the swamp man... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

animosity · 04-08-2004, 05:31 PM

A true outdoors man...

http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/...ester?top_news

Quote:

DEPTFORD TWP. -- The cops call him Swampy.

That's short for Swamp Man and he's sort of a legend here, a man police believe may have been living somewhere in the marshland around Big Timber Creek for 10 or 15 years.
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Mostly, they've spotted him at night. They figure he comes out at night to scavenge for food from restaurant dumpsters. One officer said he must be the ultimate survivalist to have made it through some of our recent winters in the woods.

The man they call Swampy was arrested Friday morning. Allegedly, he was throwing rocks and chasing a dog-walker with a 2-by-4 near Pet Smart in the Deptford Crossings shopping center off Clements Bridge Road.

Over the years, there have been brief contacts with the man whose name no one seems to know.

Eight years ago, police were investigating reports of moans or screams that sounded like someone in trouble.

"All of a sudden, we came upon this compound," said Capt. Daniel Murphy.

"Long before that, we knew about him existing back there. This time, we found his compound, but we couldn't find him," said Murphy.

"Then all of a sudden, there he was. He doesn't talk coherently, he mutters. He scared the heck out of us," Murphy recalled.

"He ran down into the water, and it was like Jesus Christ -- he seemed to be walking across the swamp," said Murphy.

"It was unbelievable," added Lt. Richard Harbison.

But not quite a miracle.

"It turned out, he had set up pylons, stuff like that in the water and only he knew where they were and, at low tide, he could get in and out of the swamp," Murphy said. "He had rafts and everything at one time. We could never catch up to him," Murphy added.

"One time, we finally netted him and got him over to (psychiatric evaluation) and he managed to get back out. Every time he got back out ... he ended up in that swamp," said Murphy.

"The guy wears 20 different layers of clothing. He sleeps during the day, he's nocturnal, he goes out at night," Murphy said.

"Maybe, as he gets older over the last 15 years, it's getting harder for him. ... He's been moving closer and closer to the areas where he eats," said Murphy.

"Now he's becoming a problem where he's right in an area where he's in contact with the public on almost a regular basis, as opposed to having contact with them maybe once every eight months," he said.

On Friday morning, Swampy allegedly started throwing rocks at a man who was walking a dog outside Pet Smart in Deptford Crossings. Then he started chasing the dog-walker with a piece of 2-by-4, according to police.

The victim ran inside Pet Smart and called police. Officers responding to the wooded area in front of Pet Smart and behind Chili's found the unidentified man lying atop a mound of trash where they believe he now lives. Police said he resisted arrest and put his hands down into one of the mounds of trash, prompting officers to draw their weapons.

Sgt. Dave Raso, K-9 Ptl. John Senick and his dog Bear, and Patrolmen John Petroski, Eric Kerby, Timothy Parks and William Bittner Jr. were involved in picking up the man Friday morning.

The area is a pile of trash bags at the bottom of a shallow gully in the woods, approximately 50 feet from the access roads in and out of Deptford Crossings and actually visible from the road. Police believe the man simply pulls trash over himself as protection from the elements.

He had kitchen knives and even a long, metal bolt tied with laces and dangling from his clothing, said police.

"He has a big beard and he's not well-groomed," Murphy said.

The rags he was wearing had to be cut off him, said police. They punched his fingerprints into the system, but still don't know who he is.

He was charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, then turned over to a crisis intervention unit at Underwood-Memorial Hospital, police said.

"He's a John Doe right now," said Murphy.

MaGlC_MaN · 04-08-2004, 07:49 PM

what a waste, he coulda went on survivor and won a lot of money, but nooo, he's gotta live in a swamp and chase people and get arrested. tsk tsk

SexyCat · 04-08-2004, 07:50 PM

wow that is kind of freaky when you think about it

Fremen · 04-08-2004, 08:22 PM

I want that mans' survival secrets, now!

Oh yeah, townspeople of Deptford Crossings, clean out your trashy gullies and you won't have problems like that.

mingusfingers · 04-08-2004, 10:30 PM

I wonder what he would have to talk about.

phredgreen · 04-09-2004, 03:11 AM

[nitpicking]

it's petsmart, not pet smart

[/nitpicking]

Redjake · 04-09-2004, 04:17 AM

"He ran down into the water, and it was like Jesus Christ -- he seemed to be walking across the swamp," said Murphy."

I laughed out loud at this.

marz · 04-09-2004, 07:11 AM

My wife works at a mental hospital, and there is a resident there who lived in a cave for 16 years. He was a vietnam vet.

moonstrucksoul · 04-09-2004, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SexyCat
wow that is kind of freaky when you think about it

what's freaky about it? it was his choice to live that way.

