Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-08-10
THE sWAMPs OF ARKANSAS.
The Desperadoes who Lived and
Ruled There for Years.

Only few years back before the railroads
penetrated the swanps orsOuthern Arkansas
10 disturb them, says letter to the 81 LOUIS
cute democrat, desperadoes from all points
sought refuge in the depths OF these, the
most gloomy and inaccessible swsmps OF this
country, and IL was only few years ago that
the most notorious OF this band OF exiles
criminal first came here, aud whose deeds OF
desperate daring were chronicled the world
over in the IA pers OF the land. This was Tom
Mitchell, sho started life as farmer Toy,
aud who, Ivy one bad decd 10 another, sooE
found himself ostriciscd from the haunts OF
man. His frat trouble was when q mere boy
Of IL. when In q drunken brawl lie attempt.
ed To XIII q companion. he wss arrested and
tried, bat through some legal technically,
escaped the punishment OF the law
At that time, as it is now. the law OF the
state was TO coDfscate all small arms found
on prisoners This was done In hitchelPs
case, q pistol be priced highly being taken
nom him by the sheriff. This seemed TO
arouse all the latent ferceness OF tho Young
man, and he determined 10 recover bis re-
voiyer at the coet OF his life IL Necessary.
Going 70 his home he armed himself heavily
aud returned 10 the jail. lie called the
sheriff out
"Sherifi, I've come for ny gun, and IN
just give you Ave minutes 70 get II liver"
The officer, seeing that trouble would epsue
II he did not comply, returned the weapon.
MAttsra however, did not rest here. The
friends and relatives OF the man whom Nit
cheli had attempted 10 kill fen bitter toward
him, and used every means 70 draw him INTO
| Quarrels, which Mitchell WAS not slow 10
accept and the consequence was that al last
he was wsylaid by three OF h,s enemies about
dusk at a lonely part If country road
| Mitchell, all unconscious OF bis danger rode
! into the ambuscade laid for BIN A SHOT
whis,lsd past him With n bound he reached
large cypress tree. Another crack oil
rife and his lett arm fell powerless 10 bis side.
Mitchell caught glimpse OF one OF the at
| lacking party, at whom be fired three shots
rapidly. The last shot killed his man.
Another OF the men exposed himself, and
two shots laid him low. Then seeing the
other man stranger TO him he called out;
"Ssv pardner, II YOU will quit will"
'rll be id II do, was the reply
| With that he fred at Mitchell, who, step
| ping from his place OF conceslment, raised
| his rifle and shot his Antagonist through the
| heart Now IL was the boy OF l. became
desperate man. Knowing that be could no
| longer live al home he determln ned 10 retreat
! into the swamps. Posse after posse was dis
patched after him, tut they found II impossi-
| Die 20 capture him.
Mitchell was shortly Joined bv two men
who had been equally unsuccessful in restrain.
! ing their ungovernsble tempers These were
! Campbell and Cummins. They banded them
| selves together, and, retreating into the
depths Of the swamps surrounding the -.
| live between the st. Francis and the hissis'
sipp, rivers and for a number OF years they
kept their oath, styling themselves the
'swamp angels"
About one hundred yards from the derot
AT this place is their old fording place, and
upos a large white gum tree cross was eat
| by an axe TO designate the crossing The
| most hardy woodnen still refuse TO penetrate
into the depths OF these forests OF cypress,
and the dark, swampy ground Is seldom trod
by human feet. 1t is still the home OF The
bear and the panther, the wild tarkey and
deer.
Some wears have passed since the sVani
| angels were monarchs 81 the gloomy w-si'.
| Mitchell was at last captured and dlrI 100
| prison. Campbell, who VAS considered ine
| most gentlemanly OF the trio, is farming not
many miles from the marked tree, and UNI
! minis is laborer Both OF the survivors ara
now leading peaceable life, but rsrel' come
10 the settlements, and few who meet them
would think the, were once the famous
''swamp angels" who were the terror O. lie
settlers OF southern Ark,nsa