Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-09-23
HUGH HASTINGS HAT.
Exasperatfng Experience of the
Editor. Of the New York CONNER
efal Advertiser.

cfaI Advertiser. lf'f' .
From the New York SUM-
Everybody has seen Judge Barnard $
wonderful hat. The Hon. Hugh Hast
ings saw the hat shortly after it was inn
ported. He admired it. He never met
the Judge without talking to him about
the hat. AH 3 4af VHtf
Finally the Judge told him that il he
would wear such 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 atconsternatlon.
He was arrested six times by the police
between Union square and Canal street.
Mr.. Hastings was repeatedly taken to
police stations, and only discharged
after he was recognized. Somebody who
had heard that Judge Barnard had given
Mr.. Hastings the hat started report
that the Judges celebrated hat had been
stolen, and Superintendent Kelso put
the police on their guard.
This accounted for Mr.. Hastings re-
peated arrests. Though much chagrined,
Mr.. Hastings held on to the hat. He
grew attached to the hat and the hat was
attached to him. He wore it every
where--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 sounded for
dinner. Mr.. Hastings laid the hat upon
the rack and entered the dining-room.
In few minutes crowd of deeply
interested persons gathered around the
hat. They tried the hat on, rubbed their
fingers through the wool, smelt at it and
wondered whatit would weigh.
Whose hat is this, anyway" said
short man with a checkered necktie.
Well, replied politician at his side,
"it is a great shame about that hat. The
hat belongs to a poor blind man, who
came down here and was robbed of his
money. He's been going around the
hotel trying to sell his hat, so as to get
enough money to take him back to ST.
Louis, where he came from. lisa nice
hat; it amt worth much, and it's well
worth having"
Here one of the party proposed that
they should get up a rattle for the hat,
a1d thus raise money to take the poor
blind man back to St. Louis. No sooner
said than done. John Davidson-he
was there-had all his ympathies
aroused, and he headed the list at 81 a
chance. William Birch took a chance.
Twenty-Five chances were taken up.
Mr.. Davidson borrowed dice-box from
one Of the bootblacks and the rattle be
gan. Davidson threw 35 in three throws.
Mr. Birch followed with 33. The six
teenth thrower was man named Potter,
from Lynchburg, Va. He threw Al and
was bound to have the hat. His throw
was not beaten, but just as the last man
of the twenty-five was about to try his
luck, Mr.. Hastings walked out Of the
dining-room.
Seeing his hat on the table, and great
crowd around it, he deliberately walked
up, seized the hat put it upon his head,
and was about to walk of, when Mr.. Pot
ter, of Lynchburg, collared him.
Here, where are you going with that
hatH' said Potter.
This hat belongs to me" said Mr..
Hastings, with aquiet smile.
Why, how many did you thrown
asked Potter. ON
"This hat is my property" said Mr..
Hastings sternly.
mot by long shot," said Mr.. Potter,
of Lynchburg; you can't play that ON |
me. I've heard of these New York |
tricks before. This hat belongs to poor
man who lives in st. Louis, and he s put
it up at rattle, and I've just thrown AZ,
and no mans got over that yet. The hat
belongs to me"
Mr.. Hastings assured Mr.. Potter that
he was mistaken, and told the South
erner who he was.
"No, no" replied Mr.. Potter, You
can't work this thing on me, no way you
can fix it. EF
Mr.. Hastings then appealed to John |
Davidson as witness to the truth of |
his assertion; but Mr.. Davidson aston
ished him byreplying that he knew Hugh |
Hastings very well, and that this was
not the man.
Mr. Potter, of Lynchburg then sailed |
in He had lively scufile, but he got
the hat and carried it in triumph to his
room. Mr. Davidson pocketed the
money and went off to give il to the
blind man. The crowd followed him.
The young man who got the money
was a fancily dressed gentleman, who
stood behind the bar and opened bottles.
Mr., Hastings went bareheaded to Mr..
Borrows, the proprietor of the hotel, and
told his story. Borrows convi.ced Pot
ter, of Lynchburg, of its truth, and
Hastings got his hat But Potter has
ever since been looking for the man who
got up the rafle. 500 3-er rt