The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-21
HER HOME IN A SWAMP
QUEER LIFE OF A STRANGE MIS-.
SISSIPPl WOMAN
Cruel Treatment Of Refined Daughter
Who Went to Visit Her-HeId a
Prisoner in a Howell With Her Step
father-RebelIed at the Indienity
and Squalid Surroundings.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
JACKSON, Miss, Sept. 18.-One of
the prettiest little dramas ever played
in this state has just been presented at
Yazoo City. Those who filed the title
roles were J. H. Compton, a wealthy
citizen of Boston, and Miss Mamie Gill
bert, his niece by marriage, poor but
well educated and refined young lady
Of Holmes county, this state. The
scene was first on a catfish boat, on
the Yazoo and Sunffower rivers, and
next in the courthouse at YaZoo City,
where Judge Robert Powell of Jackson
was called upon to preside over ha-
beas corpus proceedings instituted by
the mother and stepfather of the young
lady to recover possession from the
uncle. Judge Powell decided that the
mother should not have the custody or
the girl and that she should be per-
mitted to return to Boston with her
uncle, where she will enjoy the priv
ileges to which she is entitled by birth
and education.
The story leading up to the habeas
corpus is interesting. showing, as it
does, how even a mother may forfeit
her rights to the custody of a child
and to what degradation woman may
sink when tied to a worthless hus-
band. The style of the case was Mrs.
Virginia Sykes VS.. J. III. Compton, and
both were represented by able attor-
.Aeys.
Miss Mamie Gilbert, a. pretty girl of
II summers, was given when II years
of age to her uncle, Mr.. Compton, by
her mother, who was then the Widow
Gilbert. The understanding was that
Mr.. Compton, whose wife is a sister of
Mrs. Sykes Cor Gilbert) was to have
the raising of the child and that he
was to give her a good education. This
he has done we'll and faithfully.
Several months ago Mrs. Gilbert
married one r. M. Sykes, a fellow
whose business is that of fisherman
and hunter in the swamps of the great
Yazoo Mississippi delta, and he and
his wife have been living in little boats
and shacks and tents, pitching their
tent wherever the fishing and hunt
ing appeared to be good. Mr.. Sykes
poses also as a preacher or eXhorter
and wears his hair and beard like unto
the style that was set by the ancient
patriarchs in the days Of Abraham.
Prior to Mrs. Gilbert's marriage to
Sykes she was well respected woman
and through the kindness and the lib
crafty Of her uncle the girl was on
several occasions permitted to visit her
mother.
Several weeks ago she came again,
leaving the train at Tchula, Holmes
county, near which little town she had
heard her mother was living with her
new husband. After a great deal of
trouble she located her "home," which
proved to be little shack in the mid
die of the great swamp. No sooner
had the young lady seen the surround
lngs and become acquainted with the
facts as to her mothers squalid man
ner Of life than she was ready to re-
turn to Boston, and so stated. The
mother and stepmother put their feet
down on the proposition, however, and
told her she had to stay with them.
The spirited girl rebelled, but it was Of
no use. She was watched like a hawk
and kept a prisoner in the shanty.
There was but one bed-an excuse of
q bed-on the place, and the girl was
forced, she alleges, to sleep in that
with her mother and stepfather for
three consecutive nights. That arous-
ed her indignation to such an extent
that she flew into a rage and defied
the pair. She was told, she says, that
she would remain quiet or they would
tie her out in the cane as they did their
cow and pony.
Released by Court.
She managed to communicate with