Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1895-12-06
THE SWAMI UTOPIA.
CURIOUS HISTORY OF A DISPUTE
OVER MILLIONS or ACRES.

now General Swami Went to Europe to
Further His scheme-HIs imprisonment.
A whole Town and Thousands Of Farms
Involved.
The noted land suits of H. O. King
Of Boston, in which hundreds Of people,
hamlets, towns, timber companies, farm
ers and miners in Logan, Mingo, Nc
Dowell, and, in fact, nearly all Of the
southwestern part of West Virginia are
concerned, have come mp for trial in the
United States court before Judge J. J.
jackson. There are fully 90 attorneys
engaged. The entire town Of William
son, in Mingo county, is at stake, and
thousands OF farms ON which genera
tions have been born, lived their allOt-
ted time and died are in jeopardy. The
suit is for fully 800, 600 acres Of land,
aud originally was part Of the Swami
land grant for 4,500,00 acres in Ken
tueky, Virginia and West Virginia.
The Swami grant was the cause Of q
suit of the most romantic character.
General james Swami, who WIS a Revo-
lutionary hero, was granted the above
4,500, 900 acres by the house of bur
gesses Of Virginia in June, 1899. Swami
was native of Boston and a protege Of
the old commonwealth Of Virginia. He
conceived the idea of building upa Uto-
pia in the vast territory granted him
and went to France to consult with his
old friends in the French army. His
former comrades became entranced with
the scheme, and through them Swami
was introduced at court, where he be-
came acquainted with the royalty Of
Europe. Among those who contributed
to Swann's Utopia were kings, dukes,
princes and lesser nobility almost with
out number. The old documents and pa
pers in the archives of the court, yellow
with age, are written in French and
bear the signatures of men and women
who were at one time at the head of
governments or leaders of the fast and
frivolous courts of Europe.
Unluckily for Swami, his appearance
in France was at time when that
country became identified with Napo-
leon, who had just returned from the
east and had established himself as
first consul. In few months Paris was
thrown into confusion. Money became
scarce and the financiers demanded pay
ment of credits. Swami, who had par
tioipated too deeply in the follies Of
that court, found himself in debt over
| 1000, 900 francs. Swann's creditors de-
manded payment in cash or mortgages
ON his American possessions He refused
to do either, and was cast into the noto-
rious prison Pelagie, where, under the
then prevailing French law, he was,
with the exception of deprivation of
freedom, supported in the manner in
which he had lived while at liberty. He
had his wines from the south of France,
his cuisine was supplied by the best
cafes Of Paris and his apartments were
luxurious in the extreme.
Swami remained a prisoner for ten
years, and was released during the noted
"three days." when the prisons were
torn down or the doors thrown open. He
was released only to die Of broken
heart three years later. His lands were
forfeited, but were reconveyed by Vir-
ginia to the heirs.
Meanwhile settlers by the thousand
located or purchased, towns grew up
and generation after generation was
born, lived and died on the lands,
which they had purchased in good faith
at delinquent or other sales, until all
the country covered by the great Swami
Utopia was owned by settlers to the
number of hundreds Of thousands.
Tho celebrated H. O. King suit,
which is Of absorbing interest to thou.
sands, is for part of these lands. Other
suits for S00,0 and 400, 900 acres Of
similar character depend upon the result
of the present uits.-St. Louis Globe.
Democrat.