Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-15
SWANS UTOPIA IN DISPUTE.
Romantic Antecedents to Suit In
yoIving Millions of Acres.

Romantic Antecedents to Suit In
voIvIng Millions of Acres.
From the St. Louis GlO5e-Democrat
The noted land suits of H. c. King OF bos-
ton, Mass, In which hundreds OF people,
hamlets, towns, timber companies, farmers
and miners In Logan, Mingo, Mcdowell, and
In fact. nearly all of the southwestern part
of West Virginia, are concerned, have come
I'D for trial in the United States court De-
fore Judge j. ]. Jackson.
There are fully twenty attorneys engaged.
The entire town Of Williamson. In Mingo
county is at stake, and thousands or farms
on which generations have been born, nVed
their allotted time and died, are in jeopardy
The suit is for fully 100000 acres OF land
and originally was part OF the Swami iano
grant for 100000 acres In Kentucky. VIZ
kinia and West Virginia. The Swami grant
was the cause of a suit Of the most romantic
character. General James Swami VINO was
O revolutionary hero, was granted the ABOVE
A,bOU.OOO acres by the house of burgesses OF
Virginia In June, 1885. Swami was native
of Boston, and protege of the old COM
monwealth of Virginia. He conceived the
idea of building up Utopia In the vast ter
tttory 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 became
acquainted with the royalty or Europe
Among those who contributed to Swann's
Utopia were kings, dukes, princes and lesser
nobility almost without number. The old
documents and papers In the archives of the
tourt, yellow with age, are written In
French, and bear the signatures of men and
women who were at one tine at the heads Of
governments or leaders Of the fast and friv-
olous courts Of Europe.
Unluckily for Swami, his appearance in
France was at a time when that country
became identified with Napoleon, who had
Just returned from the east. and had estab-
1ished himself as first consul. In few
months Paris was thrown into confusion
Money became scarce and the fnanciers de-
handed payment of credits Swami. who
had participated too deeply in the follies of
that court, found himself In debt over 1000
600 francs. Swann's creditors demanded
payment in cash or mortgages on his Ameri-
can possessions. He refused to do either,
and was cast into the notorious prison.
Pelage, 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 lib
erty. He had his wines from the south of
France, his cuisine was supplied by the best
cafes of Paris, his apartments were lux
urious In the extreme.
Swami remained 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 a broken heart three years
later. His lands were forfeited. but were
reconveyed by Virginia to the heirs.
Meanwhile settlers by the thousand located
or purchased, towns grew up, 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. The celebrated
II. c. King suit, which Is of absorbing in
terest to thousands, Is for part of these
lands. Other suits for 100000 and 100000
acres of similar character, depend upon the
result OF the present suit