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

[Hobbes]

It was a pretty interesting story...



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."

That was no 'Church of God' my friend.

 

[Crosstimbers Okie]

I would be very careful about doing business with these types. There are all kinds of traps you can fall into, either theirs or the feds.

 

[cktad]

I heard about them when I lived in Eureka Springs/Berryville, Arkansas in the early/mid 1990's. They supposedly had a compound somewhere in that area at one time but the feds took them down. That area of Arkansas has a lot of bad groups. KKK in Harrison/Mt. Home area and the Hells Angles used to own the motel/cycle shop that was between Eureka Springs and Berryville. It was rare to see minorities in that area when I lived there during the 1990's.
When I lived in Fort Smith I used to deer hunt on property near Elohim City. First time I went up to find the hunting lease I got lost and pulled into the Elohim City compound to ask for directions and didn't know what it was. Here I was, wearing a Army sweatshirt (big ARMY across the chest) with base stickers on my truck knocking on a trailer door. I wondered why no one showed their face and lucky I didn't get shot.

 

[sesh]

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.

I had no idea that Schweitzer served time in this region, I thought he was in Colorado. I also had no idea that the Freemen were of the same caliber as these radical racial groups. Thinking back, I think I remember hearing something about their racial views but at the time it was mostly about them being government and tax protestors. I grew up in eastern Montana and actually worked cattle brandings up in that area. I never knew anything about the group until all of the sudden there was a standoff with them. We were actually up in the area branding while the standoff was happening. There were a lot of protestors that came out of the woodwork for that one.

 

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Leroy is in Florence, CO now. I knew him in Leavenworth 8 years ago. I knew Landers in El Reno about 10 years ago. It looks like Landers has finished his sentence.

 

[cjjtulsa]

I also had no idea that the Freemen were of the same caliber as these radical racial groups.

I had never heard of the Freemen having any racial group ties either.