Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-11-02
From the New York sunl
Hugh Hastings Hat.

nard's wonderful hat. The Hon. Hugh
Hastings saw the hat shortly after 1t
as imported. He admired it. He
never met the Judge without talking
about the hat.
Finally the Judge told him that il
he'd wear such a hat he would make
him present of one. Mr.. Hastings
eagerly accepted the offer. A few days
afterward he appeared on Broadway
with the hat, and created great con-
sternation. HcV as arrested six times
by the spolice between Union Square
and Canal street Mr. Hastings was
repeatedly taken to police stations,
and only discharged after being recOg
nized. Somebody who had heard
Judge Barnard had given Mr.. Hast
ings the hat started the report that the
Judges celebrated hat had been stolen,
and Superintendent Kels0 put the p0
lice on their guard.
This accounted for Mr.. Hastings
repeated arrest. Though much cha
grihed, Mr. Hastings held on to the
hat. He combed the long white fur.
made stars and strange figures on his
hat He gre attached to the hat, and
the hat was attached to him. He wore
it everywhere-to church, to the
theater, and to the horse races.
Finally, he went to Long Branch.
The hat went also. Mr.. Hastings put
up at the Continental Hotel The hat
was greatly admired The gong sound
ed for dinner Mr. Hastings laid the
hat upon the rack and entered the din
| ing room.
In a few minutes crowd of deeply
int rested persons gathered around the
hat They tried the hat on, rubbed
their fingers thrcu ugh the wool, smelt
it and woi dered what it would weigh
Whose hat is this any way?" said
a short man with checked necktie
WELL" replied a politician at his
side, ''Its great shame about that hat
The hat belongs to blind man who
came down here and was robbed of his
money. He's been going around the
hotel trying to sell the hat, so as to
get money enough to get back to St.
Louis. where he came from. It's a
nice hat, and it ain't worn much, and
it's we'll worth having"
Here one of them proposed that they
should get up rattle for the hat, and
thus raise money to take the poor
blind man back to St. Louis. No
sooner said than done. John David
son-he was there-had all his sympa
thies aroused and he headed the list al
a dollar chance. William Birch took
a chance Twenty Eve chances were
taken up.
Mr.. Davidson borrowed dice box
from one of the boot blacks and the
rattle began. Davidson threw 35 in
three throws Mr. Birch followed
with 33 The sixteenth thrower was !
man from Lynchburg, Va. He threw
At, and WIS buund to have the hat
His throw was not to be beaten, hui
just as the last man of the twenty ave
was about to try his luck, Mr.. Hast
ings walked out of the dining room.
Seeing his hat upon the table and {
great crowd around it, he deliberately
walked up, seized the hat, put it upoI
his head, and was about to walk of
when Mr. Potter, of Lyuchburg, col
Jared him.
Here, where are you going will
that hat p said Potter
This hat belongs to me-" said Mr.
/ Hastings with a quiet smile.
'sWhy, how many did you throw p
; asked Potter.
r "This hat is my property" said Nj
j Hastings, stcrnly.
5 ''Not by long shot," said Mr.. Pot
a ter, of Lynchburg.S You can't pla
e that on me. I've heard of these Nel
, York tricks before. This hat belong
to poor blind man who lives in 81
Louis, and he's put it up at -aff1t
and I've just thrown At, and n man
= got over that yet. The hat belongs t
t me-"
S Mr.. Hastings assured Mr. Potte
t that he was mistaken, and told til
o Southerner who he was.
mo, no., replied Mr.. Potter. "Yo
L can't work this on me, no way you ca
fxit"
g Mr.. Hastings then appealed to j oh
Davidson as a witness to the truth {
II his assertion; but Mr.. Davidson a
= tonished him by replying that he kne
t Hugh Hastings very we'll, and thu
IL this was not the man.
n Mr.. Potter, of Lynchburg, tho
sr sailed in. He had heavy scuffie, b
he got the bat and carried it to
N room. DIR. Davidson picked up Il
N money and went off to give it to Il
t, blind man. The crowd followed hiI
The man who got the money was
ut fancily blessed young gentleman, WI
bit stood behind the bar and opened be
is ties. Mr.. Hastings went barehead
le to Mr.. Borr0ws, the proprietor OF t
hotel, and told his story Borro
ze convinced Potter of Lynchburg of
rd truth, and Hastings got his hat. Z
Potter has ever since been looking I
Id the man who got up the rufflc.