1894 - Interesting Facts and Stories About Our Earlier Cousins
Thanks to the “now” online availability of historical newspapers, we can learn interesting facts and stories about some of our Haston relatives, especially the ones who lived in communities where there were newspapers that have been digitized and become accessible through the Internet.
I focus only on the Hastons known or suspected to be members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY. That includes the Hastains, who changed the spelling of the family name in Missouri and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, I am unable to include those who adopted the English Hasting and Hastings spellings, because only a tiny percentage of the people with those spellings are Daniel’s descendants.
1894, January 5
D.J. (Donald Johnson) Hastin
Cedar County (MO) Republican and Stockton Journal: D.J. Hastin (Donald Johnson Hastin) was the son of John Wesley Hastin and grandson of Isaac Haston/Hastin, Sr. His uncle was Samuel Douthard Hastin. Donald Johnson Hastin was a first cousin of Attorney W.C. Hastin.
David J. Haisten, served as a lieutenant in Hunter’s Regiment of Joseph O. Shelby’s Confederate “Iron Brigade.” He was badly wounded in the January 11, 1863, Battle at Hartville, Missouri, but lived until May 2, 1908.[i]
[i] “David J. Haisten,” Confederate Veteran, XVI (1908), (Nashville, TN: S.A. Cunningham), 415.
1894, January 28
Attorney P.D. Hastain
Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Back in his home county of Benton County, MO, Attorney P.D. Hastain (and his brother-in-law, Judge Shirk) represented Bluford Bybee, of Hastain, MO, in a murder case. Even though the jury was out for 36 hours, they acquitted Bybee of murder.
1894, February 1
W.R. (William Riley) Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: These two young men were arrested in December 1893. They each gave a $500 bond and were set free to await the action of the grand jury.
1894, March 16
Mrs. T.J. Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: The widow of Thomas Jefferson Haston joined the Keytesville Baptist Church by letter, which indicates she had previously been a member of another Baptist Church.
1894, March 31
Mr. P.D. Hastain
The St. Joseph (MO) Herald: Sometime while P.D. Hastain was running for Mayor of Sedalia, MO, Missouri’s Governor Stone proclaimed that P.D. Hastain had said, “Democrats are only fit for the penitentiary or hell.” Stone’s source was State Treasurer Stephens. Mr. Hastain took issue with the claim and made a visit to the Governor to secure a retraction. The newspapers, of course, loved the controversy and many newspaper articles resulted. I will include just a few of those below.
1894, April 13
(Pleasant Dawson) Hastain
The McFall (MO) Mirror: Pleasant Dawson Hastain, Great-Grandson of Daniel Haston, was elected to be mayor of Sedalia, MO by a margin of 625 votes.
1894, April 22
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: When Pleasant Dawson Hastain became mayor of Sedalia, MO, there were 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans on the city council. The mayor claimed that he had a mandate from the citizens to make sweeping changes in the city, so all of his political appointments were Republicans.
1894, April 23
Mayor Hastain
Kansas City (MO) Journal: Newly elected P.D. Hastain kept his campaign promise to close the saloons and shut down gambling in Sedalia, MO.
The Jefferson City (MO) Tribune published an article that applauded what Mayor Hastain was doing, but revealed what a scum-bag town Sedalia was known to be. However, we need to understand that Jefferson City, MO, was the capital city of Missouri and that Sedalia vied to become the capital.
1894, May 11
Pearl Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: Pearl Haston, daughter of deceased Thomas Jefferson Haston (son of Jesse Haston, Sr.), joined the Keytesville Methodist Church on her confession of faith in Christ. She, along with others, was converted in a recent set of protracted meetings.
1894, May 18
D.L. Haston
The Chattanooga Daily Times: This was D.L. (David Lavander) Haston, son of Isaac T. Haston, whose father was David Haston. D.L. was a Great-Grandson of Daniel Haston. In May 1894, D.L. Haston was appointed to be a congressional committeeman in a Democratic convention. Honorable H.C. Snodgrass, an attorney from Sparta, was nominated for congress in Cleveland, TN at 4:58 a.m., after a continuous session that began at 2:30 p.m. the previous day. It took 435 ballots to decide on a nominee. Note: The Chattanooga Daily Times gives the name as B.L. Haston, but the Knoxville Journal and Tribune got it right–D.L. Haston.
1894, June 23
J.W. (James W.) Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Eye: James W. Hastain (son of John Greene Hastain, son of Daniel McComisky Hastain) set out to find his fortune looking for gold in Altman, a mining camp in the Cripple Creek District, Colorado. He intended to join his brother there. I’m sure the mining strike he mentioned in this article was much worse than he imagined, but he was still living there in 1900, with other members of his family, including his mother.
Altman, CO – Very Interesting
Altman, CO had a central role in the Cripple Creek miners’ strike of 1894. The Western Federation of Miners Local 19 was based in Altman during the strike. This resulted in many violent incidents in and around Altman as deputies hired by the mine owners made their camp above the town on Bull Hill. Altman was known as the “Wickedest Town in Colorado’s Cripple Creek District.”