Fire · 04-11-2004, 08:16 PM

Kinda interesting- I think people like that are a bit scary, yet fascinating, because they exist so far outside what we consider the norm, completely on the "outside" as it were- I used to work downtown in my home town, and there were the requisite number of bums- but there was one particularly strange guy who sort of became a living legend, everyone called him captain kirk, though no one knew who hung the moniker on him (most assumed that it was cause he was a real space cadet) He seldom seemed "in touch " with the world around him- but could carry on long, informed conversations about a myriad of subjects when he was lucid - dozens of stories circulated about who he was and why he wandered the streets- but he never harmed a soul, and finaly died a few years ago- its one of those things, that society may need the outsider, the odd one, to define itself- of course, the swamp man is obviously getting to the point that he needs intervention, and they cannot just let him chase around random suburbanites- so, both neat and sad- I wonder if there is any kind of documentry- seem to remember something about the people who lived in the new york subway tunnels.......

water_boy1999 · 04-12-2004, 11:13 AM

I had met...or rather, honked my tcar horn at this homeless guy I saw on a daily basis when I was up in college. He would sit on a log next to the road, always wearing the same hooded overcoat, same hat, etc......

One day, I was reading how the media finally caught up to him. Some young reporter decided to do a story on the guy. Turns out, he was a Vietnam vet as well, lost both of his feet in a landmine accident, and for the past 15 or so years had been living the vagrant life I knew him to live.

Once the story got out, all these people came forward to give him assistance. He freaked out since no one ever gave a rat's ass before, so he picked up his few belongings and moved. It was really sad actually.

04-08-2004, 07:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
MaGlC_MaN Insane Location: Tennessee	what a waste, he coulda went on survivor and won a lot of money, but nooo, he's gotta live in a swamp and chase people and get arrested. tsk tsk __________________ Bye.

04-08-2004, 08:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
Fremen With a mustache, the cool factor would be too much Location: left side of my couch, East Texas	I want that mans' survival secrets, now! Oh yeah, townspeople of Deptford Crossings, clean out your trashy gullies and you won't have problems like that. __________________ Google

04-08-2004, 10:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
mingusfingers Psycho Location: uhhhh	I wonder what he would have to talk about. __________________ Still Looking

04-09-2004, 03:11 AM	#6 (permalink)
phredgreen who? Location: the phoenix metro	[nitpicking] it's petsmart, not pet smart [/nitpicking] __________________ My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. - Thomas Paine

04-09-2004, 04:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
Redjake I'm a family man - I run a family business. Location: Wilson, NC	"He ran down into the water, and it was like Jesus Christ -- he seemed to be walking across the swamp," said Murphy." I laughed out loud at this. __________________ Off the record, on the q.t., and very hush-hush.

04-08-2004, 07:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
SexyCat Meow Location: Michigan	wow that is kind of freaky when you think about it

04-09-2004, 07:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
marz Tilted	My wife works at a mental hospital, and there is a resident there who lived in a cave for 16 years. He was a vietnam vet.

04-11-2004, 08:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
Fire Warrior Smith Location: missouri	Kinda interesting- I think people like that are a bit scary, yet fascinating, because they exist so far outside what we consider the norm, completely on the "outside" as it were- I used to work downtown in my home town, and there were the requisite number of bums- but there was one particularly strange guy who sort of became a living legend, everyone called him captain kirk, though no one knew who hung the moniker on him (most assumed that it was cause he was a real space cadet) He seldom seemed "in touch " with the world around him- but could carry on long, informed conversations about a myriad of subjects when he was lucid - dozens of stories circulated about who he was and why he wandered the streets- but he never harmed a soul, and finaly died a few years ago- its one of those things, that society may need the outsider, the odd one, to define itself- of course, the swamp man is obviously getting to the point that he needs intervention, and they cannot just let him chase around random suburbanites- so, both neat and sad- I wonder if there is any kind of documentry- seem to remember something about the people who lived in the new york subway tunnels....... __________________ Thought the harder, Heart the bolder, Mood the more as our might lessens

04-12-2004, 11:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
water_boy1999 Fly em straight! Location: Above and Beyond	I had met...or rather, honked my tcar horn at this homeless guy I saw on a daily basis when I was up in college. He would sit on a log next to the road, always wearing the same hooded overcoat, same hat, etc...... One day, I was reading how the media finally caught up to him. Some young reporter decided to do a story on the guy. Turns out, he was a Vietnam vet as well, lost both of his feet in a landmine accident, and for the past 15 or so years had been living the vagrant life I knew him to live. Once the story got out, all these people came forward to give him assistance. He freaked out since no one ever gave a rat's ass before, so he picked up his few belongings and moved. It was really sad actually. __________________ Doh!!!! -Homer Simpson