St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-27
BLIND TOm.
The Noted Pianist Declared Men
tally Unsound, and Incapable of
Managing His own Affairs.

tally UDsound, and Incapable of
Managing His own Affairs.
NEW YORK, Nov. 26.-James w. Ran
ney, as commissioner in lunacy, and
sherifT's jury heard testimony to-day in the
application of Charity Wiggins. the eighty
year-old cOlored woman who is the mother
of Blind Tom, the celebrated negro pianist,
to have her son adjudged insane and in
competent to care for himself Blind Tom
is now in Virginia under the care of James
N. Bethune, who owned the Virgins family
while in slavery, and has had charge
of Blind Tom for twenty years. The Vir-
ginia courts decided in a similar application
that Tom was a resident of this state, and
accordingly Judge Donahue granted the ap-
plicatiOn of Mrs. Wiggins for commissinn
to decide his sanity. Mrs. Virgins is suing
Bethune for an account OF the money he
has received during the past twenty-three
years through exhibiting Blind Tom. Mrs.
Virgins is the mother of twenty children,
of whom eight are dead. Tom was born
MAY 81, 1S49, in Georgia. He was born in
slavery. Slaves could not legally contract
marriage, but Toms parents were married.
Tom left Georgia Immediately after
the emancipation. She said that
Tom did not have the knowledge
that other children had, and does not to
this day. He was born blind. He never
could dress himself, and always had to be
led around. He knew nothing about the
war, and the witness thought he knew moth
ing about slavery. When he was years
old if he heard dog bark, rooster crow
or bird sing, he would initiate it. The
family was astonished by his first trial of
the piano. While sitting at the table the
rh1 fo,,, II, s,,t<. fhf,
room and found him playing. After that
whenever he heard the girls play he would
play as they did. Tom could play any
thing. John G. Bethune took Tom every
day to have him taught He
was then little over years
old. When Tom was years old he was
carried away. He was never taught any
thing but music. When witness last saw
him, year ago, he recognized her. He
never forgot anything he learned. He was
always amused by hearing other childlen
cry when they were whipped. Tom al
ways listened to the ticking of the clock.
He would initiate the pattering of the rain
drops on the piano. Prof. Joseph Poz-
nauckni, who taught music to Tom, said
that he was an extraordinary person, but
of unSound mind. In describing his way
Of teaching Tom, the professor said he had
two pianos in one room. Witness would
play a selection on one. Tom would
listen for awhile, got up, walk around,
stand first on one foot, then on the other,
pull his hair and knock his head against the
wall. Then he would sit down and play
very good imitation, with additions of his
own. He had prodgious memory.
Joseph Enbank, the treasurer of the Blind
Tom company. was with him for twelve
years. Tom was a powerful man. He
was offended with professor of music and
began to rub his hands together. Tom
knocked the professor off the
stool and threw the witness out
of the room. The company took in an
average of So. 900 per month clear profit.
He believed the profit was about $25. 600
per year. Tom never received cent from
the company. Lawyer Albert j. Lerche,
of Virginia, testified that Tom was insane,
and had no property except an interest in a
suit for $780, 600 in Virginia; his flute,
worth SITS, and $40 worth Of clothes. The
verdict OF the jury was that Blind Tom was
mentally unsound and incapable of manag-
ing his own affairs.