The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-12-26
veRMiLLloN PARISH IN LoUlsi-
ANA IS A PARADISE FOR FU
G,r,ves FROM JUSTICE.
THERE THEY SAFELY REMAIN
From Arrest BY ONieers, 81 They
Face Death From Snake Bites, In.
sect Sites, Fever. Allisators and
such Like.


lion parish probably affords the
safest haven in the United States
for fugitives from ju 'tice-thati 5,
for fugitives from iustice-that is.
take their lives in their hands
to escape the law.
Within the parish borders are
swamps where criminal may hide
for years without danger Of tetec-
tion or arrest. where an officer
may pass within u few feet of
the man he seeks and never know
OF his presence, or whore an Off
Ger may be shot down in cold
blood by the man he hunts. But
the fugitive must be willing to face
death by snake bites. by fever
through insect bites alligators or
in scores of other forms
Vcrmillion parish for the first
time In Its history has offered a
reward for the capture of one of
the criminals now hiding in the
swamps. II is announced that 500
will be paid for the arrest of Hen.
ry Cade. colored, who killed Alice
Boudois. also colCred Cade escap-
ed Immediately after them urder.
making for the swamps. and un-
less 500 looks better To some one
o. his negro frienls who take him
supplies than does his friendship
he never VIII be taken.
Cade is not alone in the swapms.
Sores Of criminals, both black
and white, haunt their danger in
tested depths. living a lfc as to
which years in the penitentiary
! would seem to many to be re-
lief. Hiding by day and skulking
by night to where food has been
left for them by some one who
fears or loves them they drag out
the most miserable of eXistences.
With them the fear is constant
that some day friend may turn
to the law.
Give II a start Of sixty minutes a
criminal who is at all familiar
with the swamps will be safe from
arrest. Small open spaces navigable
only by canoe or wading or float
ing on timbers. leads by circu.tous
routes to small marshy islands
where tangled weeds, swamp grass,
and cane grow in such proiusion
that one man may feel himself
lost from another and yet be with
in a few yards OF him.
Once there, the criminal is IA
ken care OF by his friends or
those who fear his vengeance.
One of these friends will start on
fishing expedition, but in the
/ basket he carries with him he has
al ample supply OF provisions for
the swamp criminal. lie wades far
into the swamp to one Of the
marshy ISLES aud there meets the
criminal or leaves the basket whore
Ii will be found. And SO the fugl-
tiyes live save in cases OF few
who had forethousht enough to
tahe with them a shotgun and fish
1 ing Inc. For these there is game
and fish in plenty but on bread
and other foodsJuffs there is none.
In the olden days the days o,
runaway slaves, the custom OF tax.
ing care Of tugitives originated.
At times scores Of negroes from d'f.
ferent Plantations dwelt in the
mazes of the swamp, often subsis'
Ing upon sugar cane, roots or any.
/ thing they could find and again
sOrgng themselves and lying for
hours ! ke a contentrd snake. when
food was brought to them
History other than that OF slave
days attaches to these swamps.
For when the war ended there
came to Vermillion parish scores
OF CRIMINALS, white and black. In
some manner they had learned OF
the safety to be- found Is the
| depths CT the morssses, and they
had need OF ii. After time these
grew bold and soon were running
on cattle from farms and planta-
tions. Many of the men in hiding
were under indictments elsewhere
for the crime of cattle stealing,
end SO because OF their previous
experience they worked with great
success here.
The cattlemen organized what
was known as the Cattlenens Pro
tective Association, took the law