Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-09
HOG ISLAND CHEAP 4
AT PURCHASE PRICE
Real Estate Men Await Test;-
mony of +. II. Bohlep in
Senate QuiT
CALL Sl.7O2,OO0 BARGAIN
Philadelphian to Show Sale of Less
Desirable Land at Same
Figure

rnc aupearaucc of Francis II. Dohen
Lafor, ,hc senate committee invCstga.
ing the Hog Island expenditures IA
heinr eagerly awaited by real estate
,,or and friends OF Mr.. Bohler, who
ur,dic, that his testimony VIII show
that I'm reality the Government got a
bargain" in its $l,I02,O0V purchase
Nlr Bohlcn who Is a prominent lawyer
and clubman, Counscl Tor tne iennsy.
vania Workman's compensation Board
ana a professor at the University Law
s,booI. left for Washington last night
II is expected he will appear today.
According TO d real estate man wlo
watched the deal being put through the
land which at one time was thought
IN only for pigs to wallow in. brought
$1,000 per acre, with few dollars
added for recording and conreyancing
10 prove that the Government was not
rouged. friends assert that Boh'en
actually disposed Of less desirable land
adjacent to that taken by the American
International Shipbuilding Corporation
for the same price per acre that nc was
paid for the Hog Island tract. Al Of
these things. with figures to back them
will be presented by Mr.. Bohlen when
lie appears before the committee. 1t was
said.
In the meantime. due to published re.
morris. many persons were under the i'm.
nrcssiou that Hog Island, which Is ex-
pccted TO produce ships that will win
the war, was actually owned by enemy
aliens previous to the Government
taking il over The late councsss
Sophie Won Bohlcn und llalbach. whose
son married Bertha krupp, the heiress
of the famous Teuton gun factories at
Essen, has been quoted as being part
owner of the famous little island.
TWO BRANCHES OF FAMILIES
This was not true, Mr.. Bohlen de-
clared in an interview he gave the
EvESING pUBtdC LEDGER before his de.
parturc for Washington.
There are two branches of the Bohlen
families" the Philadelphia lawyer said
~ isn't Countess Sophie anyway. It was
Mime. Sophic Bohleu und Halbach. She
was the daughter Of General Henry Bob.
lon who was killed in the battle OF Cross
kcvs She didn't have any interest In
the Hog Island property. Those OF us
who had are Americans for three gen.
crationS back.
The Bohlen and McMurtric families,
which are related. owned. according to
Mr.. P.hlen. two-thrds of the island
which is 10 be the site of the greatest
shipyard in the world. This they ac-
ouired. he said. through foreclosures on
mortgages which the Black family had
put on the property in order TO i'm.
prove it and build river banks.
John Bohlcn, my ftther, and Richard
NcMurtrle. my uncle he said. were
the men from whom Edgar Black Dor.
rGwcd money TO dixie the land. 1t was
almost lIncanny the faith Black had In
the land. ! suppose at that time the
ground was worth almost nothing at all
IL was an optimist. but he didn't live to
see his optimism justified. II
when ho died the payments were in
arrears and We bought out two.thlrds OF
the land through foreclosures. Then fol-
lowed litigation that was so interminable
il reminded you of pickens's famous case
of Jarndycc VS.. Jarndyce. Finally. how
ever, matters were cleared up, and the
titles were perfected in the early nine
ties"
S1IEET on DISCLOSURES
Mr., Bohlen refused to anticipate the
disclosures that he will make before the
Senate committee. but seemed In no wise
disturbed at the opinions expressed in
various quarters that the American In
ternational ship Building Corporation
had paid price in excess OF the value
OF the land.
The vital part that Hog Island is ex-
pectcd to play in this war recalls TO
history lovers that fact that IT played
no small role in Philadelphia's system
Of defense in the Revolution. Old his
torica show that 1t was through the
channel in the back OF the island. then
known as ToGg. tllat the seven British
ships I,l by the Nlgilant crept upon
Fort Aitln and were thus able TO de-
molish il.
IN unnamed traitor revealed to the
rodcuats the existence of The back chan
mel. Engineers had built a stockade from
'rinicum Island to Billingsport. leaving
only a small channel seventeen feet wide,
open In front OF Hog Island. This was
closely guarded. The rear water cS!t
was thought unknown to the British
fleet.
The name Of Joseph Galloway, an
early philadelphian Of Tory and trea-
solahlc predictions. and of whom the
city was not at all proud. has also been
connected with the island. In some Of
the old records he is named as the first
owner. At any rate, because OF his pro.
British tendencies lie was looked upon
with suspicion by the Contnentals, a
suspicion which was justified when the
gentleman fed to General Howe's head.
quarters at Trenton when it became
known that an attack on Philadelphia
WAS contaminated