The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-01-23
NO. %.
A GREAT CASE.
Five Hundred Thousand Acres of West
Virginia Land In Controversy and
the Romance Of General
Swann's Life.
IMPRISONED TEN We AIRS.

week. 1t was motion for the appoint
ment of new trustee in the celebrated
case of Dumas agt. Due dc Monseignon ct
al, Tocontre agt Randall ct al. and RAN
dali agt. Drcsslcr ct al. The new trustee
is John r. Reed, United States District
Attorney of the western district OF Penn
sylvania. He is authorized to sell all the
interest. legal and equitable, in 100000
acres of land in West Virginia, formerly
belonging to General James Swami.
The romantic story Of General Swami
rs brought out through the old French
letters, manuscripts and documents found
among the old court archives and used in
evidence, reads more like page out of
fable than n practical experience of act
ual life. When the war Of the Revolu-
ton began it found James Swami, the
hero of the story, Il merchant at Boston,
Mass. SWAIN was Young, patriotic and
volatile. He enlisted in the American
army among the first, and by his brave
actions in the field, his ability rs a SOL
der and his untiinching patriotism he at
tractcd the attention OF Washington and
Lafayette. BY them he was raised to the
command of company, and still later on
was given commission rs Colonel, and
the end of the war found him with II Ma
j0r-Gcncral's commission. After the war
the country became impoverished and suf-
tcrcd from the great expenses it had in-
Cured in its conflict with Great Britain.
Swann's patriotism caused him to give
his whole fortune to his country to assist
in relieving it from its poverty, and he
himself in the course OF few years be-
came poor and needy. Virginia, whose
adopted son General Swami was, learned
of the sad condition of her favoritc, and
on June 3, 1875, the House Of Burgesscs
granted him great scope of land in what
is now kentucky, West Virginia and
southwest Virginia. This great tract con-
sisted of something like $500 900 acres of
territory, covering many miles Of hills
and valleys, mountains and plains, inter-
spcrsed with hundreds of creeks, rivers
and streams. The country then was in
it's primitive condition, the woods filed
with game, the creeks and other strcams
alive with fish of NIL kinds.
Gen. Swami, after acquaintins himself
with the wealth and beauty of his vast
possessions, became cnamored Of the idea
of forming n Utopia in the wilderness.
French allied army, and determined to 60
to Paris and lay his plans before them.
He had scarcely conceived his grand
scheme before he began to put it into op-
Grafton. He soon embarked for France,
arriving at Paris after q long voyage and
travel Swami was received with open
arms bv his old French comrades, who in
PRODUCED him Mt court. Entranccd with
the cxtrayagances of the French court,
Swami entered into its designations and
spent many weeks in its enjoyment. he
found no difficulty in inducing many OF
the leading mobiles, but unfortunately it
was about this time when Napoleon en-
tered Paris from the East as first consul, and
his unconqucrablc ambition threw Paris
and France into confusion
Money matters became stringent, and
Swami, having spent all he had received
and borrowed, amounting, it is said. to
1000, 900 francs, became hard pushed by
his creditors 1t was impossible to raise
money anywhere. and the creditors de-
mandcd either money or mortgages On the
American possessions. Rcsolutely, however
Swami refused the latter. Finally ne was
arrested and put in prison. where, in ac-
cord with the then prevailing law Of
France. his creditors kept him. His quar-
tiers were magniticcntly upholstered and
bcauticd. and his cuisine was furnished
as required by law, from the best rcstau-
rants in the city In fact, he lived as he
lived before his incarceration, like prince
of the realm. He had everything but
liberty. His mistress wcll-known court
beauty Of the day. visited him every day.
| For ten wears Swami was confined iii
ST. PclcSe. He was liberated during the
historical 'tlrrce days when all Of the
prison doors of Paris were thrown open.
When he got upon the streets he made in
ouiry for first one an then another of his
old friends and acQuaintances, but could
not find one. Every one OF them had
either been killed or banishcd, and not a
man remained to lend him sympathy or
help. Broken hearted Swami wandered
the streets of Paris for several days. falling
dead, it is said, with broken heart
When SWANS death became known i'll
| Virginia the Legislature appointed John
Peters Dumas, of Philadelphia, trustee for
the French heirs. Monsieur Dumas died
in 1883, leaving the estate over $eO0,0OO
in debt. During Dumas life the French
heirs employed James Randall, father OF
Samuel j. Randall, Of Philadelphia, Pa,
as their attorney The estate had mean
while been forfeited to the State. OF Vir-
ginia for non-paymcnt OF taxes. but the
old State, through her love for the mem
ory of their favoritc, rcconreycd 1t. The
French creditors then pctitioncd for the
appointment Of Josiah Randall as trustee
and he was appointed in 1855. MIR. Ran
dali died about the time OF the close OF
the late war and everything was in con-
fusion. The estate during the war was
the field of many battles and was con-
stantly ovcrrun by one army or another.
After the war an army of squattcrs settled
upon it, causing the trustees to bring
MANY suits of ejcctmcnt. This dangerous
work cost many lives, it is said, as many
officers sent out TO eject the squattcrs
never returned.
In 1866 Robert Randall, brother OF
Samuel j. Randall, was appointed trustee.
: He borrowed large sums OF money TO as
cumber the estate, but owing to the TACT
that he himself was confirmed Invalid,
very little was done. Suits were now be-
GUN against the estate by the heirs and
creditors to the amount Of nearly S2,0OO,
600. The Court appointed E. L. Bntterick
in 1866 to ascertain the condition OF the
) estate and to report the amount OF terri
e tory covered by claims of squatters. the
amount forfeited, for non -payment OF tax
es, and the amount Of land free from any
embarrassment. The trustee was given
. power to borrow money sufficient to dis
: charge all liens and taxes and settle with
$ squatters, and to arrange the whole es-
n tate with a view Of its final disposition