St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-09-30
HONEY ISLAND.

HONEY ISLAND.
This notorious harbor o: refuge
is situated partly in southwest Mis-
sissippi and southeast Louisiana.
The channels and chutes Of the
Pearl river forms its boundaries,
and the interior is . succession OF
forests, swamps, canebrakes, bayoua
and palmetto slashes. There are
no roads or bridges. and II requires
IN old resident to follow up the
blind trails and deer paths which
are TIE only means Of inter-commu-
nicat,oo, and these are broker
1t short distanoes BY deep
beyoas, pools and inlets. Fish and
game are abundant, and . rihle,
Bowie knife and axe renders the
refugee . competency. The popa.
lation b confined altogether to refu-
gees from justice and their de-
scendants, who are about - dan
gerous as their progenitors. Once
. murderer, horse thief or train
robber gets into Honey Island he ID
safe even from pursuit, and the
States attorney for the parish o.
county in which the crime Is com
mitsed might - well enter . ''nolle
prose-" On his record, for there 10
10 hope o. ever catching the out
law.
Some Of the older refugees, whose
crimes have been forgotten, have
built cabins, made small cleaIings
o. high grounds, and raised come
corn, potatoes and vegetables, but
these little cleariags are always In
The ce0ter Of some cane brake, the
covered path though which no sher-
in's olllcer could ever find his way.
For nearly . century Honey Is
land has been subjected to no lawful
authority, and the only organized
to clean it out was . failure.
During the war its population was
augmented BY many deserters, and
the Confederates made Intellectual
raids but lost some Of their men
and captured none.
Access to the outside world h
however easy enough, and whenever
, refugee gets tired Of his surround-
|ngs and pines for better society, q
kills one Of bic fellow outlaws and
has to leave In . hurry, he can get
10 Texas either BY land or water.
He win find no olicer on gaurd
either 1t the mouth Of Pearl river
d on the shore boundaries Of The
delectable island.
In ancient times there were cities
u refuge, and the criminal who could
lay hands on the horns OF the alter
was Temporarily safe, but In our
lays Honey Island is - secure
! refuge. and it were well that IL
II who escaped into that section
would only stay there, to let them
lone, and not worry them with
INV fears Of arrest. In Q few years
II the rascals in the country would
" in, and the honest population
Of Honey Island Baton
Rouge Truth.
From the above it would appear
hat Honey Island 10 populated en-
irely BY outlaws and the worst
las q criminals. We know that
1uch = not TIE case. Many Of the
esidenb q Honey Island are law
hiding, good and useful citizens
nd ta1-paysss. They have their |
Axms, live stock, comfortable /
|omest seoceo, cav mile, schools, |
e., md are in . prosperous oondi-
lon. Thsss may be . few criminals |
'iding there in the swamps, but the |
ntire population should not be
judged by them, although such was
'erhaps The case years ago. We
ope come Of the enterprising resi-.
|ents win write % . truthful &C
cunt a Honey Island Is It b TO-
ay-at least that portion Of it that
located In St. Tsmmany parish.
Tho WnahinQton oOFreon0ndAnk