Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-12-16

Involved
 The noted land suits of H. c. King of Boston, in which hundreds Of people, hanlets, towns, timber companies, farm CTS and miners in Logan, Mingo, Me Dowell, and. in fact, nearly all of the southwestern part of West Virginia are concerned. have come up for trial in the United 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 tions have Baen born, lived their allot- ted time and died are in jeopardy The suit is fer fully l. .500. 600 acres of land, and originally was part of the Swann land grant for 4,500, o60 acres in Ken lucky, Virginia and West Virginia
 The Swaan grant was the cause Of q i suit of the most romantic character. ] General James Swann, who WAS RevO- lutienaTy hero, was granted the above 1 1, 800, O00 acres by the house of bur gesses of Virginia in June, l7g6. SWann i was 8 native Of Boston and Rrotege of l the old commonwealth of Virginia. He conceived the idea of building apa Gto- pia in the vast territory granted him and went 10 France to consult with his old friends in the French army. His i former comrades became entraneed with the scheme, and through them Swann was introduced at court, where he be- came acquainted with the royalty Of ! 7 to Swann's Utopia were kings, dukes, princes and lesser nobility almost with out number. The old documents and pG 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 ono time at tho head cf governments CT leaders of the fast and frivolous courts of Europe
 Unluckily for Swann, his appearance in France was at time when that country became identified with Eapo- leon, who had just returned from tho east and had established himself as first consul. In few months Paris was thrown into confusion. Money became scarce and the fnanciers demanded pay ment of credits. Swann, who had par ticipated too deeply in the follies of that court, found himself in debt over 1000, 000 francs. SwaBn's creditors de- manded payment in cash or mortgages on his American possessions. He refused to do either, and was cast into the neto- rions prisen 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 al liberty He had his wines from the south of France, his ctisine was supplied by the best cafes of Paris and his apartments were luxurious in the extreme.
 Swann 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 broken heart three years later. His lands were forfeited, but were reeonyeyed by Vir- ginia to the heirs
 Meanwhile settlers by the thousand located or purchased. towns grew up and generation after generation was l 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 Swann Utopia vas owned by settlers to the number of hundreds of thousands.
 Tho celebrated H. c. King suit which is of absorbing interest to thou sands. is for part Of these lands. Other suits for 90o.00 and 400, GOO acres of similar character depend upon the result of the present saits.-St. Louis Globe l Democrat