Evening journal., 1908-05-09
Cleveland Man. Inspired by
Newspaper Articles. Asks
For inheritance
"ALL A MYTH" SAYS
LAWYER WHO KNOWS

! Swedish baron" incidentally, Mr.
Smell added a most interesting news
paper article to Mr.. Walkers already
large collection OF Springer heir liter
ature." 1t is from the Cleveland plain
Dealer" and tells its own story:
Here it is:
ITO recover tho American estates Of
Charles CHRISTOPHER Springer. prince
| Of the royal house of Sweden, VINO
gave up honors and title 10 found a
religious colony in the State Of Deia-
ware. before the Revolutionary War.
some 1000 descendants have formed an
association in Cleveland and viii carry
their fight into the courts.
"The land. bought by the royal
fanatic from William Penn. comprises
one tract of 144 square miles, another
Of $500 acres. and sixtv-two smaller
farms. On part Of tile land stands
the city Of Wilmington.
"springer the elder gave the colony
he founded the land on a ninety-niue-
year lease This lease ran out. IL is
claimed in 1880. But none Of the heirs
have been able to effect a settlement.
The present holders claim an absolute
title.
Springer died leaving nine children.
They had many offspring. In the fourth
generation. of whom a few still sur
vive. there were 200. Now the Springers
total 1000. There are also mony
claimants whose titles are being ex-
amined by the officers of the new as
ISOLATION.
1.-THE Springer Heirs National AS
sociated Co. capitalized at $1,000.
shares 81 each. one share to be allowed
to each heir who can prove beyond dis
pute that he belongs. object, to recover
the Springer estate-this is the associa-
tion. The parent chapter was formed
in Cleveland on February 20. Yesterday
some 200 members met IN a hall at 5Sl1
Woodland 2senue TO adopt a charter.
Branches of the order will be located
all over the United States and Canada
"A history that reads like a romance
Is this story as the descendants tell It
Of roval fanatic. a mammoth estate
and a fight for riches
Charles Louis, a prince of the royal
house. left Sweden about the middle
Of the eighteenth century. after pur-
chasing a large plot of land near Will
liam Penn's Quaker settlement The
prince dropped his regal name and took
up the name of an ancestor who had
made a mighty leap back in the dim
middle ages somewhere. and was call
ed the Springer in consequence. The
prince could trace his ancestry back
1000 years further, but he stopped
there
Arrived IN America with a large
colony, Prince Springer became the re-
ligious and secular head Of the colony
He laid aside the gown long enough
10 go through several Indian wars and
served with distinction in the revolu-
ton. once being captured by the Brit
ish. The Swedish colony played an Inn
portant part in early colonial history.
when the prince died at an ad-
vanced age. he left his oldings to the
colony on a lease. His many sons
struck out for the new west country.
to Ohio. to Indiana. to Kentucky.
'But the sons all kept a careful
watch Of the genealogical tree. Births
were recorded with great carefulness,
even the hour and minute being placed
on the records. providing for the time
when the ninety-nine-year lease ran
out
"And in the meantime IN Delaware,
towns and cities sprang up and the
original founder was forgotten in the !
lapse Of time.
But the Springers have not forgot |
ten. The forming Of the association |
in Cleveland marks the beginning OF |
a determined effort to dislodge the !
present holders Of the valuable lands"
A HUGE MYTH
Charles NJ. Curtis, a member OF the
New Castle County Bar, who searched I
the State records TO ascertain for him. |
self whether the Episcopal Church. OF /
which he is a devoted member, really was
going to loose this $4,000 900 estate /
laughed after reading the newspaper re- |
port Of the Cleveland meeting and the
motive which prompted A. "Tt IS all a /
myth. There never was a Springer estate;
consequently no such lease could have
been given to Old Swedes Church for the /
period stated" he said. Other Wiirninvton
LAWYERS agreed with Mr.. Curtis In .bis
particular years ago. but notwithstand- |
ing this, heirs OF the imaginary estate
have continued 10 shower Register Walker
with letters asking for information he
has long since ceased to treat the subject |
seriously.
But after all that has been said on Oh.
subject there was a Charles Christonher
Springer among the early Delaware ser
tiers Everybody here doubts houva,,r,.
mat he was Of royal blood. It is agreed |
Ihat ne was devout member Of the old
swedish Church. oftentimes offciatinr in
US pulpit, but where and when he ended
this life Is uncertain. One story has II
mat ne was shanghaied by British sailors
carried on TO the West Indies and sold
INTO bondage. The majority OF the Springer
,nelrs. however, doubt the truth OF the ~
ls'ehce OF such sad chapter IN the hfa /
story OF theirdi stinguished ancestor
Ihey declare that the baron anassed
the SsO'OOO,O0O estate here, left Il in
trust 10 the church of his fathers for
w years and then died peaceably. Thov |
are hrm in this belief and Just as frn, 1
IN their determination to recover their
WHAT THE ESTATE is.
Possibly the idea Of a 'SprInrer
estate" is based on the fact that ono
springer was trustee of Old Swedes
church along with two ether trustees.
10 lease or otherwise dispose OF thous- |
ands OF acres of land stretching dag
onally from the southeast to the north
west part of the present Wilmington
and taking in part Of the country. Two
OF the trustees died but Mr.. Springer
continued to lease the land in aues-
ton Tor periods ranging from one
thousand to two thousand years He
did not own the land and the leases he
made were solely for The benefit OF Old |
Sweees Church. In the course Of time II
these leases were forgottn and the land |
belonging 70 the church and Leased Il