The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord

[ewheeley]

I've heard about this group before, but not in depth until recently. I went fishing the other day with a former deputy sheriff who was involved in some of the big raids several years back, and has also dealt with them unknowingly in a business transaction. Real interesting stories about them, anyone else know much?

 

[dennishoddy]

Link?

 

[Crosstimbers Okie]

They are a gang of thugs who had a military compound on Bull Shoals Lake in NW Arkansas back in the '80s. One of their members, David Tate, murdered a Missouri Highway Patrolman back in the '80s.

I've known a number of these dirtbags in prison over the years-- Bruce Pierce of The Order. Yori Kahl of the Posse Comitatus (Gordon Kahl's son). Scott Stedeford of the Aryan Republican Army. Leroy Schweitzer & Russell Dean Landers of the Montana Freeman. And a small army of wannabes and lesser knowns.

Minus the political and racial elements of their crimes they are like any other criminals. Only they nourish their hatred more, and continue their respective wars on the government(s) of their choice while incarcerated.

 

[CamaroMan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Covenant,_The_Sword,_and_the_Arm_of_the_Lord

Just what I read on wiki. Some crazy stuff. I've heard of Elohim City but this is the first I've heard of these guys.

One of the members killed a pawn shop owner he thought was a Jew back in 84 as well as an Arkansas trooper. He was put to death the day of the OKC bombing. His remains were given to Elohim City which I find very odd. Richard Snells last words were. "Governor Tucker, look over your shoulder; justice is coming. I wouldn't trade places with you or any of your cronies. Hell has victories. I am at peace." I think he knew his death wouldn't be the only big news that day.

 

[JB Books]

Wow. That is a name I haven't heard in a long time. They are White Supremacists/Separatists. The Feds hammered them pretty hard, but if I remember correctly they beat some of the Federal charges at trial. I think one of them was executed, and the rest served long sentences and are either in Oklahoma or Arkansas. Like The Order, which was a group in the same time period, their claim to fame was that they used crimes to finance their philosophies. However, the SLA and some left wing groups in the early 70's. pioneered that concept.

How in the world did they come up in conversation?

 

[JB Books]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Covenant,_The_Sword,_and_the_Arm_of_the_Lord

Just what I read on wiki. Some crazy stuff. I've heard of Elohim City but this is the first I've heard of these guys.

Yep, that article confirmed what I remembered. Did you notice they were in trouble for having Krugerrands? Back in the day, having Krugerrands would land your butt in trouble. I suspect that was the least of their problems.

 

[Cedar Creek]

My 'six degrees of separation' connection to the group was buying a .32-20 rifle from the pawn shop owner in 1978.

Cedar Creek

 

[Crosstimbers Okie]

but if I remember correctly they beat some of the Federal charges at trial.

Yes. They, members of The Order, along with Dan Gayman of the Church of Israel in Schell City, Missouri were indicted by a federal grand jury in Ft. Smith for sedition back in the '80s. The government failed to prove it's case if I remember correctly.

 

[ewheeley]

Wow. That is a name I haven't heard in a long time. They are White Supremacists/Separatists. The Feds hammered them pretty hard, but if I remember correctly they beat some of the Federal charges at trial. I think one of them was executed, and the rest served long sentences and are either in Oklahoma or Arkansas. Like The Order, which was a group in the same time period, their claim to fame was that they used crimes to finance their philosophies. However, the SLA and some left wing groups in the early 70's. pioneered that concept.

How in the world did they come up in conversation?

It was a pretty interesting story...

The guy I was fishing with is a well known contractor in Northwest Arkansas. A couple years ago, the current district judge (at that time Rogers city judge) asked him a favor. The judge collects old British cars. Somehow, he got in contact with some guys up on the state line that had an old British project car for sale. At the time of the judge asking Pat, my friend, to go along and pull the trailer, that was all the Pat knew about it. A while into the drive though, the judge was acting pretty uncomfortable, so Pat finally got him to talk. He said that the guys selling the car wouldn't accept Federal Reserve notes, they'd only barter for silver bars. They were some kind of survivalists or something. When then showed up at the prearranged meeting point, 6 guys came out of the bushes and surrounded them. I guess to check them out, make sure they weren't law enforcement. Only then did a guy should up with the car. Anyway, they tried to make casual conversation with the guys, and I don't know where but at some point their hatred for lawyers and judges came into the conversation. They didn't know who the judge was, it was just coincidence, but it sure made him sweat.

Apparently, things went "smoothly" regardless of the pressure, but what Pat loved is that one of the guys bartered him a .410 shotgun for the 3 old tires and toilet seat in the back of his truck.

A while back, I was with a friend up in Washburn, Missouri, doing some backroading. Somewhere along the way, we got turned about a bit and came up on a high fence compound with a sign that said "Church of God: Keep Out."

Another totally unrelated story, but one that says a lot about southwest Missouri... Again in Washburn, we saw a skinhead, covered in swastika tattoos, getting into a Dodge Durango with "Every Knee Shall Bow" on the back. Strange part was that his kids and wife looked totally normal.

 

[Neanderthal]

It was a pretty interesting story...

The guy I was fishing with is a well known contractor in Northwest Arkansas. A couple years ago, the current district judge (at that time Rogers city judge) asked him a favor. The judge collects old British cars. Somehow, he got in contact with some guys up on the state line that had an old British project car for sale. At the time of the judge asking Pat, my friend, to go along and pull the trailer, that was all the Pat knew about it. A while into the drive though, the judge was acting pretty uncomfortable, so Pat finally got him to talk. He said that the guys selling the car wouldn't accept Federal Reserve notes, they'd only barter for silver bars. They were some kind of survivalists or something. When then showed up at the prearranged meeting point, 6 guys came out of the bushes and surrounded them. I guess to check them out, make sure they weren't law enforcement. Only then did a guy should up with the car. Anyway, they tried to make casual conversation with the guys, and I don't know where but at some point their hatred for lawyers and judges came into the conversation. They didn't know who the judge was, it was just coincidence, but it sure made him sweat.

A very similar thing happened to me (with boat though) near Lake Crest, in Mayes Co. Oklahoma. I know of two such "survivalist" compounds in Mayes Co, one near Hudson Lake, the other on Ft. Gibson Lake.