The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-14
BATTLE FOR POSSESSION OF
LAKE FRONT LAND.
One CONTESTANT KILLED
Police Arrive On Scene and Arrest
G. w. Streeter ana His
Followers.

Chicago, Feb. 11.-During a fight
with Winchester rifles this evening
between the followers of rival claim
ants to the property lying along the
lake shore drive, the most aristocratic
boulevard in Chicago, Frank Kirk, a
Waterman for one of the claimants,
was shot through the head sustaining
a mortal IL
The property in dispute consists Of
made lane lying east of the lake shore
drive and between it and Lake Michi-
gan. Captain George w. Streeter,
who has for many years been a thorn
in the side of northside property own
ers because of his propensity to settle
on vacant ground and then claim in
the court the rights of a squatter, has
erected several small shanties upon
this ground and claims that inasmuch
as it was not originally included in
the government surveys of the state
of Illinois, it does not belong to the
state but was public property open to
settlement. He claims to be the first
settler and calls the ground the obs
trict of Lake Michigan and denies
that the officials of the city of Chi
cage or the state of Illinois have any
rights pom it. Between Streeter and
his men. and the watchmen employed
NV th1 Jrnnnrtv nurrn1,c o1nnO tho
lake shore drive there have been fire.
uuent fights. Tonight Henry Cooper,
a lawyer, who has been active in his
opposition to Streeter, accompanied
by Policeman O'Malley went upon
the ground of the "District Of Lake
Michigan" and was attacked by Street
er who knocked him down with the
butt of a revolver, Several of Street
er's followers covered O'Malley with
their weapons and he was ordered to
leave or be shot.
Shortly after Cooper and O'Malley
had left the ground a pitched battle
broke out between three Of Streeter's
followers. William McManner, William
Block and John Hoeldke, and two
watchmen employed by Cooper, Frank
Kirk and Samuel Portous. Kirk and
Porteous were standing just outside
a small shanty of their own and one
of the first shots fired struck Kirk in
the top of the head. Porteous enter
ed the shanty and returned the fire
of tho Ctroofor poor with q Winchncf.
er.
A riot call was hastily sent to the
east side police station n a wagon
with police under the command Of
Captain Revere was sent on the run
toward the place. When the officers
arrived Kinks body lay in the snow
outside his shanty while from the
window Porteous kept up a steady fire
upon the three men in the other
house who were returning his fire
with all the speed with which they
could work their rifles.
The firing ceased as the police ap
once thrown around the shanty in
which McManners. Block and Hoel-
dixie were. They b%arricaded the door
and threatened to kill the first officer
who appeared.
Headed by Captain Revere a squad
of policemen began to batter in the
door while the others stood waiting
with drawn revolvers for the first shot
f,or, WITHIN pnaorcn Of tho nnfrn0t-
les of Mrs. McManners, who had been
inside the shanty throughout the fir,
:rg. her husband decided not to re-
sist the officers and the door was open
down.
The three men and Mrs. McManners
were at once placed under arrest and
taken to the police station.
Returning to the building in a short
time the officers found that Streeter
had barricaded the house once more.
He was summoned to surrender and
after some parley gave himself up.
When he came out of the house he car
ried a rifle and four revolvers.
In the immediate neighborhood of
the scene of tonight's fight a number
of Chicago's most prominent men re
side among them being ex-United
States Senator Farwell, O. w. Potter
Franklin MacVeagh and Potter Palm
er.
kird died at the hospital. tonight
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