of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 119-122
HASTINGS A UNIQUE CHARACTER. (Hawkins Taylor was a member of the first Iowa territorial legislature from Lee county and afterward became a man of note and influence. Prior to his death he spent several years in Washington City and in 1884 contributed the article given here to the State Register:.......)
"From Muscatine and Louisa came John Frierson, S. C. Hastings, William L. Toole and Levi Thornton. Hastings was from central New York, tall and as straight as an arrow, dark oily face, coarse, long black hair like an Indian, strong gutteral voice--a lawyer--and could carry more of the old-fashioned, unadulterated whisky of that day, without losing his balance, than any other member. 0f the little money then in circulation a good deal of it was counterfeit and a decently good one dollar counterfeit was never questioned. About the only money in circulation was wildcat and it was not much better than counterfeit. Hastings carried in his pocket several hundred dollars of counterfeit money. He did not try to pass it. He was the paid lawyer of the organization of counterfeiters and horse thieves and said that they always sent him a bill of each new issue, that he would know that any one arrested for passing that issue, or kind of money, was to be defended by him. Hempstead told a story on Hastings that the latter greatly enjoyed. Two horse thieves had been arrested for horse stealing and were committed to jail in Dubuque. They were in jail several weeks before the meeting of the court, and had applied to no lawyer at Dubuque to defend them up to the day that court met, when they sent for Hempstead. They told Hempstead that they expected their lawyer from Muscatine, but he had not arrived, and that they had been instructed to employ him if Mr. Hastings did not come. The next morning, soon after the court met, a tall, uncouth, long haired specimen of humanity came into the court room and looking around, inquired for Hempstead, to whom he made himself known as the attorney expected by the horse thieves. The followlng morning the thieves were arraigned under indictment and plead not guilty, Hastings making oath that he could not proceed to trial on account of the absence of material witnesses. Their case was continued until the next term and bail set at $3,000 each. Two men swore that they were worth the required amount and Hastings, the two sureties and the two horse thieves marched out of court together. The next that Hempstead heard of Hastings was as a member of the legislature at Burlington; but he never heard of the thieves and their sureties. Some years later Joe Loverage, who was the head factor in the horse line in the Cedar valley, was indicted for some of his horse operations. Joe was in great trouble and employed General Lowe, who then lived at Muscatine. Lowe would not agree to be associated with Hastings. Joe wanted Hastings and continued suggesting to Lowe the advisability of employing Hastings. Finally Lowe got mad and said: "Yes, take your case and employ Hastings." "Oh, no, General, I cannot give you up, you must manage the case. Oh, no, I cannot give you up," answered Joe, but in a whisper said: "It may become necessary to steal the indictment." Lowe told him that he might employ Hastings for that purpose if he wanted to. But the court decided the indictment dead and it was not necessary to steal the indictment.
AN "ODD LOOKING FISH." "At the opening of the legislature the speaker adopted a rule that has never been followed since, I believe. He called members to the chair alphabetically. The result was that a good many members were called upon to preside that had no fitness for the position and was the cause of many amusing incidents. Wallace as speaker established and required a courteous order that I have never seen equalled in any legislative body since, and least of all, in the house of congress. When the house had been in committee of the whole and rose, the speaker would walk up on one side of the rostrum, while the chairman would go down on the other, proceed to his desk, report the action of the committee of the whole, the most perfect silence being required during the report--in fact, perfect order was required at all times. There were twelve double desks and one single desk. I occupied a desk with Van Delashmutt, a man full of humor. Robert G. Roberts, of Cedar county, did not get to Burlington for several days after the meeting of the legislature. Roberts was a character--a man of good sense but rough, uncouth, unlearned and sensitive. He was a burly, rugged fellow. He wore a coarse suit of cassanet. His coat in breadth was large but in length was of the present dude style and very odd at that time. His shoes were of the brogan kind, now out of fashion. His hair was long and loose, with no evidence of ever having seen a comb.
"All in all, he was an odd looking fish. He had never before seen any of the brother members but Hastings. The speaker, learning that he was in the city, sent for him to be sworn in. I never saw a man that seemed to be worse scared than Roberts. Van Delashmutt would whisper to me loud enough to be heard by other members near, 'He'll run, he'll run!' but Roberts did not run. He took a seat at the single desk and was the subject of much amusement during the session.
THE FIRST BILL INTRODUCED BY HASTINGS. The first bill was introduced by Hastings for the benefit of Robert G. Roberts, legalizing his acts as justice of the peace. He had been appointed justice of the peace by the governor and had acted as such without being sworn in.
HASTINGS BEWILDERS A STUTTERING MEMBER. "Sam Parker was from West Virginia and had at one time held the dignified office of constable. He was a fellow of quick wit and feared no one, was rough and uncouth in manner but naturally kind and clever. The first time that Sam was called to the chair, and the committee arose, Sam went to his seat but made no report to the house. The speaker looked dignified and the members were in a broad grin but Sam did not understand it. Colonel Patterson went to him and told him he must report the action of the committee to the house. Sam jumped up and in a noble voice said: 'Mr. Speaker, the house in committee on the whole have considered the bill, have amended it and have told me to ask you to concur.' The speaker without a smile put the question: 'Will the house authorize the speaker to concur in the amendment made?' and the house told him to concur. Sam was again in the chair during the fight for the capital location. The fight between Burlington as the temporary and Mt. Pleasant as the permanent location, and a central location by commissioners, was bitter in the extreme, lasting two days. Sam was for the Burlington and Mt. Pleasant combination and the vote stood thirteen for Mt. Pleasant and twelve for commissioners. Hastings was one of the most active members of the minority and the whole of the two days had been spent mainly in voting down amendments, striking out Mt. Pleasant and inserting the name of some other town unheard of. Name after name had been proposed by Hastings and voted down. Sam's patience was exhausted, when Hastings proposed the name of Mississippiwonoc. Sam rose and said: 'The gentleman from Muscatine proposed to strike out the name of Mt. Pleasant and insert the name of Mis-sis-sis,' and down sat Sam. Hastings got up and pronounced the name, when Sam made another attempt but got no further than 'Mis-sis-sis' and again sat down. Hastings again got up and repeated the name slowly and in a very sonorous voice, when Sam jumped up and with his shut fists and in a furious voice said: 'That may be the name Mr. Hastings, but if it is it is d----d badly spelled.' Up to this speech the members had been fighting mad but all shouted with laughter at Sam's decision. Sam had restored good feeling and Laurel Summers, of Scott, changed his vote from the majority to the minority and the commissioners were appointed who located the capital at Iowa City. Swan was chairman of the commission and had charge of the laying off of the town. He settled there, built and kept Swan's Hotel, and if all that was said and done in that hotel could be written, it would be a readable book. Tom Johnson always stopped at the Swan and said many witty things. It was in that hotel that Breckenridge met the defeat that sent him back to Kentucky. He wanted to be the 8th of January orator but that post of honor was given to Mills, who was killed in Mexico, and Breckenridge left the Yankee country. In that hotel a Lee county senator raised a row because they numbered his cowhide boots 13 ( the number of his room). He said his boots were only tens and that if he was to be so insulted he would leave the house.
Back to Historical Index Page