The Washington herald., 1908-03-12

square 1Is1, in Washington. q. c., to
Sidney Bieber' In reply, 1 wrote Mr..
Allen in part as follows:
The real point in the matter is this: The square
Of ground Is actually in existence with no other
eligible OF lruspectile Claimant than myself So
Tar as the District government is concerned. I am
the lawful possessor of the ground in question sud
my desire Is 10 remove any cloud on the title that
may exist hy the action Of The highest authority
that can be given in such matters. the Congress Of
the Jriied States. As the bin states ! viii nav
into the TIeasmy of the United States sum which
may h deemed proper and just Tor any interest the
United States may hold
However. the District Of Columbia has borne
square 1881 It's tax rolls since ls5s and the taxes
since that date have bceu paid. For your further
information I vill state that hold abstract Of title
covering this square issued by the Washington Title
insurance Company. the hfst transfer having been
made March =. 1859. when Joseph Mecomics
decided the same 20 Mary =. Sweetser. hut the
grantor appeared not 10 have any title OF record at
mat time. Since then this property has been sold
Tor taxes three four times. but the interest Of
me larties to whom It was sold were transferred
TO my father, Samuel B!eb-r.
This was in 1889 He has since trans
ferred the property 10 me.
Policy Not Underhand.
THAT letter, portion Of which have
quoted with official communications on
the bill from then Acting Secretary Of
War Sanger. Judge Advocate General Da-
Wis. Chief OF Engineers Gillespie. Acting
Chief of Engineers Mac cKenzie. Mai. The
odore Bingham, District Commissioner
Macfarlahd, and Secretary of the Interior
Hitchcock. all commenting on some
phase OF the measure. and none inter
posing objections 10 the passage Of the
bill, were incorporated In a report which
was brought before the House OF Repre-
sentatives by Representative jenkins, Of
Wisconsin. then a member of the Dis
trict Committee, but now chairman Of the
Judiciary Committee.
THE open and above-bosrd history Of
that enactment has been the history OF
several enactments TO which Senator Car
ter took exceptions in his remarks in the
Senate.
Each Of these bills. against which
Senator Carter raises the cry Of irregu-
larities' and fraud. provided that the
land should not be decided TO me until l
should pay to the government a price TO
be fixed by the Secretary Of War l have
already paid nearly $500 10 the govern
ment for any interest il may have had-I
cannot now say positively that there are
no other outstanding interests, and neither
can Senator Carter-and the parcel of land
mentioned in the law which the Senate
voted 10 repeal has been appraised by a
board appointed by the chief OF Engl-
neers. l. s. A, at the direction OF The
Secretary Of War, AT 81, ,O00, which figure
did not accept
BIRmes Big Railroad.
'"rhe whole trouble is Just this. The
Tparfr1 1fofa Iuf
ter without shadow OF right OF title.
on that land for many years. The Penn
sylvania Railroad has, and does, view
with alarm, any proceedings TO estab-
lish the rights OF any individual hold
ing title to any portion OF that property.
So far as / have been apprised. the only
reason these legislative enactments are
Irregular and remarkable and .fraudu-
lent is that they are obnoxious 20 the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
AS an evidence Of the manner in which
the Pennsylvania Railroad has fought me.
/ Will say that most distinguished coun-
sell headed by the Hon Wayne Mac
Neagh, former Attorney General Of the
United States, were employed 10 prepare
the brief in the case, the substance OF
which was presented 90 the Senate by
Senator Carter
Senator Carter. however. did not men,
iion the Pennsylvania Railroad. Senator
Carter. calling the attention Of the Senate
TO these frauds and irregularities took
nigh moral grounds. He was afraid that.
If he grew lax in the watchfulness over
the public interests. for which he is
noted, that somebody would give me title
10 the United States Capitol. Perhaps
the fact that the railroads are not so
popular at the Capitol as of yore may
nave had something 10 90 with Senator
Carter's failure 10 mention that the state
ments he presented to the Senate were
nothing more thfn q resume OF the
charges and arguments prepared by legal
counsel OF the Pennsylvania RsF44road in
its fight against my efforts TO buy Ger
tain properly on the Anacostia River. ad-
joining my own.
Father Owned Land.
Senator Carter also failed to state that
the original square CNo ll3l) came into
my fathers possession in 1888 as a regular
business transaction. II is interesting 20
note that when I refused to sell to the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company for si5.-
600 the property I had bought from the
government. the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company undertook TO do everything in
its power to discredit my claims to title
and to make Intellectual my efforts 10
purchase, after proper appraisement by a
duly constituted board Of engineer OH
GERS OF The army tne portion Of property
adjoining my own.
Il am informed also that the PennsyI-
vania Railroad Company made represen-
tations and brought strong pressure 10
bear upon the War Department 10 pre-
vent the appointment OF q board 20 ap-
praise the property: in fact endeavored