Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-09-18
FROM WAsIIINGTON.
w AsHINGToN, ID. "a
Sept. Sth, 1873.


| Sept. Sth, 1873.
EDITORS COURIER One ofthe most
eccentric and noted characters OF
Washington, the famous Beau" Hick.
man, has passed away, and althoug
ne was OF no earthly use to himself OF
any one else, his taking off has caused
ripple on the surface of Washington
society. If Beau" had now the
power to express his status in relation
to mundane things, he would simply
cay that he had passed in his checks, ;
or that he had gone to the "demni.
ton bow-wow, or words to thai
effect.
| Poor $ Beau whose sir name was
Robert T.. Hickman, died ut Provi.
denee Hospital, in this city, on Mon.
day evening the LIST inst, after an i'll.
ness of about two weeks, having beer
stricken with paralysis-a calamity
which seems to be wonderfully preva.
lent just now with men of note and
prominence. There are very few
persons who have visited Washington
during the last thirty years, that has
not seen this noted dandy vagabond
or made his acquaintance. and paid the
inevitable Initiation fee for that aistin-
gsisbed honor or his early history,
very little is known as he has ALWAYS
| beef very retioent .on this subject.
| Ills first appearance in Washington
was in 1888 OF 1884, about forty years
ago. He was at that time young man
OF twenty-five or twenty-three years
OF age, very stylishly dressed, sported
gold watch and chain, carried cane,
and was in every way gotten up re-
gardless of expense. But he was a
dead beat from the start. He kent
himself most faultlessly attired for ten
or fifteen years at the expense of his
| iaiiors- He wonid go to some FASH
ionable tailor who was not posted as
to his true character and order costly
salt, and when the bill was presented
Beau would express great regret al
NOT being able at the time to meet ii,
owing to the fact that "his friend
President jackson, who was id
good fellow had borrowed a thousand
dollars of him last night and il was
impossible TO meet il just then, " sc.
After being dunned repeatedly, and
having exhausted all his excuses, Beau
would argue with the tailor, rcpresen-
| ting that he would tell all his friends
who made the suit which would be a
splendid advertisement for him, and it
is said that several tailors fitted Beau
out al different times with fashionable
sHits Oh this condition.
The most singular thing about
Beau Hickman was his peculiar
mode OF procuring living. Iii said
that soon after coming to Washington,
and becoming acquainted with the city,
! he acted as guide to strangers to the
| capitol. and was sort Of pimp for the
gambling houses and houses ofill.fame.
and as he got good percentage for
such base work, il paid well. In later
years he was reduced to the condition
OF bcggar. He was great story
teller, having large fund of anecdotes
and information for which he always
demanded a chip, according to tile
financial status of his listener. His
place OF residence was generally about
the National aud Metropolitan Hotels
and he claimed acquaintance with all
the prominent men of the country who
visited Washington since the days of
President jackson. President Jack
son, Henry Clay, Thomas H. Benton,
and Daniel Webster were all his per-
sonal acquaintance and had honorcd
him with their chips" For some
years he has been going down hill and
looked like some seedy gentleman.
he has procured very precarious ex-
istcnce by what little he conld beg
from day to day OH the street and at
the hotels.
Some two years since, ] had the
honor OF being very unexpectedly in
troduced to Beau by mischievous
friend who Immediately withdrew TO
watch The bleeding process" After
an interesting conlab with him, the
inevitable chip" was demanded and
promptly paid.
He posse Rsed good conversational
powers, and in times long past, Con-
gressmen who visited Washington
would form bis acquaintance and, by
way of q joke, would introduce him to
their friends as :" Gen. Hickman .. re-
firing in the mean time to watch the
fun.
The gentleman, totally unacquain-
ted Bean,s little peculiarities would
listen with respectful attention to the
Generals" stories. At the conclu.
sion Of yarn, Beau would say, al
think sir, that story is worth a quar-
ter, whereupon the gentleman would
laugh and remark, certainly 1t is, y
but not comprehending Bcau's drift
would hand him no money. Beau
would then say, Well. then, ii it is,
please pass over the quarter. The
astonished auditor would then stare at
the General" quizicalIy for moment
but finally discovering that he was in
earnest, would burst into laugh, in
which the crowd would generally join,
and then cash up, while Beau would
strike ont in some other direction for |
a new victim.
OF Beans early history but little is |