Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-01
CONTEST OVER TITLE
Claimants to Land Occupied
by U. S. Government.
WASHINGTON CITY TRACTS
Members of Edmonston and Beall
Families Start Inquiry.
REFER TO LEASE MADE IN 1776
Navy Yard, Potomac Park and
Other Government Property In
volved In Controversy.

Ihe question of whether or not the
United States has clear and absolute titles
10 all the lands it has possession of in
the city OF Washington has been raised
by Archibald 7. Edmonston, who occupies
the position Of supervising statistician in
the Missouri bureau of labor statistics
In Jefferson City, Mo. He and his brother,
Felix w. Edmonston of st. Louis, and
two married sisters who reside in Chi
cago claim to be the direct descendants
or Archibald Thomas Edmonston and Col.
Ninian Beall. who originally owned most
of the lands the cities Of Washington and
Georgetown now stand on.
The Edmonstons of Missouri and Illinois
have presented their claims to Attorney
General Wickersham and Senator N. B.
Scott, two members of the commission
appointed by Congress two years ago to
investigate the title of the United States
10 land In the District of Columbia,
asking that the search and inquiry be
carried back to the year 1902, when the
Maryland proprietary of Charles II of
england made the grants of the Wash
ington and Georgetown lands amounting
to 1000 acres. to the original Archibald
Edmonston and Col. Ninian Beall. This
of Col. Beali of the Rock OF Dunbar
ton
Ninety-Nine Year Lease Cited.
TIE Edmonstons claim that n,n.tv-
:: year lease made about Ira to
.e.arles Loundes by Thomas Edmonston
OF lands now occupied by Potomac park
the navy yard, "Knaves Dtsappoint-
i mepf
and other tracts in Washington plays a
part IN the claims Of the Edmonstons.
VThey assert they have records which
prove mat the lands were in their fam
lily until ITO, when Thomas Edmonston
sailed Tor Glasgow. Scotland. with his
=. re. whD was Elizabeth Mackay. daueh-
Ter Of another of the original colonists.
lhey left behind a son, William Edmon-
ston' VINO married into the Offutt family.
also prominent in the colonial history of
maryland and of Washington. Tracts OF
| and which belong to the Offutts and the
Aackay families also figure in the claims
VI the Edmonsttons. In all there are said
y De 4,oO descendants Of the Bealls, Ed
nonstons. Ormes. Loundes, Offutts and
| nackays scattered all over the country
fnterested in the claims, and all are anx-
~ u an inquiry into the title question
hs Cnited States to these lands.
4
The Edmonstons of Missouri and Illi-
nois nave opened action by sending
Communication to the members of the
United States title investigating commits
sion, of which H. C. Gauss is secretary.
| Tais communication gives in detail the
| chlms Of the Edmonstons down to 171B
aid asks close inquiry into the original
| ownership of all the lands in question
| frm 1900 back to the time of the original
giant of lands by the proprietary of
Charles III of England.
| s1r. Gauss said today that II was his
| Ornion that the Edmonston and BeaIl
gnnts had lain outside the city limits,
bu that even If these grants had con-
taned the lands In question the heirs
| VIVID hav" no hold upon them now, since
thacondemnation of the property by act
ofCongress.
! Ir. Gauss said that every effort was be-
| In. made by the commission to clear up
! th titles of the land to which the gov
| erment lays claim in the District.