The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-01
''STREETERVILLE"
FIGHT BE REVIVED
Part of chicago's "GoId Coast" Is
Held by Settler to Belong to
No State in Union.
10y Associated press.)

(By Associated Press.)
Chicago, Aug, misunderstanding, :
IN the 'Deestrict of Lake Michigan, .
a part of Chicago's famous Gold
Coast" is about to be the scene of the
thousand and first and battle in its
history, according to notice served on
United States Marshal Bradley by
Captain George Wellington Streeter,
s0-year- claimant to a s50,000,000
portion of tine exclusive Lake Shore
Drive section.
Cap" Streeter and William H.
Niles. one time military governor
and commanding general of the army
of the "deestrict," having notified the
federal authorities that they are about
to again try to enforce their claim
that StreeterviTle is not in any state
in the union, have invited the Amer
lean Legion TO assist them and set the
date for the opening of hositilities as
September 6. A letter to the Legion
posts, a 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 be-
fore a firing squad" A postscript
invites the Iegionaires 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 Street
err built a breakwater about the
stranded boat, $50 feet off shore, and
made it his home. The rapidly shift
ing sands filed in the space between
the boat and shore and added r93
acres to the city's area. To this land
Captain Streeter laid claim, and in
the next quarter Of century battles
the hundreds were fought in an
effort to GUST him.
on one occasion 500 police beseiged
Streeteryilie. General Niles pro-
claimed himself military governor of
the district of Lake Michigan" and
ID so men of his escort" erected
breastworks surmounted by barbed
wire and stood off the police flor sew
eral days, before assertions in the
ranks so weakened the defending
force that lone policeman finally
>ecuted a flank attack and carried
the fort.
The courts in 1915 ruled that Street
had no title to the property and his
brick castle, which had succeeded the
steamboat home. was wrecked by dep
uty sheriffs and then burned.
In 1902 Streeter and two friends
were convicted of manslaughter in
connection with the death of John 5.
Kirlke, killed in one of the frequent
assaults on the castle. All were SEN
fenced to life imprisonment, but at
ter a few months were released.
The site of the "deestrict" is now
scraper apartment buildings and no
tells. The land is valued at more than
$40, 100000, Many of the present own
ers have purchased deeds from Street
er as well as the state in order that
ieir occupancy may not be interfered
with by the 80-year-old fire-eating
veteran.
,treeter's 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
5refore his "destrict" was outside
the state and owed allegiance to no
one except the United States. The
courts held, however, that Illinois ex-
tended to the center of Lake Michigan
that all land created by natural secre-
is of the lake belonged to the ad
joining property owners; and that all
land artificially belonged to the state.
The stranding of Streeter's steamship
created land artificially, it was held.