Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-12
Rival Claimants for Property on
Lake Shore in Chicago
Fight Bate.
Winchester Rifles We're Used
and One Man Was Instant-
ly Killed.
Captain Streeter's Men Arrested
Alter Slight Resistance
to the Police.

Chicago. Feb 12.-During a fight With
Winchester rifles last evening between
the followers of rival claimants to
property living along the Lake Shore
drive, the most aristocratic boulevard
in Chicago, Frank Kirk, a Waterman
for ore of the claimants, was shot thru
tho head sustaining mortal wound.
The property in dispute consists of
made land lying east of the Lake Shore
drive md between it and Lake Michi-
gan. Capt. George w. Streeter, who
has for many years been a thorn In the
side of north side property owners De
cause of his propensity to settle on
vacant ground and then claim IN the
courts rights of a squatter, has erected
several small shanties upon this GROUND
and claims that inasmuch as 1T was not
originally included In the government
SURVEYS OF the state OF Illinois, 1t 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 district of Lake Michi-
gan" and denies that the oficials OF
the city Of Chicago or the state OF lli-
nois have any rights upon it.
Between Streeter and his men and
the watchmen employed by the proper
ty owners along the Lake Shore drive
there have been frequent fights. Last
night Henry Cooper, lawyer. who has
been active in his opposition to Street.
er. accompanied by Policeman O'Ma-
ley, went upon the ground OF the dis
trlct" and were attacked by Streeter,
who knocked him down with the butt
of a revolver Several of Streeter's fol-
lowers covered O'Malley with their
weapons ind 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 8
followers, William McManners. Will
liam Blocki and John Hoeldtke and
two watchmen employed by Cooper.
Frank Kirk and Samuel Portorous.
Kirk and Portorous were standing just
outside small shanty of their own and
one OF the first shots fired struck Kirk
In the top of the head. Portorous en-
tered the shanty and returned the fire
of the Streeter men with Winchester.
A riot call was hastily sent to the
East Chicago avenue police station and
wagon filled with officers under the
command of Captain Rever was sent on
the run toward the place. When the
officers arrived Kinks body lay in the
snow outside his shanty, while from a
hole in the window Portorous kept up a
steady fire upon the three men in the
other house, who were returning his fire
with all speed with which they could
work their rifles.
The firing ceased as the police ap-
peared and Gordon of officers was at
once thrown around the shanty in
which McManners, Blocki and Hoeldtke
were. They barricaded the door and
threatened to kill the first officer who
approached. Headed by Captain Re-
we're, a squad of policemen began to
batter in the door, while the others
stood waiting with drawn revolvers for
the first shot from within. Because of
the entreaties Of Mrs. McManners. who
had been inside the cottage thruout the
her husband decided not to re-
sist the officers and the door was
opened before the police had broken 1t
down. The three men and Mrs. Nc
Manners were at once placed under ar
rest and taken to the police station.
Returning to the building in a short
time the officers found that Streeter
had again barricaded the house. He
was summoned to surrender, and after
some parleying gave himself up.
When he came out of the house he
carried q rifle and four revolvers. He
claims that he was not on the ground
when the fight was in progress. Nc
Manners, Blocki and Hoeldtke claim
that the first shot was fired by Kirk
and that he was shot when they re-
turned from the fire. This is denied by
who claims that the other
side fired the opening shot. All per-
sons living on the district of Lake
We're placed under arrest
pending the death or recovery of Kirk.
At the hospital to which he was taken
1t was announced that there was no
chance of his recovery.
In tibet immediate neighborhood of
the scene of last nights 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 Palmer. !