The San Francisco call., 1906-08-05
A. Everett Ball and Asso-
ciates Sue TO Secure
North Beach Blocks
RICHTFUL OWNERS
READY TO FIGHT
Grand Jury May Be Asked
to Take Quick Action
Against the Claimants


"N HAT the "claIm IuraDer'ss cheer
full calling IL not an industry pc
culIar TO mining countries OF to .
lands newly settled is shown by 4
the papers In an action fled In ths 4
Superior Court of this city and county
on July 10 aud bearing the num-
Der 30 on the files of the County
Clerk. The plainsin is the PotrerO
NueYo Land Company, OF which A. Ev-
erett Ball is secretary, and it Is his
affidavit that states the cause of ae-
tiOn- OF defendants there are more
than score. They are persons and
corporations who for varying terms OK
years have been Ia uRdisputed pos
session of the realty comprised In the
city blocks bounded by Mason, Powell.
Francisco and vandewater streets and
by Mason, Francisco, Powell and Bay
streets
AS is we'll known, most OF the public
records were destroyed IN the great
corfagration- This fact appears TO
have compassed the belief Of A Ever
ett Hall and his associates that they
and not the persons who have held the
property for. in some cases. more than
fifty years are the rightful owners
thereof In fact. the afidavit recites
that Ball and his fellows not only own
the property but that they have been
in "rndisputed possession thereof for
more than ten years"
SUE ALL THE WORLD
/ Nearly two-tpirds OF the block
bounded by sIason, Francisco. Taylor
and Bay streets are claimed Incl
dentally the suit Is brought against
"alI the world" but the defendants
specifically named are A Deprette. the
Henry wreden. l. Bacigalupi. Domini-
co Esposito. c. c. Pernau. Teresa Gu
neo. 5. Tamburini John Everdfng. D.
D. Maggfori. A Jacob. W. F. Whit
tier and Antonio BustachL
In the nsighboring block the defend
ants named are John Everdins. Clam
Cardano. G. DeIucci. A Cozzozo. H.
Fautz. Dan Bonn. G. Ratio. F. Arata ct
al. Caroline z. Stevens and Margaret
Nichols.
So far as Is known none OF the de-
4
summons IN the suit. Those whom The
Call representative interviewed had
never heard OF the matter beIore. OF
course, should the answer not be hlsd
the PLAINTIFF will take Judgment by
default. In any case as the matter
now stands there Is cloud upon the
title TO each parcel OF land involvedN
which may embarrass the holder should
he wish TO sell or lease. Unless proper
defense Is made the Potrero Nuevo
Land Company may establish a claim
which can be removed only by the
payment Of a sum Of money. large or
small. as the circumstances may ap-
pear TO warrant
HISTORY OF SECRETARY.
The history OF J. Everett Ball. SEQ
retary OF the Potrero Nusvo Land Com
pa1y. is interesting IN this connection
In days gone by this same Mr.. Ball
was an associate OF John Bensley of
Mason & Bensley. whose land trans
actions in the Potrero were OF char
acter somewhat shady. In fact, the
present complaint recites that the land
sued for was owned by John Bensley
in 1855 and by him through divers
conveyances conveyed TO the Potrero
Nuevo Land Company. which is now
the owner and holder thereof and has
been for ten years or more"
Edward ]. Linforth appears as at
torney for plaintin IN this remarkable
suit OF Linforth but little is known
4 except that he practiced law IN an OBJ
scure way for several years before the
IRE and appears to have continued IN
practice. although his ADDRESS appears
IN none OF the dirsotories that have
been issued by tho tslsphons COM
panies or other publishers since the
disaster that changed nearly every
body's residence and business quarters.
The 1rm OF Mason & Benslsy has
however, an interesting though by no
means brilliant record 1t was their3
practice TO bring just such suits an
the one under corsicsrGtioG. and than
to dismiss the action upon payment
OF whatever sum could DO exactsd
from owners who saw Ia comproudss
the easiest way OF avoiding Lawsuits
that might entail heavy expense.
TRIP A rRICKSTER-
In the same coteria with Mason -
} Bensley was Clinton c. Tripp. who
7 for many years waxed fat upon
spofls won in the same sort ok
buccansering. sailing under the eolors
OF the law. and winning his plunder
under cover of the courts. This man
Tripp once brought suit against up
ward OF 1900 property In san