Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-05
OLD MITCHELL'S LAST VICTIM.
The Dangers That Environ RHeE
who NEEDLE with a swamp
Angel.

One of the worst men in the world, so
far rs reputation goes, is old Martin
Mitchell, who lives in the swamp just
back of here, writes Blackfish, Ark
correspondent to the New York San. He
is a terror to the hard men for 800 miles
around, and vet personally he is one of
the most affable old fellows that ever
lived Not one person in Il thousand who
tells with prodigious adjectives and ex-
pletives of the ''swamp angels" ferocity
by degrees, until the ol> colored people
have come to look upon him as in part
nership with Satan, and many black
mother and nurse scares her little ones
by telling them that "dat ole debbil what
swums aroun' in de marshes is arter We.
Now, the fact is that old man Mitchell
according to his own story and the COM
mon judgment OF his fellow-men in this
vicinity, is harmless and law-abiding
citizen. He has hut of some kind in the
swamp, where he makes his headquar-
tiers, but when the weather 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 fisher, 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
occasion seemed to war; ant, and making
no fuss about it, Heretofore, when these
difficulties have occurred, the old man
has not thought it worth while to come
in and explain matters, or even pay much
attention to his victims. If no one claimed
them he has buried them in the bullrush-
es and gone on about his business. The
other day, however, he found that he had
to kill three men in a bunch, and as this
was something unusual, he came to
Blacklist to apologize, and eventually
went over to Memphis and communicated
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 he enjoyed it much.
Two men named Cummings and Bry-
son, living at Memphis, came over into
the swamps short time ago fishing and
hunting, and knowing old Mitchell only
by reputation they fired several shots at
him, one of them inficting a painful
wound. The old man lay low for while,
and then arming himself he got into
canoe and made pursuit. He found the
trail difficult one, but being thoroughly
acquainted with every nook in the great
river, he knew that unless thew took to
land he would eventually overtake them.
He followed them seventy-fve miles
down stream, and then lost them. He
waited three or four days without finding
trace of them, but at length he was in
formed that they had gone north, and he
started after them. During all this long
chase he passed almost his entire time in
his dugout, and only went ashore as he
found it necessary in order to lay in pro-
visions.
AT length he found them near his own
swamp. He had gone ashore in the brush
IN order to cook little coffee, and, hear
ing voices, peered out on the river. There
was boat with Cummings, Bryson, and
an unknown man in it. Selling his rifles
the Old man made for tree and opened
fire, the men in the boat standing up and
returning it with great spirit. At Mitch
ellis second shot Cummings dropped and
fell into the river He next brought
down Bryson, who also fell out OF the
boat. The stranger was then left stand
ing alone, with revolver in each hand
with which he was making the bark on
the old mans tree fly. Mitchell took
careful aim and fired, and the stranger
cropped IN the boat, which was drifting
slowly down stream. Satisfying himself
that the job had been well done, the old
man got into his canoe and came up to
MS nut, where he rested day or two.
and then, with the idea Of telling how it
happened, he came to town and reported.
In conversation Mitchell is very agree
able. He said to the sheriff: "This here
last little difficulty of mine was on a
Digger scale than anything that l have
ever been in before, and that's what
troubled me little. Yon see, know a
white mans rights every time, and |
wouldn't bother you at all with this mat
ter only wanted the thing all straight.
II 1t amt all straight just put your clamps
on me. II it is / want to be getting back
to business. I've had shootings before.
put only one at time, and everyone of
them was OF some cuss who wanted to
murder me. I'm harmless man. and
yet never shoot without hitting some
thlng. Its been my luck always to be on
the defensive. Every man that I've been
compelled to kill has come at me wrong.
and wouldn't harm anybody if they'd
let me alone. The reason that I've never
been IN before is because you were busy.
and knew there wasn't any case against
me, If this last thing is all right I'll GET
back to the swamp"
As no complaint has been filed. the !
swamp angel is evidently to be left nm |
disturbed by the authorities. With a
little better understanding between him
and the fellows that prowl around his
and take him for a wild !
man there MIGHT he loss hlnodshoA