The infamous Statehouse sex scandal of 1855

The infamous Statehouse sex scandal of 1855

This is a story about state Rep. Joseph Hiss.

His claim to fame is that he was the first member of the Massachusetts Legislature to be thrown out of the House for sexual misconduct.

As a matter of fact, he was the first legislator thrown out of the Legislature for anything.

His name came up the other day following Senate President Stanley Rosenberg’s decision to temporarily step down from his position during an investigation over charges that his husband Bryon Hefner sexually molested and harassed four Statehouse lobbyists or associates.

Rosenberg has not been accused of any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing. And there is — and will not be — any movement to kick him out of the Senate, or anything like that. But he may be forced to officially resign as Senate president.

Already there are several senators, all one-time Rosenberg supporters, who are rounding up votes to succeed him if he officially vacates — or is forced to vacate — the presidency. But that is another story. This story concerns Hiss. Back in 1855 Hiss was a member of the House. I did not know him, although some people believe I covered the Statehouse back then.

I only came across Hiss when I delved into the Statehouse archives a generation ago after his name came up as precedent in a Supreme Judicial Court decision on the ouster of a state senator.

In the archives I found the hand-written report the court referred to. It was a report on Hiss by a special committee that had been established to investigate Hiss.

Following complaints, the investigative committee had been set up to look into Hiss’ behavior during several visits to nunneries in1855.

The report was yellowed with age, but readable. I did a column about the find for the Boston Herald, where I worked at the time.

The story was that Hiss was a member of the legislative Nunnery Committee, which had jurisdiction over Roman Catholic convents and nunneries.

As such, Hiss and his six-member committee visited nunneries in Roxbury, Worcester and Lowell, according to the investigative committee, a committee that today would be equal to the House and Senate Ethics Committees.

According to witness testimony before the investigating committee, Hiss was something of a womanizer who was not averse to having a drink or two, which may have accounted for his behavior.

At his Statehouse hearing, witnesses testified that Hiss propositioned the nuns during a visit by the Nunnery Committee to the Academy of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Roxbury.

One of the nuns said that Hiss asked her if she wanted “to go out in the world.” She testified: “ He then wanted to know if I wanted to go to Montreal and I said that I would not.”

Hiss and his committee later spent the night at the Norfolk House in Roxbury where “they consumed wine that was paid for by the state.”

“We by no means approve of the practice of a legislative committee making use of intoxicating drinks at the expense of the Commonwealth,” the report said.

If that was not bad enough, Hiss and his committee then went to Lowell, where Hiss was greeted by two unidentified women at the train station.

The Nunnery Committee members registered at the Washington House where Hiss added the name of a “Mrs. Paterson” to the list of committee members who were staying over. She was not a member of the committee.

When Mrs. Patterson arrived, she was given Room 12 by the hotel clerk. “Mr. Hiss had had the next room, Room 13,” the committee noted.

The key witness against Hiss was Mrs. Carpenter, the chambermaid. She told the committee that she saw Mrs. Patterson in her night gown getting ready for bed at 8 p.m.

However, the next morning, when Mrs. Carpenter went up to make up the beds in Rooms 12 and 13, Mrs. Patterson’s bed “had the used appearance of having been occupied by two persons,” while Hiss’ bed and not been slept in at all.

The report said, “She judged that a man and a woman had used the bed that night and she had no doubt that being the case.”

“Room Number 12 was occupied by two persons that night,” Hiss and Patterson, the committee concluded.

In addition, Hiss paid for Mrs. Patterson’s room with state funds. It came to $1.25, “proving she being at that place with his knowledge.” The total cost of Hiss’ Lowell sex junket came to a whopping $18.75.

So they threw Hiss out of the House.

It is a good thing our politicians no longer tolerate such bad

behavior.

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