The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-25
BLIND TOM AT HIS MEALS.
now THE MUAICIB IDIOT TE1Rs
AND DEyOURs ms FOOD.
Musical Intcrlude~ Between the side Dishes
A Kcportcr in DANGEROUS PIsitisn-
Stratesic rubtsrluges Nearly stranded.

Sit down here, said the AGENT. "an1 keeo
periectiv still. Tom detects the slightest sound,
nd often puts people out 81 his room iDler tue
IMPRESSION that they me u TO injnre nm"
fne reporter seated hi nself ~ one 'urner Of
the room, and III few moments q W liter brought
IN Toms ng and paced u upon stand
joining roOni and seated aion2s1e the stand.
The gent then Withdrew, 10 vnN Tom ana the
reporter alone.
features could b9 STUDIED at leisure. Ills neal
seemed tn be "a literal copy from tie pictdfes ~
idiots one sees Ia the phrenulvgical works.
mere was sc ,rcely any forehead. his nosc was
large am Hat. the mouth ana AVA simply brutal.
His yellow signtess eyes leo continually In
their sOcke 5, aud the whole u yect ~ MS face
was fernctOus ami amin i. Immediately ON
seating hinlsclf he began to drum witn his hands
upon tho taOle, a. q hngeru4 the KEYS Of
piano, ut the sane lime humming an ar In ~
low tone. Next he ran the tips of hi fingers
brefsteak, a uisn Of asp rLgus. a Cup u tei, and
some bread aud 20 atoes. SATISFYING him-ef
e. gr co was wJrfintAhle, he cal My spread
areverentlal tOne aud very ii Dwy he instant
the grace WAS said he ciutch-d the berfsteak
In both handa, and, l. ting IT to MS mouth, toro
II In fragments between his teeth, seeming TO
swallow tho pieces wtho ma -tication. As
sweetening hts tea WITH little c ibes OF sugar.
He evidently likes his ted sweet fpr he out
sixteen OBITUARY cube, Of sugar into his cup, and
then, stirring the mixture, drama II down with
a smack Of Satisfaction. When THIS waS done
he ter q cry of delight aud. Turning from
the tail, rubbed his h IN IA together IN A sort
of cnildish plec. and dan ed aoout the room.
Gong up to the nianf elpiecr, he went through
The motions Of playln-, taking no lice what
ever Of the artcl $ which he Knocked on. sud
denly he rushed back to the tail anu made "A
raid IN the dish ~ asparagus, eating tue stem,
entire the white stringy part as well as the ten
der extro nifty.
MUSICAL ECSTASY.
He noxt clutched large potato In his hand
and placed " between his teeth. bul suddenly
changed his m nj, "A ~ casing 1t Town. itited
his eyes toward the ceiling. md az dn placed hi,
hands in "a positi n g. ,iay. He mel hts hrai
mOtiOniess for some min ites a. II ende ivbriug
IN ten some stray music 81 fancy wnicn was
diifting through his mini. OcuisiOn lly he
IA de movement Win his nanls a. u no were
bout to strike CnOrd, hat checked ht1iseif
and bit his lips as " impt.icn. hcA hir ca
would lose is bruta cxntessipn, ami, a. ~. eyes
turned upward, seemed inspired. Finally he
began beating time WI h hIs fOIt. snie broke
over his 10 ttures. AM ne Went throul tne M
tons Of layins pass ,ge Ia a slnw move nent.
suddenly he bean to sing. evidently cOmpO-in.
"a. lie won't al Dg, and the ,neIpd was fan
OF strange pithJs then starting ~ from t'e
table, he rushed NJ to the dlor " the AL.
joining roo ~ aud tried 10 open II. IL had been
locked by tue agent, for tue re 'son that q ~ NJ
was Ia the mex. room, and when Tom takes MS
meals he treqientiy refuses Z eft uni - the
piano Il beVond his reach. FindinL IL locked.
he threw himself against u aud "a l. re- II
open; out 1t Resisted all MS eh'r-. FINDING
tn / he could not f'rce the dOO he loaned
against II IN asorrowfai u utud whlls M, eyes
mostened with tears.
AT TINS jnnctue toe reporter made a slight
Immediately. 1erAei us nead q .Ickly mi
listened. Tue reporter made an, her slisht
nose-so sight rs to . Amos IN erceatOle--
and Toms face assumed hOTinle cpSi. ana
he advanced toward tue sound. ruDDiag his
hands tosether ana making motions -hrn =
priLe hghtrrs 10 through with ""en mans
head u in chancefy. Not feisning tue idea 81 a
personal enc 'unter wan IA IN OF 'om aas
sIye bui.d. the reporter resort-J - III /. rus-.
Throwing the stuD ot a | al pcncil IA tne II, !.
Tell IN remote corner OF the room, AMI Rom
rushed tow ri ths sound. out was runewhat
disappointed when he gr pulled frank. ihe
fun now began. In" rcDJr.er, bv rIiing 40
W.
had n trOuuls IN causing tue nusl 81 prDJi.y
to skiD about IN anv direc ior. ~ never ine
near the reporter wac sat q Iotly la nis cnar
directing The pr1GigYs movements.
