The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-08-14
Tales of the Hamptons.

OSASW 40 iOpEONuCcu ou oTtiCl0 tudt
recently appeared in the New Orleans
Times Democrat about the distiu.
guished South Carolina family, the
Hamptons; the incident as to young
Haskell is said to be absolutely true;
as for the rest the story makes good
reading:
A few days ago at Georgetown, S.
c., party Of men were sitting around
q dinner table of the one hotel in the
place. AS usual under such circum-
stances, there Was variety of men
and conversation. One man from the
west-an expression which represents
particular type, but no particular
location-had been very free in his
opinion regarding the people Of the
south. The opinions were not CON.
plimentary.
"They talk dang sight about re-
sentin' things, and courage and all
that, but l amt seen any of it yet,
and dang if don't believe there's a
lot of blow among en-"
There were two or three northern
men in the crowd, and the rest were
native southerners. They treated the
westerner, tall, burly creature, with
great tolerance, probably by using a
little agreeable persuasion to the ac-
count of his ignorance abroad; but
several noticed dangerous light
gathering in the eyes ofa young fell
low who had not said much. He w.s
himself fully six feet, broad -shoul-
dered, well-knit figure. low voice,
and face as handsome as an Apollo 8.
He was sitting across the table from
the westerner. His whole figure
breathed strength and gentleness. He
did not interrupt the burly talker.
"Yes," the man from the Aeecy
plains went on, "this talk of the
bravery Of the south is all tomyrot
Now, there's Gen. Wade Hampton -
and here an abusive epithet followed.
But no sooner had the name passed
his lips than the young man with the
Apollo face leaped clear across the
table and caught tie westerner by the
throat. He pounded aud beat and
cudgeled him until the others tried to
interfere.
"No," said the Apollo, ''leave him
to me; I won't kill him, I'll just finish
him."
And he did. When he had pounded
him to his satisfaction, and to the
satisfaction Of the crowd, he gathered
up the writhing figure and quietly
threw him out of the window.
The man with the soft voice and
Apollo face was Frank Hampton Has
kell, grandson of Gen. Wade Hampton
and son Of Col. John G. Haskell, of
Columbia. 8. G. He has inherited
the bravery and chivalry Of his South
Carolina blood and the splendid phys.
ical strength of the Hamptons, and
this same prOwess seems to belong to
the name Frank Hampton. Gen.
Hampton had an uncle and ab-o:hel
noted for their great strength, whose
mantle seems to have fallen on the
present young hero.
1 have often heard Gen. Hampton
tell the following story Of his uncle:
s'My UNCLE" nc said, "was noted
for his powerful strength. Once ne
was at country tavern whom q big
country fellow insulted him. Ha said
nothing, but stepped to the fireplace
picked up an old fashioned iron poker,
put it around the mans neck and
twisted it 80 that it was impossible to
remove it. The. man begged like a
dog.
"On another occasion, at a dinner
in Charleston, gentleman remarked
that no man could knock down another
man the same size.
"'Oh, yes,' my uncle said, Il can.
! A large negro man, an attendant OF
one of the gentlemen, was present
He was great favoritc in Charleston
and was noted for his strength. He
heard my uncle remark and said:
"'Oh, no, Mas Frank, you cyant
knock me down"
"'Let him try, let him try, Argylcr
"My uncle resisted for time, bu.
at last stood up, extended his arm
and let it fall on top of the negro s
head. The man instantly fell, to the
astonishment of the crowd, and then,
to their horror, he was found 20 be
dead. None were more astonished
than my nncle. He had moi used
half his strength, he said"
There are several stories of Gen.
Hampton own Wonderful strenpth