The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-01-24
CHANGING HIS c LOR.
A GEoBGIA BLACK MAN GRADUALLY
BECOMING WHITE.
He Is on Exhibition in Washington and is
Attracting a Great Deal of Atten-
tion--Draws Like a Dime
Museum Freak.


tioD--Draws Like Dime
Museum Freak.
From the Washington Post.
'Uncle Tom Cleveland, an aged col
ored man. who has recently been
brought from the cotton fields of Geor-
gia, has NOT the powers of chameleon by
which he can adapt his color to that OF
surrounding objects, and such an ex-
PLANTATION cannot account for his appear
ance on Tuesday evening before the
physiological class. The peculiar thing
cut Uncle Tom is that he was once
- K rs the ace of spades; he is now
white. 1t was this that called several
medical men together to discuss before
the students the character of the phe-
nomenoD.
The exhibition took place at 7 o'clock
in the lower lecture room of the school
ON II street. 1t had been advertised
among the students, who thronged to
see it with as much eagermess as one
could go to view a dime museum freak.
DR.. j. L. Magruder, the dean OF the
medical faculty, told the class that Un-
Gle Tom was now sixty years old, and
that from the age of forty there was the
best of proof that he had been as white
as Caucasian. He said that Mr. D. M.
D. Lindsey, prosecutor of claims in
this city, had brought the man from
Hart county, Georgia, where he had
lived all his life.
He then read number of sworn testi
monials to show that Uncle Tom was
not cake One of these referred to
Thomas &c. Lawson, member of con-
gress. They were signed by F. G. Stew
enson, ordinary, and Horatio j. Goss,
Justice of the peace in the county, and
asserted that Uncle Tom had been
known to them for at least twenty-five
years, and that he was once as black as
any man on the plantation. A letter
was also read from Mr.. Thomas W.
Teasley, whrse father had owned Uncle
Toms mother as a slave. He declared
that the man was born black and that he
grew up black, but that he had turned
white.
Uncle Tom came in company with the
learned medicos and listening to the
reading of the letters establishing his
identity with indifference. He is man
of small stature and would probably be
classed by the enlightened colored gen
tlemen of the city as ga corntield mig
ger.'' He appeared en- dishabille. DIR.
Magruder told him TO mount chair so
that the spectators could see him better,
and he was disrobed. From the top OF
his head to the sole of his feet, except
ing small patches on his face, his skin
is as white and clear as that OF the pur-
est blonde. His face is piebald. There
are patches of the black still remaining
across the nose and little round spots
upon the ears. His hair is black and
kiakey, and his eyes retain their normal
African color.
DR.. S. E. Watkins, Of the Emergency
Hospital, was called upon to describe
the case and stated that it was species
of skin disease which occurred very
rarely. 1t began in small spots on the
face, the back and the hands, growing
in size until the whole body was cover
ed. This was the manner it has pro-
crossed in the present case. 1t was not
accompanied with itching or pain, and
SO far as known there was no cure for it.
III vas caused by the dying out of the
nigment that colored the skin.
This change of color was not uncom-
mon among people of different parts OF
the world, especially IN Turkestan. The
change of pigment occurred also early
in lire among the DARKER races. DR..
stiles stated that colored children i'm
mediately after birth are reddish brown,
and that they afterwards became slate
grey. The time when they became
black differed. In Soudan it was at the
ace of one year, but in Egypt it was not
until the child was fonr years old
Uncle Tom was then passed around
for the boys to look at, and right jolly
time they had. He was made the center
of an inquisitiye group that worried him
with all manner of questions, both for
sport and the acquisition CT medical
knowledge He bore it well for an isno-
rant eolored man, and assured the boys
that he had not lost his color by staying
out in the rain. He is under the charge
of Mr.. Lindsey, who was present at the