FRANKLIN COUNTY OHIO BIOS; SWAN,Franklin 
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Franklin Co. Oh Biographies
 Judge Swan was oe on the earliest practitioners in Franklin County,
commencing as early as 1812 or '13. Possessing a strong and well-balanced
mind- he seldom suffered himself to be drawn into the social gatherings for
carousal, or into the violent colision with his fellow beings.There are one
or two instances, however which we recollect-which proves when excitement
gained the ascendancy over his reason,-it was no half-way affair. In 1818 -
the Editor of the Ohio Monitor made some remarks about the Judge, which
overcame his forebearance-meeting the editor at the door of Dr. Goodales
store -( now occupied by Kilbourn, Kuhns & Co.)without wasting time with
words- he seized by his collar, dragged him to a large mud-puddle in the
street and soused him in with one hand, and with the other applied mud and
water to the editors face. When Mr. Swan had throughly saturated his
opponent with the contents of the mud puddle- he raised him to his feet and
without doing him any other injury- he walked away....In 1820 at the winding
up of Court, in Delaware , the usual parting ceremonies of song &c took
place, by the members of the Bar and others. The morning after in passing
along the street, we heard several persons expressing great exultation at
having being induced Mr Swan to joined them, and as the cup went around ,
enlivened by the song and anecote,-Swan had become wild with excitement,-had
thrown off all restraint- and at midnights hour burst forth into the street,
shouting and running. We never heard of Mr. Swan's being drawn into an
occurance of the kind afterwards, and presume it was the last time, he ever
suffered his reason to overcome. An individual, indulging frequently in such
scenes of excitement,-may live very fast,-but all my observation teaches he
cannot live very long...Of all the attorneys who were engaged in business in
Columbus and Franklintonup to 1819 the Hon. Gustavus Swan is the only one
within our recollections- and he is undoubtly indebted to his temperate and
regular habits, for life and his present robust and healthy appearance at
the age of probably sixty-five years.....Columbus City Directory 1852.