New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-26
Halts Derrick
About to Scoop
Up Squatters
Contractor Worried About
His Liability for Personal
Injury Which May Be
Done Defiant Molenaors
He breads Court Action
Cabin Dwellers Would We'll
come Suit as Reopening
$500, 1000, 600 Legal Fight

$500, 600, 600 Legal Fight
The ramshackle, tar-papered, lean
to squatter's cabin of Martin Montrose
Molenaor. seventy years old and al
most blind, continued yesterday to
stand untouched at 194th Street and
Hillside Avenue, in the path of con-
struction gang of William F. Norton,
title-holder to the property.
Molenaor, who claims ownership of
the land and other parcels aggregating
S500,000,000 in valuation, kept posses
sion while Norton debated whether to
dig under the cabin and let it fall into
the excavation, to take derrick and
lift cabin. squatter and all his nine
points of the law out of the way, or to
appeal to the courts.
Should Norton appeal to the courts
he will be opposed by Molenaor, VINO
will sue as a poor person, and thus
will be reopened one of the most re-
markable property rights cases ever
heard in any court. 1t will involve
. vast acreages in upper Manhattan ex-
tending from river to river.
Hats at Injuring Aged Man
Should Norton decide to tunnel un-
der the shack or lift it out of the way
with derrick the aged claimant
might be hurt, and Norton is not sure
of his liability under such conditions
He does not want to injure the aged
squatter, but he is in hurry to erect
two-story office and store building
on the property. Should the case in
any way get into the courts building
operations might be delayed inden-
nitely. Norton withdrew his workmen
reached point 10 feet from the Mol
enaor shack.
For eight years Molenaor his lived in
the shack with his son MILFORD, now
grown to middle aged manhood, and
his widowed daughter, Mrs. Evelyn
Holstein. The trio have chung to their
tar-papered shelter, waiting the time
that some one would come to dispossess
them from this parcel of land, and
thus reopen their chances in court.
Studies Law to Wage Fight
MILFORD has spent years studying
law to fit himself to cope with any
him in what he regards as his rights.
The family has suffered privatlons,
and yesterday MILFORD sat in the sun
shine at the cabin door in patched
trousers and shoes so badly worn that
his toes all but protruded. Mrs. Hol-
stein busted herself about the one
room shack and cared for her aged
father.
81 don't want to be photographed, u
she said. "No, am not worried about
being dispossessed. Talk to MILFORD
He will tell you why
MILFORD, bare-headed, shook a nor
of hair, Just beginning to show gray
and talked long of his claims, which
date back to the seventeenth century
"This particular parcel on which we
now. stand he began, lis par, of ar
Riker's History of New York, my
family settled on Manhattan Island il
1850. Gradually they acquired land!
which extended from 125th Street tx
Dyckman Street and from river t.
river. The homestead was at 125tl
Street and Eighth Avenue. These land
UP around here were farm holdings.
"If you will 60 to the Hall o
Records and look at Randall's surve
map, drafted for the state government
in 1919, you will see all this land
describe lined off and its OWNERSHIP
credited to the Molenaor family.
Says Ancestor Broke Trust
"The property came down in un
broken line from my great-grea
grandfather. Finally it was left il
trust for all heirs to my great-grand
father, David Molenaor. Ny fathe
held under the will life interest il
all the property, but, ignoring this lif
interest, David Molenaor sold the land
These farm lands up here were sol
to Isaac and Michael Dyckman. w
hold David had no right whatever t.
sell any of it.
"In the seventies my grandfathe
William Molenaor returned here fror
Saint Augustine, Fla, and began cour
fight for the property People llvin
in buildings at 125th Street an
Eighth Avenue even went so far q
one time al to pay rentals to us instea
of the presumed owners.
William Molenaor's claim to tn
property was ~dsallowed by Suprem
Court Justice BLUR in 1916, but w
believe we will eventually reopen tn
case and will be able successfully t.
wage it the next time.
81 was raised among the cowboys il
Colorado, and this gave rise to q re
port that 1 would defend my right
at the point of a rifle. This is no
true. I will peaceably maintain m
position here. 1t would not help m
case to resort to violence. No, hay
no children. have never bee
married"
William F. Norton, the contracto,
said: II have title guarantee
by title company. A squatter stand
on my property, in my way. | viii
continue my building operations. M
laborers were withdrawn to anothe
job. 1t is true work has ceased TO
the time being. l do not kno,
whether / will tunnel under the shack
get derrick and remove it or appea
to the courts. / have not decided
There are some peculiar questions in
volved.''