The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-04-28
A WHITE NEGRO.
Dne Of the Most Remarkable Gases
of tho Ago.
Ian Agcd African Who Gradually Changed
from q Deep Islcclx to Deadly
White--A Puz.lc to tho
Doctors.

White--A Puzalc to tho
Doctors.
: Tor many years one Of the most fa-
aailinr and well-lzrown figures on the
ssxtrects of Westminster. Md, has been
abraham Ireland, fa1riiliarly l:nown to
both old and young as "Unclc AbrarnSr
IN hard-worl,ing, Industrious colored
nlnn, kind and genial in disposition and
-unobtrusive in manner. says o special
from Westminster to the Baltimore Sun.
Until recently he enjoyed excellent
health After short illncss Of pneu-
moaia. following an attack OF the grip,
,l1e died the other morning ut o'clock.
in the cightytllird year CT lis age. To
the younger generation of Westminster
he was probably not SO great u curiosity
ms to the older ones, who remember him
in his younger days as having shiny,
Jet black skin, with every indication Of
.his pure African lineage, and his grad
11al change to a pure white has been .
constant source of speculation and curl
,osity. The change was not sudden
one, but very gradual, and no change in
his feelings or health was the least no.
Niccable. He was born at Soldiers
Dclight," Baltimore county, Nd, on
-Tnl,n Sunday, 1909, of slave parents,
sand was the property of Nicholas Lowe,
who sold him TO Amos Lowe, with whom
he moved to Finksburg, Carroll county.
When fifteen years old his r:saster sold
him to Mr.. Andrew Powder, of West
minister, with whom he learned the tan
ner's trade and lived until he was forty
five years old. He worked at his trade
until 1870, but did not thinl, the tan had
amy effect on his color, as other colored
mem worked in the same yard without
amy change Of complexion.
Both his parents were full-blooded
Africans, very black, as are al of his
achildrcn, his son David, one of the most
prorninent colored men in the town,
haying q rich mahogany complexion.
The FIRST change noticeable in Abraham
rvas white spot which appeared on his
vcheelk about thirty years. ago, then on
l1is forehead and one wrist, the white
spots appearing on different parts of his
body and gaining for him the title of
-Leopard." The spots then increased
rapidly, finally coming together, until
Iris entire body was of siclsly white,
-nptly described by Huck Finn in Mark
Twain's famous book, as 'ish-belly
white" The change was complete and
permanent, no fading from black to
white nor shading of color, but pure,
unmistakable white His head is per-
9ecfly bald, and Of the same deadly
white as the rest of his body. A few
spots of color have appeared in recent
e., ho NJ
.fributes to sunburn, Us his life has been
spent principally out of doors. His body
-sZas whittier than his face or hands.
There has never appeared to be any
.ahin disease or unpleasant itching sem
1nfion, and the old man at last sue
xumbed to the hand of death, Us SO
S1mnny others have done in the last year,
from cold and the prevailing grip, his
BODILY health in every way being still
-,znimpaired. While puzzling tho med
ical fraternity Abraham attracted the
attention of the public and received sew
>raa offers to place himself on exhibition
in dime museums, and also received a
very fattering offer from the veteran
Snowman, P. T. Barnum, but these he
declined, preferring quiet life with his
,sm, never caring for notoriety. A few
years ago Mrs. Jacob Eldridge, OF
Howell, Mich, similar freak, died In
tthzt state md attracted considerable
a&Aention. She was also of full African
6lDod, her grandfather having como
srsm Guinea, and her experience OF the
,changc from q colored to white per
aBon was similar to that Of "Uncle
-A1xan," suffering no Inconvenience nor
ashowing any signs Of skin disease.
Isshe was the only other case known to
MAe public up to the present time.