The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-07
A RftpsI Mans H0t.


1,,.o~,.,o1v has seen Judge Barnard's
,,,",ssIf,,l hat. The Hon. Hugh Hastings
S,n The hat shortly after 1t was imported.
Iie admired it. He never met the Judge
u;,bo,t talking to him about the hat.
Finally the Judge told him that ne
would wear such hat he would make ann
a present of one. Mr.. Hastings eagerly
accented the offer. A few days aiterward
he appeared on Broadway with the nat,
and created great CONSERVATION. lie "'s
arrested six times by the police uctWteh
Union Square and Canal street. Mr.. has
tiucs was repeatedly taken to poiice STA.
lions. and only discharged after ne was
recognized. Somebody who had hcaTa
flat sn,dye Barnard had given Mr.. Hastings
tAe hat started report that the Judges
celebrated hat had been stolen, ana super
iutendent Keiso put the noiice on their
guard.
This accounted for Mr.. Hastings>s re-
Dcatea arrests. Though much chagrlncd,
Mr. Hastings held on to the nat. ne
combed The long white fur very carefully
every morning, aud made stars ana strange
figures on his hat. He grew attaclcu 10
tie hat and the hat grew attached 10 nun.
He wore it eycrywhcre-to church, 10 the
theatre, and to the horSc-racc.
Finally he went to Long Branch. Inc
hat went also. MIR. Hastings put up at the
Continental Hotel. The hat was greatly
admired. The gong sounded ior ditllci'
Mir. Hastings laid the hat upon Inc RACK
and entered the dining-room.
In Il few minutes crowd OF decplv-lnter-
e.ird persons gathered around the bat.
They tried the hat on, and rubbed their
fingers through the wool, snelt at 1t, ana
wondered what it would weigh.
.WhoSc hat is this, any way?' SAID
Sboit man with a cheCkcrcu nCCktlc.
.Wcll, replied politician ut his side,
otis a great shame about that hat. That
hat belongs to 4 poor blind man, who came
down here and was robbed Of bis money.
He's been going around the hotel trying 10
sell the hat SO as to get enough money 10
take him back to St. Louis, where he came
from. us a nice hat ; it amt been worn
much, and it's well worth having"
Here one of the party proposed that they
should get up Il rattle for the hat, and thus
raise money to take the poor blind man
back to st. Louis. No sooner said than
done. John Davidson-hc was there-had
all his sv1npathies aroused, and he headed
the list at 81 chance. William Birch took
- chance. Twenty-Five chances were taken
UP. ..
MIR. Davidson borrowed dicc.boX from
one of the boot.blacks, and The raffle De-
ran. Davidson threw 80 in three throws;
MIR. Birch followed with 80. The sixteenth
tnrowcr was man named Potter, from
Lynchhurs, Va. lie threw ~ ana was
bound TO have the hat. His throw was not
beaten, but just as the last man OF he
TWENTY-FIVE was about to try his luck, MI.
HASTINGS walked out OF the dlnlng-rootl.
Seeing his hat on The table ana grcat
crowd around il, he deliberately walked
Ilp, seized the hat, put it upon his head,
and was about to walk oil, when Mr.. Pot
ter, ol Lynchburg, collarcd HIM.
Here, where are YOU going with thht
hat - said Potter.
This hat belongs to me-, said MIR. Has
tin.S. with quiet smile
"Why, how many did YOU throw aSk-
cd Potter.
This hat is my PROPERLY said Mr..
Hastings, sternly.
moi bv Il long shot, )" said Mr.. Potter,
OF Lynchburg; "vou cant play that on
ne. I've heard Of lhcsc New York tricks
before. This hat belongs To Il poor blind
MN who lives in 81. Louis, and he's put il
up at rattle, and Eve just thrown Il, and
no mans got over that Yet. That hat be-
longs to mo-"
Mr.. Hastings assured Mr.. Potter that he
WAS mistaken, and told the suutlcrncr who
ne was.
"No, no." replied Mr.. Potter, "you
'ith WIN TINS tuiDS oH lllt, no way YOU
can fix it,
Mr.. Hastings then appealed to John Da-
wilson rs Il witness TO the truth of his as
srr,rn; but Mr.. Davidson aStonishcd him
ly replying that he knew Hugh Hastings
very well, aud that this was not the man.
Mir. Potter, of Lynchburg, then sailed
in. He had lively sculllc, but he got the
hat ana carried it in triumph TO his room.
Mr.. Davidson pocketed the money, and
went oil to give it to the blind man. The
crowd followed him.
The man who got the money WAS Il fam
cily-dressed young gentleman who stood
behind the bar and opened bottles. Mr..
Hastings went barehcadcd TO Mr.. Borrows,
the proprietor of the hotel, md told his
story. BoIrows convinced Potter, of Lynch
burg, Of its truth, and Hastings got his hat.
BIZ Potter has eyer since been looking tor
the man who got up the raillc.-Neto York
paper.