SOME MUSICAL TESTS.
The entrance 81 go agent put a stop to the
circus perip. nance, ana AT tue request ~ tlo
IN tue adj iinihe room. II. spr AK vita deltsnt
toward tue IN strunen bus tn, sung ne MAJ In
passed from mis- mud. Toe seen remarked
Il viii lie we YOU alone with lom Tor lew
minutes, and you can put MA % any tests you
see H."
Inc reporter awaited himself ofthe opport mi
~, and vi wed the opening par, OF LA fille 90
Madame Angot," p-rp0seiy strking Occisi m 4
lse notes aud leaving cut SOM. Iuin 1T Il lNn
iinnediatek an repeated exactly the y ssAges
with all the alterations and omissions. Mem
dels-ohn's Wedding Alarca" VS. ihtnR uuOn
the piano, aud tno reUOrter PLAYED II BACKWARDS.
ION shook his mead. aid played tne piece ~ tho
usual way, TemaIkinK lOu began At tao wrong
end"
D.ch'' Fueue No. II. book 2, vas mixed up
" =
plaved immeiia'ely. ine reporter pcinv nut an
ordinary plano III er. and feeling that he could
Llav nothing AIM ilt To wntcn iOm htu not l.
Sadj ilmiariz-d himself. determined On pc
cul AT to-t Paying a simple melody, Ia which
Is II 4 prcdoininated. he Took 4 tunitg hey from
MS noeket winch ne had br- ugnt witu "A view of
cxperinenting. and let GOWN the ring OF . hat
to natural. tnus PRACTICAL, removing tie nDi-
from the instrument. Eieh octave vas treated
reached the note W lea had been nl,IereI
with. Thea he stopped short, touched A ana Is
n al mi MiSg dor lnl "A IN
had become o! the note " = the IN, stery. lie
tncn began the tune AZ iiD. but when he strIck
u nat MS trouble began. lie fingered the an
ferrnt Octayes for several seconds, aud then he-
gan t. grind his teeth together, white his face
assumed "A frghtful aspcc. Of fer icity. SUD
drnl,, with peculi'r CUSTER noise, he bound
eu from his seat. and spsang upon ne reporter
with the a1llt' VI panther. me reporter had
not anucipated TINS NV movement, hut was
obigeh to face the mIstc. there - in- NJ otner
Mandy alternative. iom Is very DJwerf u.ly
hu.lt, ana VICTIMS about 2DJ p1u al, rae re-
port-rs SPECIFIC gravity /, lar below th,t hsure.
hut being somewh,t posted IN wrestling. IN
Oh lncrs were not far from sa lal. 10 "a SecureI
IA bod, grip, ana 81 Sc ON the reporters rios
ike a vice. uut rs ne ioossned ms hplI To sec re
"A lrmer one the interviewer wnIrrl arnunl ~
as 10 get his back To rom, and sccIring what IL
Known as the shoulder lock, dropped ON his
knees and Lifted the sn DIV one over on his back.
Tom lmme iiately secured a esh clutcr on
tine re uurter's wis, ;fOm which ~ wis tiu9us
sible 10 rscipe, AMI turning IKE iisnlnng ne
bore tle interviewer to the Il nor ,nd p nt.l II
Immense Knee on ma chest. he under man
felt that the Jig WAS up, ana ~ 70 MS lac. bent
down with us teeth ErnulDK together uorrt lly,
the reporter, As a last resort, beg n To Whistle
the " Last Rose Uf Summer." mlnmedi .tely
rehnquisned his griu and began nummIng q SEE
Ond to the ar, II wa, not pleasant 10 nave rlm
sqlattng on the stOm ch I the r. IOrter. ont IA
tuls position the two remained for some tine,
wui,tlnS aud singing du4 4. Al last the reporter
struck up the Blue DAnibe Waltz" and in an
instant rom WAS on the nOOr dancing IN excel.
ent II ne. rms tho reporter considered an TX
cellent tine t. get up aud slide out, which no
ana without mucn Delay, avlng Ion danCiug
anu sin-iug III the middle Of the room.
Nee ing the agent IN the nail, the reporter ro-
turned - give tle pnenomenou some fresh
text from Mr. Williams MS hDrary, the
Iom repeated II entire wthOu. mislo-
npuncing = word, except IN words bsglnn ng
win the letter sigma, which ctusei MN -
stutter terribly, until he lually skIppei the
sigma systematic ily. Portions OF "Richard
IIl," ana " Don Juan were 70, GATED vita the
same accuracy alter tine reporter As a nnh
test, some newspaper rigrdphs wore Luen READ
backwards and repeated Oy rOm wi h perfect
accuracy.
CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT BLIND TOM
The agent then gave ne reporter some very In
terrsttng details reiaiive 10 tue WONDER. ais
birthplace IA Georgia, and ne hegln To exotic
attention "a a musician NJ the age II four Va ~.
All sounds Afford him dehGnt; even the crying
OF a child causes MIN "a dtnce about lths tiiu
oi ec,,acy. Mhen AZ home ma often bit AMI
punched ma brotheIs aud sisters to make them
emit Cfes VI PAIN.
n kent away from "A piano, he VIII beat ayainst