The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-10
.The Mind. Reading business.
THE REMARKABLE GrPT OF LITTLE STEPHEN
HORN, OF ST. LOUIS.

Stephen horn Is laQ, tltrteen years OF
aye. and resident at No. 1892 north Sixth
street, near Biddlc. He is bright-looking
boy. slight In build, with strong nervous
temperament, and pair Of searching black
eyes, ever on the move. There Is notbing in
bis appearance to denote the singular power
Of Which he is apparently possessed, aud,
like most boys Of his age, he 6nds bis chief
delight in outdoor sports, making no at
tempt to search into 1.-The hidden power
wbic, he displays When school Is 10 SEES.
sion he is q regular attendant, and has
shown proficiency 10 his studies astenish.
ing to bis teacher. He has advanced from
grade to grade with great rapidity, being al-
ways perfect Ia his lessons, which never fall
to "come TO him." as he chooses to term IL.
He is mnd-geader, or ciaryoyant, though
he does not 60 into mesmeric state when
performing his tests. His mother, Mrs.
Mary Horn, in an interview With a reporter
OF The Globe Democrat, gave brief history
Of Stephens life When the had was six
months old he could talk distinctly, and
| manifested an understanding Of bis sur.
roundiDgs that would have been thought
bright in child Of several years. While
yet In bis first year he became 7paint.pOi-
soned, aud after several days of suffering
1t was announced by the physician in attend
auce that he must die. The parents were seat
ed about the cradle of the little sufferer, look
ing for his speedy dissolution, when sudden
change for the better showed itself, and he
| recovered. When four years of age be said
to his mother one day, You thought was
going to die, didn't your" ''When, my
child?" asked the mother. "When was
poisoned by the paint" i" We. all thought
so, certainly, for the doctor said so," replied
she. "Yes, / knew it." said Stephen, " can
see just how.you were sitting, and how badly
you felt" He then. showed her where each
member Of the family sat or stood, and where
his cradle was situated at the time of:his i'll
ness. From this time forth he gave evil
dences of mis- singular power, astonishing bis
parents and exciting the curiosity OF the en-
tire ueighborhood. When he was hSe years
old he came TO his mother and. told
her that she vas looking for the return OF
Mr.. Horn from work. Yes" she replied,
"he Will be home soon." "No," responded
Stephen, /" 1 see him going the other way
be is not coming home." MRS. Horn told
bim to be of, and to stop bis nonsense; but
be persisted. and said that she would never
see her husband again. From that day 10
this-cisht years-Mrs. Horn has never
looked upon the face Of her HUSBAND, ana
whether he is in the land OF the living OF
dead she does not know. The seeming truth
of this prediction had the elect OF bringing
the boy into considerable notoriety, and be
was importuned TO try bis powers 10 various
directions. Visitors were numerous, and.
had Mrs, Horn chosen, quite revenue
might have resulted from his efforts. But
the family was comfortably situated, and She
refused to let him engage in fortune-telling.
Four wears ago lad, while swimming
in the river at the foot of Bddle street, WAS
drowned, and all efforts to tind the body
were unayailiug for three days, when, as
last resort. it was suggested that the powers
of young Horn be put to the test. He was
sent for, aud after some persuasion promised
10 do the best he could. He was conducted
to the river bank, and at oDce Indicated
where the searchers would find the body.
The graphing hooks were let down, and the
body vas brought TO the surface at the hrst
trial. So great was the rush to see young
Horn after this evidence OF bis ability 10
see beyond the ordinary range OF vision
that for q time his mother refused to
allow him to give any exhibitions what
ever. Subsequently trials of like mature
were made by him, and resulted successfully,
as in the first instance. Two years ago
steamboat captain got into an altercatlon
with negro, in which the latter was k'l!ee.
Tue former was thrown into prison, aud bis
wife undertook the work Of collecting evil
dence to clear her husband. She iaooredar-
duously, but apparently without effect, aud,
ia despair, called at Mrs. Horns. Stephen
was asked to contribute his share 10 the
work of liberation, and did so by telling
where the needed evidence could be found
The wife, acting on his. advice, succeeded IN
4 1Df has tnSf Of mi
Similar instances, in which the strange lad
has been of service, might be told by the
scores, but all 60 to prove the possession by
him of power potent and indescribable.
in the recovery of lost property he appears
TO have been of especial use, and those at
odds with fortune are frequent in their de-
mands upou bis lime and attention. A few
days since poor woman came 10 him and
stated her case. She had lost COW, ana OF
course was DESTROYS Of finding it. Stephen
told her where to 70, and advised that she
hurry, as the animal was to be taken away
shortly. The woman FASTENED off, and found
her COW, which was about to be driven away
with herd from caltle-pen in the northern
plst Of the city.
The manner Of the lads procedure is
rapid, and those who expect to witness an
extraordinary bodily manifestation will be
disappointed should they be inclined to test
his power. 1t is necessary, in order for him
to be OF service, that he should be asked
questions, 10 which he gives ready response.
For some reason he tancies that when be IS
a year older he will be able to give all de-
sired knowledge without questioning. When
under interrogation he acts as any boy
would, throwing his hands and feet about
as anxious to be released, as though,
to his mind, much time was being wasted
that might be spent to. advantage in play.
1t is not every one that he can place himself
in communication With, and the usual mode
of procedure is to ask a simple question or
two at first, TO settle this point. Tor instance:
Sc Am l married or single" or how many
members are there in my family :" or" Whab'
is my age!" When he is unable to answer
the questions put to him he remarks that cit
is dark" or /" can't see." He does not pre-
tend 10 account for his singular faculty, aud
experiences no inconvenience whatever from
exercising it, as it causes no extra strain upon
his nervous system. Mrs. Horn states that she
had daughter similarly gifted, and though
but tr,fie over three years old at the
time of her death the little girl bad
given every evidence OF being possessed
Of second sight. There are several children
In the family besides Stephen, but he is the
ouly one amOng them possessed Of the power
to read the secrets of others. When quite
small he had the smallpox, and though the
disease presented itself in the most violent
form it passed off in seven days, "being
taken away by himself" as bis mother AYERS.
A number ofatempts have been made to KID
nap him by those who evidently thought
him sure source of revenue. Within a year
| Or TWO he has been sef:suppOrting, receive