The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-01
STREETERvILLE
TO Be Scene OF
ANOTHER FIGHT
"Cap" Streeter To Make
Final Effort to Regain
Lost Chicago Property.

Chicago, Sept. 'Streeterville, in
the 'Deestrict of Lake Michigan a
part of Chicagos famous "Go1d
Coast is about to be the scene of
the thousand and first battle in it's
history, according to notice served on
United States Marshal Bradley by
Captain George Wellington Streeter,
SO-year old claimant to a $50,000,00O
portion of the exclusive Lake Shore
Drive section.
Gap" Streeter and William II.
Niles, one time military governor
and commanding general of the army
of the "deestrict," having notified the
federal authorities that they are
claim that Streetervil1e is not in any
state in the union, have invited the
American Legion to assist them ana
set the date for the opening of hos
tilities as September 6. letter to
the Legion posts, copy OF WhlcH
was also sent to Marshal Bradley, in
vites former soldiers to meet me al
the foot of Superior street in uni
form, 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
legionaires to bring their lunch.
Captain Streeter has been fighting
since 1886 to establish his claim to
one of the most valuable sections OF
Chicago's lake front. In that year
his steamer, the Reutan, stranded on
the beach during a storm Captain
Streeter built a breakwater about the
stranded boat, 450 feet off shore, and
made it his home. The rapidly SHIFT
ing sands filled in the space between
boat and shore and added 1913 acres
to the city's area. To this land Cap
tain Streeter laid claim, and In the
next quarter of a century battles by
the hundreds were fought in an eff
fort to GUST him.
On one occasion 500 police besieged
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
eraI days, before deserNons in the
ranks so weakened the defending
force that a lone policeman finally
executed a flank attack and carried
the fort.
The courts in 1915 ruled that
Streeter had no title to the property
and his brick castle, which had sue
ceeded the steamboat home, was
f7wrecked by deputy sheriffs and then
burned.
In 1902 Streeter and two friends
were convicted of manslaughter IN
connection with the death of John S.
Kirke, killed in one of the frequent
! assaults on the castle. All were sem
fenced to life Imprisonment, but af-
! ter a few months were released.
The site of the "deestrict" is now
| covered by more than a dozen sky
scraper apartment buildings and
| hotels. The land is valued at more
than 50,00o,000. Many of the pres
emit owners have purchased deeds
from Streeter as we'll as the state in
order that their occupancy may not
be interfered with by the S0-year old
| f1re-eating veteran.
Streeter' claim is based on the con-
tention that the act creating the
state of Illinois fixed the "meander
line of 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
| Illinois extended to the center of
Lake Michigan, that all land created
| by natural secretions of the lake be-
| longad to the adjoining property
| owners; and that all land created
artiicially belonged to the state. The
stranding of Streeter's steamship
created land artificially, it was held