Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-09-05
OLD H1roHELL,s LAST vICT1na
The Dangers That Environ Een Who Msddle
with a swamp Angel

Ou6 OF the worst men IN the world.
so far as reputation goes. Is old Martin
Mitchell, who lives in the swamp Just
back of here, writes a Blacklist, Ark,
correspondent to The Mem York San. He
is a terror to the hard men for hundreds
of miles around, and yet personally he is
one of the most affable old fellows that
ever lived. Not one person in
thousand who tells with prOdIgiOus
adjectiVes and explosives of the
swamp angels terOcity ever saw
him. His Repatriation has grown by
/ degrees, until the old COlOred people
have come to look upon hum as in
partnership with Satan, and many a
black mother and nurse scarss her lit
tie ones by telling them that dat ole
debbiI what swums arOun' in de nash
es IS arter ye!'
Now, the fact is that old man Mitch
ell, according to his own story and the
common judgment of his fellOW-men
in this vicinity, is a harmless and law
abiding citizen. He has q hut of some
kind in the swamp, where he makes
his headquarters, but when the wealth
er is good he is just as likely to camp
twenty or thirty miles away, wherever
nightfall may find him, as he is TO be
at home. He is a hunter and Usher,
and it is probably true that if NOBODY
had ever bothered him he would not
have hurt anybody. He has been in
the swamp for thirty years or more,
killing man now and then, as Oc-
CasiOn seemed to warrant, and making
no fuss about il. Heretofore, when
these difficulties have occurred, the
old man has not thought it worth
while 10 come ia and explain matters,
or even pay much attention to his vic
tins. Ii no one claimed them he has
buried them in the bullrushes and
gone on about his business. The other
day, however, he found that he had TO
kill three men in bunch, and as this
was something unusual, he came to
Blacklist TO apologize, and eventually
went over to Memphis and cOmmuni-
Gated with the sheriff there on the
point. This was the first real glimpse
Of civilization that the swamp ANGEL
has had IN many years, and be enjoyed
it much.
Two men named Cummings and
BrysOu, living at Memphis. came over
into the swamps short time ago fish
ing and hunting, and knowing old
Mitchell ouly by rRputa ton they fred
several shots at him, one of them in
fiIcting Il painful wound. The old
man lay low for a while. then arming
himself be got a canoe and made pur-
suit. he found Chu trail u difficult one,
but being thoruug hly acquainted with
every nook II the great river, he knew
that unless they took to land he would
eventually OVsrtake them. He follow
ed them seven Y-iVe miles down
stream aud then lJst the..1. He waited
there three or four days without find
ing a trace of them, but at length he
was informed tLat they had gone
north, and he started after them. Dur
ing all this long chase he passed al
most his entire time in his dugOut. and
only went ashore as he found it
necessary in order to lay in prOvis-
ions.
At length he found them, near his
own swamp. He had gone ashore in
the brush in order TO cook little cot
fee, and, hearing voices, peered out
on the river. There was a boat, with
Cummings, Bryscn, and an unknown
man in it. SEEKING his rifles, the old
man made for a tree and opened fire,
the men in the boat standing up and
returning it with great spirit. At
Mitchells second shot Cummings
dropped and fell into the river. He
next brought down BrYsOn. who also
fell out of the boat. Tie stranger
was then left standing alone. with a
revolver in eacu hand, with which he
was making the bark on the old mans
tree flv. Mitchell took careful aim
and fired, aud the stranger dropped in
the boat, which was drifting slowly
down stream. Satisfying himself that
the Job had been Weil-done, the old
man got into. his canoe and came up
to his hut, where he rested a day or
two, and then, with the idea of telling
how it happened. he came to town
and reported.
In conversation Mitchell is very
agreeable. He said to the sheriff here: |
'sThis here last little difficulty of mine
was on "A bigger scale than anything
that I've ever been in before, and
that's what troubled me a little. You
see, know a white mans rights eV-
cry time, and I wouldn't bother you at
all with this matter only / wanted the
thing all straight. If it amt all
straight just put your clamps on me.
IL it is / want to be getting back to
business. I've had shooting before,
but only one at Il time. and everyone
Of them was Of some cuss who want
ed to murder me. m a harmless
man, and yet / never shoot without
hitting something. It's been my luck
always TO be- OF the defensive. Every
man that I've been compelled to kill
has come st me wrong, and / wouldn't
harm anybody &c every body would let
ms alone. The reason that I've never
been in before les because you were
busy, and / knew there want any
case against me. If this last thing IS
all right I'll get back 10 the swamp"
AS no cOmDlaint has been lied, the
swamp angel is evidently to be left un-
disturbed by the authorizes. With a
little better understanding between
him and the fellows that prOwi around
his headquarters and take him for a
wild man there might be less blood
shed.