The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-01
lSTREETERVI[LE TO
BE THE Scene OF
ANOTHER BATTLE

CHICAGO, Sept. 1.-"Streeterville,"
in the "Deestrict OF Lake Michigan" a
part of Chicago's famous Gold Coast"
Is about to be the scene Of the thous-
and and first battle in its history, &C.
,cording to notice served on United
States Marshal Bradley by Captain
George Wellington Streeter, 80-year-
old claimant to 100000 portion Of
the exclusive Lake Shore Drive Sec
ton.
Cap" Streeter and William H. Niles,
one time military governor" and COM
manding general Of the army of the
"deestrict," having notified the federal
authorities that they are about to again
try to enforce their claim that Street.
erville is not in any state in the union,
have invited the American Legion to
assist them and set the date for the
opening OF hostilities as Sept. 6.
Wants End to Come Around.
A letter to the Legion posts, copy
of which was also sent to Marshal
Bradley, invites former soldiers to
meet me at the foot Of Superior
street in uniform, armed and carrying
a flag, and help to end by force OF arms
the reasonable acts of judges or stand
up against a wall before firing
squad" A postscript invites the legion
aires to bring their lunch.
Captain Streeter has been fighting
since 1886 to establish his claim to one
of the most valuable sections Of Chi
cago's lake front. In that year his
steamer, the Reutan, stranded on the
beach during storm. Captain Street
er built breakwater about the
stranded boat, $50 feet off shore, and
made it his home.
The rapidly shifting sands filled in
the space between boat and shore and
added 1913 acres to the city's area. To
this land Captain Streter laid claim,
Pand in the next quarter OF century
battles by the hundreds were fought In
An effort to orst him.
On one occasion 500 police beseiged
Streeterville General" Niles pro-
claimed himself military governor OF
the district of Lake Michigan" and
with so men of his escort" erected
breastworks surmounted by barbed
wire and stood Off the police for sew
.eral days before desertions in the
ranks so weakened the defending force
that lone policeman finally executed
n flank attack and carried the fort.
Rules He Has No Right.
The courts in 1915 ruled that Street
GER had no title to the property and his
brick castle, which had succeeded the
steamboat home, was wrecked by
deputy sheriffs and then burned.
In 1902 Streeter and two friends
were convicted of manslaughter IN
connection with the death of John 5.
Kirke, killed in one of the frequent as
saults on the castle. All were sent
enced to life imprisonment, but after
a few months were released.
The site of the "deestrictis now
covered by more than dozen sky
scraper apartment buildings and ho-
tells. The land is valued at more than
S5O,0OO,OOO. Many of the present
owners have purchased deeds from
Streeter as we'll as the state in order
that their occupancy may not be inter-
fered with by the 80-year-old fire.
eating veteran.
Belongs to Property Owners.
Streeter's claim is based on the con-
tention that the act creating the state
Of Illinois fixed the "meander lineS or
the lake as the boundary, and that
therefore his "deestrict" was outside
the state and owed allegiance to no one
except the United States.
> The courts held, however, that ILL
rois extended to the center OF Lake
Michigan, that all land created by
natural secretions of the lake belong
ed to the adjoining property owners;
and that all land created artihcally be-
longed to the state. The stranding OF
Streeter's steamship created land arti-
fically, it was held.