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02/05/2009 Entry: "2/6/2009: Part 2, letter from Charles A. Smith to Joe Roark, May 12, 1988"

Part 2, letter from Charles A. Smith to Joe Roark, May 12, 1988

You say there are some strange people in this world. Brother, you don't know the half of it. I have come across stuff I had to work with in law enforcement that I would never tell to anyone for the simple reason it wouldn't be believed. Here is a MILD sample, I had a kid once charged with a sexual offence. This offence consisted of picking up some queer at the local bus station-- a favorite cruising spot for gays-- going home with him, whipping the shit out of him, tying him up to the foot of his bed, then getting into the bed and going to sleep in it all night, leaving the queer tied up all night. For this he got fifty bucks. You don't believe me?

Bob Hasse begged Hoffie time and time again for a raise. He found it impossible to keep his family on what Hoffie was paying him. He finally quit in disgust. Others, especially those in menial or blue collar positions were paid a pittance. Like thirty five a week for loading weights. Result, a lot of cheating took place and two were fired.

I know from personal experience, at a meet in New York City, a VERY famous employee of Hoffie had brought a pair of 100 pound dumbbells with him to NYC for some bloke I knew. He handed a check to this very famous employee, but the famous etc said, to forget about the check, give me cash, got the cash and in it went into his bill fold. This sort of stuff went on all the time.

No, I haven't forgotten I wrote an article about Koenig. But he was a tad and more over 17 when I wrote it. I had long left the Bronx Union Y and was with the Wanking Wonder.

If I am not mistaken, MacFadden helped get H&S going in 1890 [Roark note H&S began in 1898]. It is hard to believe that this mag was once sold on a weekly basis with a black, red and white cover. There was another mag, around the same time H&S started, called HEALTH AND VITALITY.

Getting back to XXX, it is possible he may have been hustling gays in Cal. I got him hooked up with a Chicago wrestling promoter who had a queer working for him- that queer now being the big shot in Atlanta. This bloke was always complaining to me about XXX hitting him up for money.

Ski was okay. But like me, he had a penchant for speaking his mind too straightforwardly and if you didn't like it- up yours. Hoffie NEVER messed with him. He could have been a very rough man on the stones. But I liked him. Two of a kind I guess.

Bert [Assirati] did do a one legged squat with 200 and did do ten reps with 550 but no one would believe it. His other feats were a straight arm pullover with 200, a strict two hands curl with 200 and a two hands curl of 180 with his upper arms tied to his body. Try it some time. I have written many articles about Bert, one of which appeared in S&H. Bert was also, at a bodyweight of 250-60 an accomplished acrobat.

Now why do you want to know about my parents? What possible interest can they have for you. My mother died in July 1935 at the age of 45 of breast cancer. My father died in the late fifties from a heart attack. Heavy smoker. He was 68. Both working class people as I am.

Mrs. Hackenschmidt is, so far as I know, still alive and must be 95 now. She is completely bed ridden. If she is still alive, then she is living in the home that George bought when they got married. Rachel was a very pretty red head. Just 17 years old when Hack married her. Hack at the time he married her was THIRTY SEVEN YEARS OF AGE. The house is in the Norwood district of London, a southern western suburb or it was once. Now it is another slum district. The house was bought from the Hack estate by an Italian family, who allowed Rachel to live on there rent free and they look after her. She is somewhat non compos mentis, since she can't remember that Hack is dead and keeps saying I wish George would come back. He doesn't love me any more.

Modesty forbids me to remark on your question to who was the most reliable writer. As for me I'd certainly say I was the most entertaining. The nod MIGHT go to Willoughby. But David sometimes repeated what HE had read, like so many of the present crop do about the Old Timers. Never, but never, will I believe Saxon got 448 above his head and NEVER will I believe he ever bent pressed 370, or as BILL Klein claims to have seen, 386. But I think David was the most reliable. The most UNRELIABLE. That must go to two--the Wanking Wonder and Hoffie. They penned such hogwash. Another is Jowett.

I once decided I'd write to the various 'FAMOUS' and ask them what was the greatest feat of strength they had ever witnessed. Jowett wrote about Angus McAskill lifting that 1000 odd pound anchor just as if he had actually been there and witnessed it.

George Paine. Best forgotten.

I am not well. I spend too much time on my own and hardly ever see my family. All I do all day long is try to figure out who I am and who the hell I can blame for it.

Best and all that. Hope Meg is coping with the Byzantine Colvoluetions of College.

Chas.