The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-29
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PUBLISHED
EVERY THURSDAY AT
NEWBERRY, S. C.
THE WORLDS STRONGEST MAN.
tremendous Feats of Muscular Power-A
German Athlete Who Surpasses all
the Stories Of History.
New York SUM-

ined1cal fraternity ana by all VINO Sa"
Mr.. Wilson in his wonderful perform
anee that no other man on the face of
the earth possessed such strength. But
the Evening Suns freak hunter has
been prowling about town for fort
night, seeking a parallel for Wilson and
yesterday found him. The new mans
name is Charles II. Sampson. He is
38years OF age, Of medium build and
height, not man who would be picked
out as giant in strength, but quiet,
ordinary looking person.
Mr.. Wilson broke great trunk straps
one at a time. Nj. Sampson brakes
three of the same straps at once. Mr..
Wilson broke nine steel wire cables of
Z eight strands each, with the power of
his chest Mr.. Sampson broke in the
presence of the reporter 125 thicknesses
es thesa,ne steel wire cable, or, in all,
600 strands. Hewent still further and
broke a steel trace chain such as are in
use on truck harness, fastening it about
bis chest, and bursting its links like so
much glass. The same chain, link. by
link, he deliberately pulls in two with
his hands. Gas pipe an inch in di-
smeter he bends into elbows by strik-
ing the length of pipe across his left
arm. he has successfully pulled in tug
ofwar against twelve strong men.
The reporter obtained an interview
with Mr.. Sampson in his private room
In an uptown residence yesterday after
aoon. The name of the man is at once
looked upon as an assumed one, for the
very reason that it fits his profession so
well. Nevertheless his true name is
Sampson.
Charles q. Sampson was born on the
lethof April, 1859, in Baden, Germany,
and is therefore, 80 years of age. He
came to America only a short time
since, after having travelled all over
Europe exhibiting his strength.
Selecting piece of steel chain about
three feet long, Mr.. Sampson forced
open one of the links and formed ring
ofthe chain just large enough to fit
over the beeeps muscle of the arm. A
second chain was formed in the same
manner and carefully fitted. When
the arm was allowed to hang loosely at
the side three chains We're found to fit
snugly about the beceps. Then Mr..
Simpsons fingers began to twitch and
close spasmodically, the muscles and
tendons of his arm slowly swelled and
increased in size, his forearm was care
fully carried upward and as the elbow
crooked, the strain upon the chains be-
came tremendous. The erm was fur
her bent, when there was sharp
snap, a piece of each chain flew to the
ceiling and the chains dropped to the
floor, broken squarely in two. There
was no sfaken about it. Itwas genu-
ssine feat in strength which no other
man, SO far as is known, has ever ac-
scomplished. The chain is made from
steel, three-sixteenths of an inch thick,
and formed IN double links an inch and
"a half long. The tensile strength is
estimated at about 1000 pounds. Mr..
& Sampson says it does not otinconvenience
him in the least to break them, and he
apparently does it with as much ease
as If bending his arm with nothing on
itat all.
s. Taking up a roll of the small steel
wire cable previously referred to Mr..
sempson made belt Of it, containing
l25 lengths OF the cable, which he
wrapped around his chest. IT don't
propose to break this cable by expan-
sion, you will notice, however, that the
muscles in my back and sides are Won
derfully developed. By swelling them
up [ accomplish the same result, Mr..
Wilson does with his wonderful lungs"
a quick twist of his body, a sudden
5 swelling OF all the muscles of his chest.
back and shoulders, a strain on the
cable and it parted with a metallic
snap, in less than three seconds from
the time he began. Next he bent the
gas pipe as before described.
Have you ever tried wrestling?n
asked the reporter. -
sOh, yes; and here are some testilno-
mails from high authority to show that
no man eyer yet threw me, unless by. a
trick. 1 do not claim to be catch-as-
you can wrestler but if any man can
put me on My back fairly by main
strength, I would like to see him do it.
In st. Petersburg I had q large ring
made from inch-iroa. The ring was S
feet in diameter. Istood in the mid
Gle oft and fourteen strong men had
hoid OF the ring. They tried to push
z me or move me out of certain limit
marked on the floor, but could not.
II can and will stand the combined
strength of any eight men you have in
this city, not barring Sullivan, Mitchell
or any one else"
In 1878 Mr.. Sampson started on a
tour of the continent and was seen bv
many royal patrons of manly sport.
He has received ffty-one decorations
and medals for his prowess, fory-eight
OF which are from royal donors. Some
-ot them are magnificent specimens of
line handiwork on gold. Among the
names Of the donors are found the en-
grarea autographs of King William of
Prussia, Emperor of the German En-
pire; Francis Joseph, Emperor Of Aus
trla; Alexander, Dear Of Russia, pre-
sented June lS, 1873. This last is a su-
pero decoration in the form Of a crown