Semi=weekly graphic., 1895-12-07
THE SWAMI UTOPIA.
CURIOUS HISTORY OF A DISPUTE
OVER MILLIONS OF ACRES.

how General swami Went to Europe to
Further Ills schome-His imprisonment.
whole Town and Thousands of Farms
Involved.
The noted land suits of H. 9 King
of Boston. in which hundreds Of people,
hanlets. towns. timber companies, farm
ers and miners in Logan, Miugo, nc
navell. and. in fact. nearly all of the
southwestern part Of West Virginia are
concerned. have come up for trial in the
Tinted States court before Judge J. J.
jackson. There are fully 20 attorneys
engaged. The entire town of William
son. IN Mingo county, is at stake and
thousands Of farms on which genera
mons have been born, lived their ailot-
ted time and died are i'll jeopardy Tho
snit Is for fully / 900, 600 acres OF land,
and originally was part OF the Swami
land grant for 4,500,00 acres IN Ken
tuclxy. Virginia and West Virginia.
The Swami grant was the cause OF
snit of the most romantic character.
General James Swami, who was Reyo-
1utionary hero, was granted the above
q. 1000. 600 acres by the house OF bur
eesses of Virginia in June, 1896. Swami
was native of Boston and protege OF
the old commonwealth of Virginia. He
conceived the idea of building upa Tito
pia in the vast territory granted HIM
and went to France to consult with his
old friends in tho French army. His
former comrades became entranced with
the scheme, and through them Swami
was introduced at court, where ne bo-
came acquainted with the royalty of
Europe. Among those who contributed
to Swann's Utopia we're kings, dukes,
princes and lesser nobility almost with
out number. The old documents and pa
nars in tho archives of the court, yellow
with age, ma written ia 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.
~Unluekily for Swami, his appearance
in France was at time when that
country became identified with Napo-
leon, who had just returned from the
east aud had established himself as
first consul In q few months Paris was
thrown into confusion Money became
scarce and the finanoiers demanded pay
ment of credits Swami, who had par
ticipated too deeply in the follies Of
that court, found himself in debt over
1000, eco francs. Swami S creditors de-
manded payment in cash or mortgages
ON his American possessions. He refused
TO do either and was cast into the motto
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
Injurious 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 We're reconYeyed 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
st 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 a. G, King suit,
which is of absorbing interest to thou
sands, is for part of these lands. Other
suits for 500, 900 and 400, 600 acres of
similar character depend upon the result
of the present suits. St Louis Globe
Democrat.