The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1918-08-08
ODD CHARACTER.
VIM. Iedford. Of Hickman. q WaDderer
Pun Fifty Years.

lhe Courier Is indebted 10 DR. a \
Murphy 0f Paducah. FOR th, foflo,,.,,,.,
Interesting sketch Of the life of yvm
ledfori. born az Hickman. s,,.nr afrv
years in wandering and died ST tbs.
age of more than 20 years:
Most people some time DURING life
come in contact with abnoru,sn hume.
individuals who are om-sbots o- n.
generate scions u normal stool.
The writer chanced io know o,a or
I These ahuormaiities 81 society
This degenerate SON was wuii.,,.
I iedfDrd who was born OF humble. ,.,r-
entagc in or near Hickman. XIV IL
T was born mental imhecile and nevor
+ Possessed amy Intelligence above tb.t
eft i've year old child
Ills childhood was spent with nj.
parents bur when Dee reached e,,rlv
manhood he hcclme harmless y.
grant or tramp making the rounds of
I his neighhorhood and county.
As he grew older be- gradually en-.
/ largcd his territory until il embraced
81 circuir covering q part Of Kentuckv
I Missouri Louisiana. Arkansas. Al
7 hama. Georgia Mississippi and Ten
l Yc--ee. Sometimes 60 would ttke Tim
from g to 8 years 90 complete his cir
/ cult which always ended az Hickman
l from whence Dee started
/ once when he arriNed az Hickman
some twelve months late. some one
said to him. Hello Bml I heard thar
you were dead Whereupon Tedford
replied in ali innoccnce Yes. heard
that too. hui ] knew IL was lie a.
soon as ] heard it,
He always carried pack which
contained AN his worldly goods. VIZ
an old quilt or blanket tin cup. cot
fce pot. am AK. and. perhaps Few
other articles Of ike character
/ Physically De was sfnlwart and
/ healthy but was never known 10 do
a days work iu all his life.
The pack mentioned above. he ssme-
times carried on his back az other
times Dee trundled 10 in wheelbarrow
or puSh-cart or strapped ia Go the back
OF q donkey given him by some one.
/ Tie knew mo- law either moral or
statutory and like the Ninevites he
| knew not his right hand from his left
1 He was always al home when be-
was oar of doors with his HAT ON or
or when night overlook him he
struck camp by the roadside. unless
there Glanced 20 be vacant hous,. Of
some sort convenient such as a county
school house. church. barn or wood
shed
II the weather was cold he often
drove hogs from their warm bed Of
/ leaves and occupied 10 himself. He
could mobilize and have his camp fire
burning brightly in FIVE minutes.
He was born Socialist and thought
he was entitled % anything that his
neighhor possessed. His idea Of prop
erty right was primitive indeed once
in the exercise OF such communistic
ideas. be appropriated another mans
horse % his own use and rode the poor
animal almost 20 death before the
owner apprehended him and recov-
William on one occasion. by the owner
Of the horse. left its indelible imprint
upon his back. If not his mind. for
the rest Of his life.
He lived strictly up 10 the Bible in
Junction 10 let the morrow provide
for the things Of itself. Bin was never
poor when he did not lack With
full stomach and his pack upon his
back he felt himself quite orulei T.
When his rations ran out he called ~
the nearest house IN his way AMI a Il
ed for more. Everybody. ~ and
young. on his circuit knew him 10y
face and name and generally treated
him kindly. Although this poor wan
derer was harmless. yet nurses often
coeree'l their charges into good heIaiv-
Tor by threatening q have Bin Ted
ford to do some dreadful thing 10
them.
Even in his old age he was but
gray and bearded child. a harmless
old infant
The last time the writer ever saw
Din 1edIofu ne was perhaps 40 years
old and had been on the -traiI- fully
fifty years Of his life. His once erect
and stalwart body was now bending
under the weight that time had laid
upon him He had lost his hair and
beard and even his eye brows and
lnshes were gone also. Tho vicissitudes
Of time. weather and seasons were
now fast putting on their finishing
touches Of life. His feet and legs
we're swollen and fun Of chronic ulcers
and IL was plain 10 be seen that his
days on earth were already numbered
and were of short count
He had no rival as a wanderer save
Sinbad OF Arabian knights fame He
once lost his way In Negro Vo.,