Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-02-27
AN INTERESTING CASE.

trustee OF The estate oil James Swami,
an order was entered deposing Ran.
dali as trustee, and appointing Il.
l.. Buttrlck, of Charleston, as agent
to settle all business and get the es-
tate in shape. The history of this
case is one of the greatest interest
to West Virginians and of the great
est Importance to the State. The
details as we heard them from an
attorney are substantially as fol-
lows:
In 1878 James Swami was one of
the wealthy and leading citizens of
Boston. He was thoroughly Amer
lean in spirit and when the first shot
Of the Revolution was fred he went
forth to battle for independence.
He was commissioned an officer and
when the work of the Continental
army was done he had by gallantry
and meritorious services risen to the
rank of General. During the dark
days of the country's financial dis
tress he came to the rescue and gave
the major portion of his large for
tune to the cause, so that his retire
ment from service found him COM
paratively poor man.
The House of BurgeSses of Vir-
ginia in consideration Of General
Swann'S valuable services made him
extensive grants of lands the most
OF which were i'll that part of this
State now known as Wyoming,
Clay, Webster, Fayette. Kanawha,
Nicholas, Braxton, Tucker, Ran.
dolph, Upshur, Logan, Lincoln,
Boone, Mercer, Raleigh and Wayne
counties, and that part of Virginia
now comprising the counties of
Buchanan, Bland, Pulaski, Giles,
Botetourt, Tazewell, Giles, and Rus
sell counties. General Swami add
ed to these enormous grants from
time to time until he became the
possessor of 100000 acres, more
than one-half of which lay in this
State,
just before the beginning of the
present century General Swami
sailed for Europe and took up his
abode in Paris. Here his associa-
tons as an officer of hfgh rank with
the French allies gave him the open
sesame to the best society of the
gay French capital. Everywhere he
was welcomed, even at the court by
royalty itself. He raised large sums
of money OH his vast landed estates
in this country, and while in Paris
he lived like prince. He secured
Il palace which was gorgeous in the
magnificeuce Of his furnishings. His
entertainments were the talk of the
time, so lavish was his hospitality
American Prince" as he was
known, lived a fast and furious life
during his sOjourn in France.
While in Paris he conceived the
gigantic scheme of colonizing wha
is now the entire southeastern por
ton of this State with French colon
lists, and to this end he interested
many notables, and the company or
gained included many French
noblemen, five princes and at leas
two crowned heads of Europe. Like
many other Utopian schemes thi
failed to materialize, owing to thu
unsettled condition of the French
the constant wars waged by the Ma
poleOnic Government and the conse
quent National vicissitudes. Whel
he found that French colonization
for his great wild domain was i'm
possible and that his hopes, lik,
bubbles, ha1 been dashed to pieces
he found himself deeply involved il
debt. The amount of his debts wa
enormous, at least s2,5OO,O0O.
His American estate was left, how
ever, and he sailed for this country
hoping to retrieve ais fortunes. This
he failed to do, and he was so har,
pressed financially that he was IN
able to pay the taxes on his lands
In 1888 the Virginia Legislature
again came to his rescue and by &C
restored to him the lands he ha,
forfeited through non-payment @
taxes. Finally General Swami close,
his eventfnl life in Philadelphia. II
left will III which he named his in
innate friend, John Peter Dumas,
Frenchman, to be trustee of his es
tate for the benefit of his Frencl
creditors. Dumas evidently wa
not an accomplished finaucier, 70
he held the place until 1874, whel
he died, leaving it $4,000 worse OF
than he found it. He had borrowe,
money and among others from J6
siah Randall, the noted lawyer AM
Henry Clay Wing, leader of Phi
adelphia, and father of Samuel
Randall. After the death ofDumas
Mr.. Randall was appointed trustee
in his stead by the Circuit Court O
Kanawha county.
No progress was made with tn