Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28

Mysterious calls by mysterious men on
property owners in the vicinity Of -lst
and Race streets the site for the pros
- ?. posed 100000 marble hail. grab of
,w"or2he Municipal Court. have taken a new
racmeanlng to those who entertained the
eixmen since the plans Of McNtchoi-fen-
Irose forces have been revealed.
va va For months before it was even WINS
to pered that the Detention House at 2Zd
terand Arch streets, built only six years ago
thewas to be abandoned persons who owned
for "oS W - - ,,,.,
aftproperty in the path OF the grab nave
onebeen asked to tell what they would sell
subfor Sometimes the agents have said
III they represented the city, but more often
I.they have come from persons VINO d!d
eapnot want to figure in the transaction
theuntil it was closed
VIII No one knows who these men are, Fut
,Sri they have been unsuccessful in most
thacases, as the neighborhood is made up Of
die thrifty people VINO saved until they had
"wrenough 70 buy a home and who intend
ts gsticking 10 it despite aAurIng offers 70
y sell
will admit having thought of the list
and Race streets property Sefor" the eno
OF last May But the visits of the mys-
ferrous men began a long time before
tie
VAGUE METHODS OF AGENTS,
Nest Of the property owners along
Winter street tell the same story. They
have been approached very warily and
questioned vaguely as to what they
thought about selling and how much
they would want for their lots. They
knew nothing of the Municipal Court )
plans and those who suspected there
was anything peculiar in the Visi'S from
agents put it down 70 the Parkway con-
formations.
some property owners stopped talking
very quickly when asked il any one had
tried to bay options on their land. Op-
tions, like dead men tell no tales, II
has been pointed out Records at City
Hall are innocent enough. IheFe - one
exception, however.
1t is known that one OF the properties
owned by MIS-. James !. McNiSno! d
four-story brick house at W. Race street
directly across the street from the Mar
bic Hal! property site, would oe en-
HANGED in value in the event Of the grab
being perfected. II is valued now at
$4,000.
Astonishment at the land grab is being
followed by sha.pcst criticism among
those familiar with the scheme OF the
Municipal Court
1t was pointed out today that the gang
majority in councils wos willing enough
10 spend millions 10 house a Municipal
Court less than a year old, hut that plans
which would be of incdICu.auie benefit 10
persons in every part Of Philadelphia IN
the new subway and other transit i'm
provements were being held up and
blocked at every turn
Councils granted 100000 Of the loan bin
money for the Municipal Court plans, but
reluctantly allowed $500 700 for preliminary
work TO improve transit only under the
heaviest pressure of public opinion, \
was pointed out.
After the revelation Saturday Of the
plans to buy nearly an entire city square
and put mp buildings worth 10000, Of
fcials connected with the Municipal Court
admitted the truth Of the iGea as set
forth after Investigations
ONLY THE "ENTERING WEDGE"
Executive Clerk Fred c.. simon Of the
Municipal Court, admitted that the 500 ooo
item in the loan bill and the ordinance
passed over the Mayors veto 70 acquire
a small plot at 2lst and Race streets were
only the "cnteI!ug wedges" iu the scheme
TO hour the Municipal Court in mag
nificent buildings on AN eNDensiv" tract
I'VE proposed TO add from time 10 time
10 the Magdalen hume property" said
Simon. "The $4,000 I'm tire loan bill was
10 he the basis of a building fund, After
getting the first PROPERTY we Intended
acquiring more by U'w oEHinanc" unit"
the plans was carried out.
The new House NJ Detention M 22d and
Arch streets would he abandoned II th"
land grab plans went through, This was
admitted by promoters Of the grab
scheme.
The House of Detention was completed
ort,y sis wears ago. and II is stil in
GOOD condition, according 10 Mrs. Henry
p Richardson, wife Of the supeTintrHd-
s,t and assistant TO him