Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-02
HOW TICKLEFooT GOT ITS NAME.

Indianapolis Journal.
HOW TICKLEFOOT GOT ITS NAME.
The Queer Origin of the Designa-
tion Of a Texas Postoffice.
Many years ago heard Of Ticklefoot,
small postoff1ce situated in the east
corner Of Grimes county. Having some
timber land to look after out near there
visited the place. None Of the resi-
dent farmers near the postof1ce, could
give me any information until I met
veteran of some "a years Of age, who
had in early days lived around that vi
cinity, and he related to me the follow
ing story:
Many years ago there lived in the vi
cinity of Ticklefoot a man of middle
age who came there stranger from
whence no one knew. He was very
on-communicative man about his ear
ly 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, seve-
raj good-looking widows who were in
good circumstances.
The newcomer bought a small piece
of land and prepared to farm. During
the time he was fixing up his place he
commenced to pay marked attention to
one of the widows and after short
courtship, they were married. For
more than a year their married life ap-
peared to be happy one as far as the
neighbors could see. 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 disease. After she was
buried her husband 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 a 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 practiced
nearby, was called to make an exami-
nation Of the corpse. and after viewing
the remains, gave it as his opinion that
the woman died of heart disease. Both
the friends of the man and the dead
woman, after the burial Of the second
wife, became suspicious and avoided
his place. None Of the neighbors call
ed upon him for a long time; and when
the time for mourning had passed and
the twice widower in three years, at
tempted to pay court to another widow,
his attentions were received coldly. He
was also Stunned by the young ladies
in the settlement.
Shortly after these experiences in at
tempting to get third wife he disap-
peared from the settlement and return
ed in about three months with a big,
buxom woman, whom he claimed as his
wife. They did not live so happily to-
gether as he and his previous wives had
done, and stories were frequently cir
culated in the settlement that they had
serious quarrels. One night about II
o'clock the third wife Of the man,
awoke the nearest neighbor, who lived
about a mile distant, and when admit
ted to the house, her hair was dishev-
eled and her garments torn, and she
had wild, scared look on her face.
After being quieted down and aGked
to explain her unnatural appearance
and looks, she stated that her husband
had of late frequently attempted to
tickle her to death, and last night had
almost succeeded. She further said
that she believed that his two previous
wives had been tickled to death. When
asked to explain she told the following:
Her husband was very devoted and
kind for a year after their marriage,
but after that began to grow cross 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 continued
this nearly every night until she be-
came so nervous that she would laugh
if he would point his finger at her, and
that night she went to bed before him,
tired out. and was soon asleep.
About II o'clock she awoke and found
herself tied down in bed and her bus
band sitting at the foot of the bed tick
ling the bottom Of her feet. She at
tempted to rise and could not, and i'm
plored him to leave her, but he contin-
ued his hellish wofk till she could stand
it no longer. With almost superhuman
effort she broke the bonds with which
she was tied and rushed out of the
house.
The next morning the whole settle
ment was aroused and went to the
house to find it deserted. The man had
fled. Although search parties were sent
out in every direction, he was never