Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-08-26
Former Watertown
Man in the Limelight
in State of Illinois

(Mr. E. D. Schurtleff, who was a
resident of WATERFOWL in the early
days and who won considerable dis
tinction as speaker OF the 1llionis
house of representatives, has again
been placed in the public eye through
efforts to collect back taxes of GER
tain rich deceased citizens of uli-
nois. He first achieved fame in this
line when a citizen by the name of
Barber died and Shurtleff discovered
that he had been paying taxes on
property valued at only 100000,
whereas his property valuation was
nearer two millions. Shurtletf man
aged to collect over 500, 100000 in
back taxes. His latest achievement,
however, m through matters con-
nected with the estate of the late
Mr.. Sears, of the Sears-Roebuck COM
pany. The Marengo (1ll.) Republican
News of August IS publishes the ap-
pended article covering the cases in
which Mr.. Shurtleff has figured
Editor.)
The Sears Case.
Attorney E. D. Shurtleff and three
other McHenry county lawyers
States Attorney D. R. Joslyn, E. H.
Waite and Paul J.. Donavan-figure
as the legal representatives of Lake
county taxing bodies in the recovery
Of back taxes from the estate of Rich
ard w. Sears. deceased, founder of
the establishment of Sears, Roebuck
& Co.
Mr.. Sears died about eleven months
ago, leaving an estate believed to ex-
N-NS ION hHA nhh m ~ .@--- -@r vi
he made his home in the town of
Warren, Lake county, owning a farm
OF 200 acres near Grayslake. Follow
ing his death a schedule of his prop
erty holdings was filed in the county
court at Waukegan and an inspection
of the same disclosed the fact that he
owned personal property worth n t
less than $4,000 900, though paying
taxes on only $4,000 and a part of the
time on not more than $3.50.
The board Of review of Lake coun.
ty began an inquiry ONE time ago in.
to the Sears holdings and the proper.
ton of taxes paid, which revealed a
startling state of affairs. About the
time the taxing bodies of the town OF
Warren, the home of Mr.. Sears dur
ing the latter years Of his life, und r.
took a like inquiry with the result
that they employed Attorney E. D
Shurtleff as their legal representa-
tive and he in turn engaged Attorney
Becker of Lake county and the three
AcHenry county attorneys named and
the legal contest has been formally
launched.
Other Situations.
With the revelation in the Scar:
back tax matter, have also come like
situations in the estate of Nelson A
Steele, Waukegan banker, whose es
tate is estimated at S 1,600,000; thu
Fred l.. Deming estate OF $600,00t
and the Stephen H. Harrison estate
of 500. 600. Failure to pay theil
share OF taxes during their lifetime i.
the claim set up in each instance. eacr
lone OF them being much like the Al
fred n. Barber estate in McHenr!
Eeoalty, only the Lake county cases
are many times larger, the persona
property OF the late Mr.. Sears ex
ceeding the entire assessment of Nc
Henry county by several times. 1t is
estimated that back taxes in that es
tate alone will be more than three
quarters of a million dollars.
ne selection of AR. Shurtlef in Sc
important a case as this is a testi
monial to HIS ability as an attorney
H will have a. opponents some o
the aDlesL Chicago LAWYERS.