a year ago Captain Streeter made
an attempt to set up, an independent gov.
ernment on the tract. A constitution wae
adopted and q full setof officers installed,
but then, as now, the police actlng as
deputy sheriffs raid ed the Territory and
threw Streeter and his men into JAIL Two
weeks ago Captain Streeter brought suit
for $500, 600 damages from the city officials
and others who we're Interested in the
police expedition against him last May. 800
: At first the claims OF Captain Streetet
were laughed ut, but bis claim to posses.
sion and the sale OF parts OF the land TO
others put cloud on the title OF some OF
the North Shore property owners. Much
litigation had been the result and the aid
OF Federal courts may be Invoked to settle
the question OF ownership to the tract In
dispute.