National Republican., 1876-10-30
WADE HAMPTONs FINANCIAL IN.
TRIGUES

/
WADE HAMPTONs FINANCIAL IN
TRIGUEs.
| A Specimen of the Transactions Of ChivaIric
southron-Maids. Wives and Widows Mourn
Because Of His Villainy, and Refuse to be
Comforted-A Moral and Financial Bankrupt
Endeavoring to Gain Access to the South
Carolina Treasury-Mr. Portmus, Gentle
man, of England, Among the Mourners.
Wade Hampton occupies very exalted place
| in the estimation of chivalric () southrons.
| Whether money is to be raised to complete
monument to the illustrious General Lee or
| to support Confederate orphans homes there
is no one who has precedence to Hampton, and
no enc more promptly responds to such invita-
tons. The average South Carolina Democrat
swears by Hampton as the Georgian does "by
Bob Toombs," or the Musseiman s'by the
beard of the prophet" True, they know that
Hampton systematically entered into various
schemes of plunder after the war; that he
robbed widows and distressed orphans; but,
forgetting all else save his inordinate dis
loyalty, they simply worship him. s'He is our
natural leader" they exclaim, "and will yet
deliver us from the reverses of the war"
Prior to the war Hampton gambled and owned
race horses. His house was the resort of the
gay and festive Csrolinians, and as long as the
Bank of the State was accessible to his raven
GUS grasp he wore fine linen and purple, and
Jared sumptuously. When the war came he
relied upon the generosity of Geo. A. Tren-
holm, a Carolinian from the humble walks of
life, who regarded it a rare honor to supply
the chivalric Hampton with as much cash as
he wanted. But there is an end to all things,
and an end was finally put to Hampton's gay
way Of living at the expense of others.
The following are rough but strictly aecu-
rate copies of the schedules of the case in
bankruptcy of this notorious individual, who
now, under the thin guise of "reform," !" is en-
desvoring to again obtain access to the de-
pleted exchequer of the Palmetto State. The
data was taken from the records of the Dis
trict Court of Mississippi, and forwarded to
the NATIONAL REPUBLIcAN by prominent
gentleman of that State. 1t will be seen that
Hampton was overwhelmingly in debt long
prior to the war; that In Trenholm's case he
went in deeper during the war, and after the
war he, knowing himself to be insolVent, went
in deeper still. During the early part of the
year in which he went into bankruptcy he pur-
chased mules of j. T. Coates, of St. Louis, for
81, $50, and paid him with bankruptcy notif-
cation, this gentleman, like all other unse-
cured creditors, not realizing cent. This little
transaction may take rank with the scarcely
more notorious "forty acres and mule" The
second creditors Jared but little better than the
first. The schedules stated the value Of secu- /
rites at enormous rates, while the debts are
stated at the principal only, many of them
being saddled by enormous accumulations of
interest. Miss Mary Linton, for example, is
put down as a secured creditor for So, 900,
borrowed money, interest not stated, but she
was a second mortgage, and the lands mort
gagged did not sell for enough to pay one fourth
of the first mortgage. He only valued Wild
wood at $4,000, (see B, l - and yet the first
mortgage was for $4,000. Maid, wife and
widow, according TO his schedule, are all rep
resented in the list Of lamenting creditors. N.
B. Portmus, gentleman, Of England, joins with
P. B. Tyler, of Massachusetts,, in lamenting
their fate as victims of misplaced confidence;
while Daniel Pratt, of Alabama, wishes he had
his eight or ten of 'tPratt's cotton gins" at
home instead of holding Hampton's worthless
notes for them. He failed to even pay for the
gins which prepared his cotton crops for mar
ket, and the men who sold the bacon which
fed his hands mourn and refuse to be com
forted because they have not realized one dol
lar on account. Such is the man who asks the
people of South Carolina to place the guber-
natorial robes upon his shoulders. Many large
sums are given in his schedules as "un-
known" and many debts not even mentioned
were proved against him, and many others
would have been included had 1t not been gen.
orally known that not a cent would be real
lied. What a splendid financial manager this
modern Turgot would make
As for the assets, bear In mind that he don't
appear to have ever been much of q taxpayer
in South Carolina. He cannot honestly be
much of one now. He is supposed to have
given up everything he owned in South Caro-
lima, and out of It he had no real estate in re-
version, remainder or expecting, (see schedule
B, A. He valued his personal property low,
so he could have It exempted to him. The en-
tire exemption claimed was allowed him. He
got It all, even his rife and his carbine, under
the preposterous claim of his being militia
man. His gold watch he kept, even If poor
creditors starved. The assignee was wondrous
clever to him, even II he did not look carefully
after the interest of the creditors. Who was
hel He was General 8. W. Ferguson, of
Washington county, Mississippi, who was
short time ago in his old home (South Caro-
lfns) championing the claims of his bankrupt
friend for Governor. A sweet pair-one to
hold and the other to skin. This assignee
made his report of exemptions allowed by him
in the exact words, figures and values of the
schedule of exemption claimed by Hampton.
1t was allowed by the court, under the rule
that If it was unchallenged after sixty days
from filing 1t should stand. But there was
still little property left which might acci-
dentally go to the benefit of creditors If they
were not careful. But they were Ncareful.
These articles were undoubtedly bought in for
him. The whole affair is sopeculiarly high-toned
and chivalric that doubtless all will appreciate
1t, except honest, debt paying people. Not one
cent of dividend was ever declared. When
costs of assignee and court costs were paid
the matter stood all debts and no assets. Be-
low will-be found Hampton's schedules from
the minutes of the United States District
Court of Mississippi. The Indebtedness of
THE oHIvALRIo HAMPTON,
as filed in the United States Court:
loaned ........................ $4,000
Miss Mary Linton, second mortgage. $1,000
James Robb contracted in ls67.... 5000
National Bank, New Orleans. 10000
Mrs. Wade Hampton, marriage SETTLE
ment, tvaluelessl. 10000
O., (sec1rity vaIueiessj ................ = 10000
E. NJ. Apperson ......................... 6,6ss
Q. .. Hampton and John S. Preston.... $1,000
]. NJ. Seixons and others............... 125,353
W. II. Oonnor. ......................... 5000
keli. -. ........................ 1900