The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-20
REAL INFANT PHENOMENON
Colored Child of Five Years Displays
Remarkable knowledge of the Bible.
Chapters Read at Sight and Questions That
Would Stump Old Biblical Students
Answered Promptly.

Last night little Ben Coleman, q colored
boy. not over five years OF age, gave q
Bible-readIng et the New Bethel (colored)
Church, on Beeler street. He was adver-
tised to read French. Spanish. Latin or
Greek, but as nobody had any literature of
the kind, this exhibition was not made of
the boys wonderful accomplishments. An
admission of 10 cents was taken at the
door. and not moro than 125 people heard
the boy read. The small audi
ence was wrapt in the most pro-
found attention when Ben first stepped
forward after he had been introduced by
the minister of the church. and listened in
tently until he had concluded ell his read
ings His childish pronunciation made 1t
lmp0ssib ole to understand some words, but
his general emphasis showed that he not
only read well whatever sections he was
asked to read. but understood them.
Everybody crowded to the front of
the church where little Ben stood before O
low table, upon which lay large Bible
with his child fingers upon the lines he
read. His father, an ordinary looking
colored man, sat near him. His voice
while reading would assume the general
expression of the ypical cOlored preacher,
with now and then an incline which gives
such sermons their peculiar weird
symphony. When q chapter that somebody
from the audience had desig na ted for him to
read was completed. technical biblical
questions would be asked by different peo-
Die. all of which were answered promptly
and correctly. Gen. John Coburn, who
occupied front seat. asked the little fell
low in what chapter occurred Christ's SER
mon on the mount, and the little fellow
answered at once. By ME-. Columns request
hs turned TO that chapter and read a part
of the sermon to the audience. Such que
ries as to just how many verses were
in certain chapters OF the Bible
were asked. to which little Ben
always answered unhesitatingly. His
father stated that he never carried any
literature written in q foreign language
with him. for the reason that people might
presume the boy had acquainted himself
with it and repeated it by rOte, bat that If
any body present had any tbing of the kind
his son would gladly read 1t. Nobody re-
sponded. The little fellow showed last
night that he bad knowledg 90 of the entire
Bible that is seldom gained by older persons
in long years of study. Master Ben Cole
man is from Louisiana, weighs thirty-four
and 0ne-balf pounds. has clear black eye
and appears quite at ease, even when
dozens of the most complex biblical Ques-
tions are shOwered in upon him. IL seems
rather strange that such a phenomenon as
this boy seems to be should leave the city
attachments to much larger audi
ence. After be had completed his
reading tall colored gentleman rose
and, with some embarrassment, said he did
not how the wise men in the temple
could have been much more surprised at
the answers made by the infant Christ
than he had been at the little boy who sat
among them. Col. w. b. Roberts, who was
present, observed that the little fellow vas
too many for him."