Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1894-01-02
BLIND TOM ALIVE.
The Musical Prodigy a Close Prison.
or in New York City.

oAhAaNh viz hAANhAAOh VI hAA u w hVhAA
erners, and chivalrous lovers of music
The st. Louis Republics New Yorl
Correspondent says;
Blind Tom, the black musical won
der, who, for more than three years
has been supposed to be dead, is al
unwilling prisoner under lock anC
key in an East side tenement. Hi
keepers are q man and a woman. tn,
latter, who has defed court after cour
to take the musician from her, is th,
widow of John G.. Bethune, BlinC
TOMS former master. To thwart jus
tice aud block litigation, TOMS keep
ers had caused rumor after rumor t
be circulated to the effect that he wa
dead. Alleged confirmation of tn,
prodigy's demise was had at the timt
Of the JOhnstown flood, when tht
body of negro was recovered and {
woman came forward and identified
the body as that of Thomas Virgins
which is Blind TOMS rightnam Al
such, the body was buried, and I
small marble tablet bears the date anC
fact of Blind TOMS death.
But it was not the musician's body
that had been laid to rest. BLIND
Tom, who was then in the custody o.
his present keepers, was secretly
brought East, and has since been dead
to the pubhc. He was removed Ia
this city seven months ago, and has
since been kept in seclusion. Despite
the precautions of his keepers tC
guard their secret, Blind Tom hal
been found with his wonderful musi
cal power undiminished.
The prison house is four-story
brown stone front tenement in Twen
ty-frst street. His rooms, five in
number, are on the third floor. No
one is ever admitted to the prison, moi
even the grocery boy. His basket /,
placed outside the rear door of the
apartment and the grocery boy goes
away. Then the door is opened, eth
or by the former Mrs. Bethune or by
Albert j. Lerche, her husband, who
stealthily emerges and, hastily snatch
ing up the articles, disappears inside
The mysterious conduct of the couple
Is the talk of the neighborhood.
Lerche, before he married the Wild
ow Bethune, once opposed Mrs. Beth
une's effort TO obtain possession Of the
negro. That was in 1885, when he
obtained power of attorney from
TOMS mother, Charity Virgins, to
defend her sons interest In court
The effort failed and Mrs. Eliza Beth
une. then widow, retained possession
ofTom.
Lerche wooed and won the widow.
When she obtained control of Blind
Tom Mrs. Bethune was required by
the Court to render an accounting
every year. For six years she con-
Quoted the tours about the country
aud reaped all the profit. She has
not made the accounting demanded
by law, and it is alleged that she has
made at least $4,000 out of concerts
in that time. Contempt proceedings
have been brought against her, but
she has successfully fought off the
lawyers and summons servers.
Blind Tom was born In Georgis
May 25, 1849, SO that he Is A years
old. His mother, Charity Virgins
although over 80 years of age, is alive
and living with her children in Mus.
cogee county, Georgia. Her husband
Mingo, died 10 years ago. She had II
other children, all Of whom are said tC
be living. Tom was an idiot from
birth, and at years of age was sole
TO j. N. Bethune, Of Fauquier county
Virginia. From his earliest year,
Tom showed a wonderful appreciation
of music. On the Bethune plantation
he first heard the notes of o panic. II,
was often found with his ear presset
to the wall of the house when th'
piano was being played, and he SAM
or whistled airs after hearing then
once.
A NATURAL MUSICIAN.
AT years of age Tom astonishet
.ho Dathupo fov,;Ix Ia, bfa tuOu,ihrf,,