The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-09-03
How Ticklefoot Got its Name.


Many years ago | heard Of Tickle
foot, small postoficc situated in the
east corner of Grimes county. Ilav.
ing some timber land to look after out
near there visited the place. None
Of the resident farmers near the post
office, could give me any information
until met veteran of some 81 years
OF age, who had in early days lived
around that vicinity, and he related
to me the following story:
Many years ago there lived in the
vicinity of Ticklefoot man Of middle
age who came there stranger from
whence no one knew. He was very
non-communicative man about early
history. Being pleasant and agreea.
BILE in manner and speech, he soon
won the confidence Of his neighbors.
There were at the time he settled
there, several looking widows
who were in good circum stances.
The newcomer bought small piece
Of land and prepared to farm. Dur
ing the time he was fixing up his place
he commenced to pay marked atten-
tion to one of the widows and after o
short courtship, they were married.
For more than year their married
life appeared to be happy one as far
as the neighbors could zee. Shortly
after this period the wife was found
dead in bed. There was no sign of
violence and the neighbors and friends
who came to the funeral, supposed
that the wife had died Of heart dis
ease. After she was buried her nus
band administered on her separate
estate and acquired the property that
she owned before her marriage to him.
In the course of eighteen months he
married again. His second wife was
also widow with considerable prop
erty. After about sixteen months of
married life the second wife was found
dead in bed without any symptoms of
violence. The physician who p1ao-
tlced nearby, was called to make an
examination Of the corpse, and after
viewing the remains, gave it as his
opinion that the woman died VI heart
disease. Both the friends Of the man
and the dead woman, after the burial
es The second wife, became suspicious
and avoided mis- place. None OF the
neighbors called upon him for long
time; and when the time for mourning
had passed and the twice widower in
three years, attempted to pay court to
another widow, his attentions we're re-
ceived coldly. He was also Stunned
by the young ladies in the settlement.
Shortly after these experiences in
attempting to get third wife he dis
appeared from the settlement and re-
turned in about three months with
big, buxom woman, whom he claimed
as his wife. They did not live so
happily together as he and his pre-
vious wives had done, and stories
were frequently circulated in the set
Element that they had serious quar-.
rels. One Light about 12 O. clock the
third wife of the man awoke the near
est neighbor, who lived about mile
distant, end when admitted to the
houee, her hair was disheveled and
her garments torn, and she had wild,
scared look on her face.
After being quieted down and asked
to explain her unnatural appearance
and looks, she stated that her husband
had of late frequently attempted t."
tickle her to death, and last night had
almost succeeded. She further said
that she believed that his two pre-
yious wives had been tickled to death.
When asked to explain she told the
following:
Her husband was very devoted and
kind for year after their marriage,
but after that began t. grow GROSS and
would find fault With everything she
did around the house, and within the
last two weeks, after retiring, he would
commence to tickle her. He oontin-
ued this nearly every night until she
became SO nervous that she would
laugh il he would point his finger at
her, and that night she went to bed
before him, tired out, and was soon
asleep.
AboNt II o'clock she awoke and
found herself tied down in bed and