The Osceola times., 1879-02-08

munication 20 Depa,y Sheriff Ham
nett, of Cross County, Sheriff
Haskins offered HIM fifty dollars
and expenses to put Mitchell in the
Jail OF this county. He { Haskin-)
had made preparations to start Tor
Mitchell the very day the news
came OF the tragedy. Tie follow
,ng from the Wulrburg Chronicle
are the particulars oi the terrible
tragedy:
awe get the following informa
liun from Mr.. J. Z. Hammett, one
ot the parties that "as presrn'
aud participated in the affair. The
three brothers, john, Woody and
J. p. IIammcit, lett here on the
steamer Annie for the sunk Lands,
Tor the purpos 0i capturing IL des
pcrado by the name OF Michel, n
reward bcIng otfe ed tor his arrest.
Mitchell was trapping IN partner
ship with IL man hy the name o'
B..ker. IN the Sunk Lands. AT the
time the Hammc,ls went up they
were campcd on Bayou I.edfork.
about l5 miles above the mouth oi
he lake. Whcnth ilammrtt broth
ers got 10 the camp, Baker and
Mitchell were absent, having gone
up to the steamer Triplett that was
living some three ~ tolr miles
above. When the steamer Annie
arrived at the Triplctl, some one
on board informed Baker and
NJ chell that the lltmmclls were at
their camp Tor The purpose ot pur-
chasing their furs. Baker remark
cd that ho k:cw the uan'nctt.,
and knew they were not wanting
furs-tacy were after something
else, but they started immediately
for their camp.
On arriving near the camp Mitch.
ell secrctcd himself while BaKcr
c,,ntlnurt. On his arrival he iound
the nanmclts still in waiting; they
old Baker their business was to
purchase some thrs. After some
litile conversation, Baker stepped
ont and fired his gun; he remark
cd to them that he dih so as a siy
nal tor his companion to como IN.
Alter waiting some time for him.
Baser then said he would go and
hunt for him. The Hammett broth
crs told him they would also 90
they all got into n skiff and start
ed, it being the intention of the
brothers to get ont at some conve
nicnt place and wait the approach
of Mitchell. They had gone some
thing hear half u mile when they
came to II mound where they landed
In the mean time Baker hal II sus
picion of The mature ot their business
aud told them il they were after
Mitchell they would havc them bc,l,
to kill. As soon ~ the skin mad
landed, John and ]. p. IIammrt,
stepped on shore, whilc ~. the op
posile was Mitchell lying concealed.
As soon n he snw them be ra used
up, gun in hand. AMI said, Il sup
pose, by God. am the man you
are lookin for AT the same tine
firing at them.
lie had two doube.larrelcj sapi
guns. The first fire. Que bail ,.r,.
r,r,tcd the body OF John Iiam,nc,,
= rking him in the right side, li,
ball ranging downward passed en
tirely through, coming out jus,
above the lcf, hip. The second
/ fire, one smnll shot struck him ~
the forehead. Mitchell then took
mp his other gun and cmplied both
barrels a, j. p. Iammct,, hut With.
out effect. In the meantime Ba.
kcr had drawn his pistol and was
III the act Of firing at John Hammett
nga,n, when John Hanmctt drew
n revolver aud sent three bullets
through Bakers head, killing h,m
almost instantly. Baker fell in
the skif, face downward. While
thi. WAS going on, J p. !Iammc;t
had drawn n revolver and fired two
shots at Mitchell, the first missing
its mark, but the second taking ef.
feet, and Mitchell fell backward in
the water. As the parties saw
nothing more OF him, they sup
posed he sunk. After the firing
was over Woodie aud j. p. Ham
melt threw the remains of Baker
in the water, arranged their wound
cd brother as comfortable as pos
sihle and started for this place, but
the wounded man was doomcd-he
only lived about seven hours from
the time he was shot. The brothers
arrived here about II o'clock Wed.
nesday night with his remains
Since the above was published,
the Wit,sburg Chrenirif. as well as
the Joncsboro Tms publishes state.
mcnts contradiciing the killing OF
Mitchell. The Chronicle says:
mitchell. one OF the parliripa nis
in the late Sunk Land tragedy, and
who was supposed to have been
killed, is now reported alive and
uniujurcd."
The Joncsboro Times says:
"Milchell escaped by running
his boat 10 land, jumping out anc
taking to the bushes"