Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-02-16
. WAYNE CO., w. Va, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY IS. 1910
A just Decision.

'hc uotHeS, happiness ana hnau.
cial existence cf many thousands
of families il assured.
Probably 500, 100000 was in.
volved In the suit which was de-
cided adversely to Henry G. King
III the supreme court of the Unit.
ed Stats at Washington recently.
Had King won this case aud the
tortaitu re clause of the West Vir-
ginia constitution beer declared
IN conflict with the federal con.
stitution. confusion in land titles
would have resulted IN every
county of West Virginia.
The case which was adiudicated d
In favor of the state, was the most
important ever brought against
the people OF the state. The
southern end of the state was
affected by the claim of King.
but had he wor the case in the
supreme cour. every county in the
state wonld have been affected
and thousands of acres purchased
under tax deeds wolld furnish
cause of endless litigation.
1t was way back In 1892 when
Que Robert Morris secured a
patent from the state of Virginia,
Tor tract OF approximately five
hundred thousand acres Of land
This tract was later sold to Gen.
Swami, of Revolutionary fame,
who afterwards went TO Frarcs
and died there In debtors
prison. Before his death, how.
ever, he decided this immense
tract of land, which at the time
was not considered to 10 of any
practical value, to one San. RAN
dali, of Philadelphia, who held
the title until his death. Mean
while, no taxes had been paid on
the land by any of the various
holders thereof, and the entire
tract was finally forfeited to the
state of Virginia, on account Of
the non-payment of che taxes. In
1882 creditors os General Swami
applied to the state of Virginia
for n new title to about 300, 600
acres lying in Kentucky and Vir-
ginia, and comprising part of the
original holding. Their claim
was based on the fact that Gen.
Swami had been of great assist
aLce to the colony of Virginia
during the war of the Revolution,
and that in consideration thereof
it was but just that his original
grant should be returned to his
heirs and creditors. This request
was granted as to the entire tract
except euch portions thereof that
had been preempted by settlers
and who were holding their titles
from the state. Notwithstanding
this generosity on the part Of the
commonwealth of Virginia, no
taxes were paid on the land from
1882 10 1884, at which time the
King suit was brought to recover
the land under the original title
Part of this land is located in
what = now Logan, Mingo, Boone,
wyoming and Mcdowell coun-
ties, West Virginia, aud ia rich
III coal deposits and timber. The
case was fought through various
tate courts, a decislon having
fnalIy been rendered by Judge
NJ ason, of Marion county, decree
ing that there was no basis for
the King claim TO 90 600 acres
OF the 100000 acre tract. The
suit then found its way into the
supreme court and that august
body unanimously upheld the de.
cision Of Judge Mason.
In describing The boundaries Of
the tract, the claimants contend
ed for the original az given by
distances and directions, and the
various defendants in the case
conteuded for the boundaries as
shown by the monument.