Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-11-28

cash, and faithful to his sentiInenta
ambition, emphatically refused t,
mortgage his American possessions
He was arrested and imprisoned /,
st. Pelage, a noted prison Of tha
period.
Under the constitution of Franc
at that time, the creditor was com
PEELED to support his debtor prisone
IN the manner in which he had liveC
while at liberty, and Swami, though
a prisoner behind great stone walls
lived otherwise like prince. His
apartments were luxurious i'm al
their appointments and his menu
was such as could only be supplied
by the most noted chefs in all Paris
He had his wines from the south OF
France and all the delicacies a cul
tured taste demanded. He was
visited by his morganatic wife, who
was said to have been noted count.
ess, who saw him daily
For ten years Swami remained q
visitor at st. Pelage. He was re-
leased during the historical Three
Days, when the doors of the Bastile.
st. Pela9e and many other great
| b'A'''p "SlS tiiIo"tl ODBu.
Emerging iuto the light of day,
Swami walked the streets of Paris
three days and three nights, looking
In vain for a familiar face. All OF
his old-time friends had disappeared
they had been shot, guillotined, or
oanished and Swan found himself a
stranger in strange land. On the
evening of the third day, he, broken
hearted and utterly discouraged, fell
dead upon the street.
When the legislature OF Virginia
learned of Swann's death, that body
appointed John Peter Dumas, of
Philadelphia, trustee for the French
creditors, who were princes and DO
tentates Of great influence before
the entire of the Butcher of Eu-
rope"
Monsieur Dumas died in 1888 and
left the estate in debt $500, OOO.-
During Dumas's life the French
creditors employed Hon. Josiah Ran
dali, of Philadelphia, father of Hon.
Samuel Randall, as their attorney.-
Meanwhile the great estate had be-
come forfeited to the State for the
nonpayment of taxes, but In 1888
the Old Commonwealth, yet mind
ful of the patriotism and generosity
Of her protege, reconveyed it.
Learning of this fact the French
creditors petitioned the appointment
of Hon. Josiah Randall as trustee,
and his appointment was made in
1855. Mr.. Randall died about the
close of the war in 1865.
During Mr.. Randalls trusteeship
the State continuously engaged in
suits of ejectment against an army
Of sqatters, which had settled upon
the land. The work of ejectment
was a dangerous one, 80 much so
that number Of men who were
sent out to remove the squatters,
were shot down or disappeared.-I
During the civil war little or moth
ing could be done, as most of the
land was inside of the Confederate
line or In dispute between the con-
testants.
In 1886, Robt. +. Randall, brother
of Hon. Sam'l Randall, was ap.
pointed trustee by the U. s. Court.
Mr.. Randall borrowed large sums of
money to disentangle the estate, but
being an invalid, met with little sue
cess.
The amount due creditors, at that
time was estimated at fully 81, 1,5O0,-
900. In 1866 Randall was supplanted
by Mr.. Reed. Mr.. Butrick, of
Charleston was finally ordered by
the Court to ascertain the status and
condition of the estate, and to re-
port the amount Of territory COW
cred by squatters' claims, amount
forfeited for non-payment Of taxes,
and what of 1t was free from encum-
brance. He was given authority to
take any steps necessary to reclaim
the land Of the estate in West Va,
forfeited by reason of non payment
Of taxes, and to settle with the squat
ters with view of communicating
sales to syndicates and individuals.
The archives Of the courts of Vir-
ginia, Kentucky and West Virginia
contain piles of dusty tones, records
deeds, ETC., over a century old =
many of them requiring the employ
ment of French scholars to schedule
tabulate, translate and classify
The names of princes, dukes, and
other notables are to be found, to-
gether with those Of the descendants
or stockholders and heirs Of Swann's
American Utopia.
The series of suits now brought
before the Circuit and District u. s.
Courts, embrace scopes of territory
amounting to, in one case, the pres
ent one, 4O0, 900; others are Of $780,
600; 400. 900: 100. 600 and an on a
territory broader than many Of the
little Kingdoms or principalities of
Europe. Yet all Of them combined
formed but portion Of the great
landed estate upon which General
Swami had.proposed to form an ideal
Utopia.
Eminent counsel, such as Judge
Maynard Stiles, of Boston, Col. f.
l.. Buttrick, of Charleston, H. X.
Shumate, of Logan county, Judge
Twigg of Abingdon, Va, repre-
sented the plaintiff.
Among the counsel for the vari-
GUS defendants are Judge Jas. HI.
Ferguson, of Charleston, Hon. w.
r.. Chiffon, Of Charleston, Hon. John
A. Hutchinson of Parkersburp, III
T. VinsoD, Of Huntington, w. p
Hubbard, OF Wheeling, Messrs AL.
lison, Shepherd and others.
The battle is royal one and every
technicality is being fought to fin
ism.
Surveyors and their maps illus
trate the claims pro and con, bu,
not In official character. No official