J.W.’s brother, John Greene Hastain, died in Cripple Creek on September 1, 1904 (or 1905). Grave
1894, July 5
Emma Hastain
Henry County (MO) Democrat: Emma Hastain of Clinton, MO, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. W.A. Hastain, married Mr. Thomas Wilson in the M.E. Church, South. The bride’s sister, Miss Bertha Hastain, was the maid of honor.
1894, July 12
Rev. J.B. (Jesse Bascom) Haston
The Gallatin (MO) Democrat: At this time, Rev. J.B. Haston was pastoring the Christian Church in Santa Rosa, CA. Jesse Bascom Haston’s father, William Asbury Haston, passed away, and Jesse Bascom was called home. Apparently, Jesse had been visiting in Missouri and was returning to California when he got the news. William Asbury Haston was a member of one of the most heroic units in the Mexican War.
1894, July 27
Rev. and Mrs. J.B. Haston
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal: Santa Rosa (CA) Christian Church pastor, Rev. Jesse Bascom Haston, was still in Missouri but was called to serve as the church’s pastor for another year. J.B. and his wife had just adopted a little girl from an orphanage in Belaspur, India, in memory of their child Helen, who died the previous year. They planned for the child to remain in India, to be educated, and then to engage in missionary work there.
Mrs. J.B. Haston’s sister, Miss Olivia Baldwin, had just returned from India, where she had been a church worker for the past five years.
1894, July 27
Pearl Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: Background – see the August 4, 1893 case. Charles Meeks was charged with sexually assaulting his 13-year-old sister in law, Pearl Haston. Now, nearly a year later, his case went to trial in the Carroll County, MO circuit court. After being out about 24 hours, the jury was discharged, unable to agree. Eight jurors were for acquittal and four for conviction. The case ended in a hung jury.
1894, July 31
William (Carl) Haston
Kansas City (MO) Journal: William Haston (Daniel Haston > Isaac Haston/Hastin > William Carroll Hastin > Oliver Hazard Perry Hastin > William Carl Haston) was living in Kansas City, MO. George Rafert accused William of being too intimate with his wife. In a drunken rage, Rafert threatened to kill his wife, as well as William Haston. Rafert pulled a gun on William, who turned and shot George Rafert. Rafert died, and William and the witnesses to the event claimed the shooting was in self defense.
1894, August 1
William (Carl) Haston
Kansas City (MO) Journal: After the Haston-Rafert shooting incident, it was revealed publicly that William Haston had serious family problems.
1894, August 8
P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia Democrat: An African American (negro) house servant, George Cannon, was caught stealing money from the Hastains. Cannon pleaded guilty to the charge of larceny and was fined $20.
1894, August 30
Isaac S. Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: Jeremiah Haston’s son, Isaac S. Haston (grandson of Daniel Haston), attended the 7th annual reunion of his Union Army unit, Company I. 16th Missouri Cavalry.
1894, September 14
Rev. J.B. Haston
Ukiah (CA) Daily Journal: J.B. Haston was granted a leave of absence until January 1, 1895, on account of health issues. He is described as a “gentleman of broad culture and possessed the faculty of rapidly making friends.” He was the grandson of Jesse Haston, Sr. (of Howard County, MO) and son of William Asbury Haston.
1894, September 19
Joel M. Haston
The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal: Joel M. Haston was appointed to be postmaster in Cummingsville, TN. Joel was a son of Montgomery Greeneville Haston and Rachel Wheeler Haston. Joel’s grandmother on his father’s side, was Mary (Polly) Haston Lewis, daughter of David Haston. Joel was born on February 17, 1863, about five years before his father died. Grave
1894, October 25
Jerry (Jeremiah III) Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: Jerry Haston continued the Haston family’s interest in local Dallas County, MO politics. His line back to Daniel Haston: Daniel Haston > Jeremiah (& Esther Riddles) Haston > Jeremiah M.C. (& Nancy Cooper) Haston > Jerry (& Emeline Sydney Danell or McDaniel) Haston.
1894, November 23
Pearl Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: “Much to the surprise of many Chariton (MO) County people, Chas. W. Meeks was acquitted of the charge of rape.” Meeks was indicted and tried for an alleged criminal (sexual) assault upon Pearl Haston, his own wife’s 13-year-old sister. A July 1894 trial ended in a hung jury. This second (November 1894) trial resulted in a verdict of “not guilty.” “One remarkable feature of the case was the tenacity with which Mrs. Meeks stuck to her husband all through his trouble.”
Pearl “is now living in Keytesville with her widowed mother, Mrs. T.J. (Thomas Jefferson) Haston.” T.J. Haston was the son of Jesse Haston, Sr., and therefore, a grandson of Daniel Haston.
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