The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-10

Interest in the Prodigy Revived by
the Death of gen. Bethune.

lar figures before the public. and the
source Of continual amazement to the
thousands who went to see and hear
him. About two years or more ago the
telegraphic dispatches announced that he
had been killed in a railroad accident
near Pittsburg There was an appar-
emily authoritative denial Of this intelli-
sence, and nothing more was heard Of the
matter. But at any rate about that time
Blind Tom disappeared to all purposes as
Z If the earth had swallowed him up and
has never been seen since. He was per
I haps the most remarkable human contra
+ oiction that ever existed. He was the
I child OF Charity and Tom. slaves belong
I ing to Gen. Bethune, in Muscogee cOu1-
i ~. Georgia, and his brothers and sisters
T numbered no less than nineteen As soon
+ as he began 10 be able to take notice il
became evident that he was an imbecile
4 Charity. his mother. was a type of the
/ old-time southern negress. tender-hearted
/ and sympathetic, and when she discovered
1 that her child was mentally useless her
/ grief was touching. Tom was nearly ,
1 years old when Charity made known her
4 trouble TO her master.
/ He kin tawk, Mass Tom" she moaned
4 but he don't say muffin 'cept whut you say
/ fust Den he say it arter you
I Bring him to me" said the general
Z If ! can teach my pointer dog TO bring
/ me my gloves and whip and fetch a dead
/ bird can teach a niger to do as much. -
Charity brought Tom up to the big
house from the quarters.
Tom sit down." ordered the general.
Tom, sit down." repeated the child
] still standing erect.
His master repeated the words, at the
4 same time taking him by the shoulders
and seating him. The next time he said,
TEN sit down." the boy did so, repeat
ing. however. the words. a habit he kept
until he passed out of contemporary sight,
This object lesson of Gen. Bethune's was
/ followed implicitly by Charity. and Tom
/ was taught to make his wants known
and to follow instructions given him sole
+ ~ by the direction of his instincts; train
ed, in word, like a dog.
But hidden in the seemingly shapeless
I mass of brain matter was a jewel of a
genius that was to be uncovered to dazzle
and astonish the world. Nature had been
/ in her most fantastic mood when she
fashioned him, and with an uncouth fig
ure and an intellect only one degree re-
moved from imbecility she had Joined her
divine gift of music. He was still a baby
/ when he roamed away from his parents
cabin one day. and strayed up to the for
hidden precincts of the big house yard.
One of Gen. Bethune's daughters was
/ playing upon a piano, which her father
/ had just given her. The child, scarcely
out Of infancy listened, fascinated and
thrilled The sleeping chords within hin,
were touched. Trembling and wrlthing,
he crawled up the steps and into the par
4 Tor and crept to the side of the player.
1t was not exactly proper according to
/ high southern ideas, for a half-naked pick
aninny to come unlimited into the man.
sion, and the event naturally caused talk.
! Cen. Bethune was equal to the occasion
4 when he learned of the occurrence,
The child is music crazy, poor little
thing" he said. Let it enjoy itself. Per-
/ haps it may learn to play one day and
make its life bearable.'
Naturally his daughters objected to such
an object as a slave baby in the house. but
/ Gen. Bethune prevailed upon them to let
Tom touch the piano keys. Charity dressed
I him up and he was taken up to the house.
/ His little fingers could hardly bear down
/ the keys, yet his touch brought forth har-
| mony-a faint echo of the air that was be-
ing played when he first heard the piano.
I Gen. Bethune was man Of strong inn
4 pulse and determination. He made up his
mind at once to cultivate the germs he had
seen and to ascertain what they would
bring forth. He was practcing law at
the time and editing a paper in Column
/ bus, Ga, and went into town from his
i plantation every morning.
He had ample means to carry out any
fancy that might seize him, so, as it was
entirely out of the question for Tom
talent to be nurtured upon the piano al
home. he purchased another instrument
for the boy and had it placed in one oil
his office rooms in Columbus. Every
morning Charity would dress Tom up and
bundle him in his masters carryall, and
every day the little fellow would play the
piano. OF course, he really did not know
one key from another, and sheet music tC
him was like Sanskrit to a Choctaw, but
the child was able to play any tune that
was played in his hearing. Gen. Bethune
would hire wandering musicians to come
| and play for Tom, and the prodigy would
almost go into spasms of delight. Then he
would be placed on the piano stool and
would repeat everything that he heard
When Alexander H. Stephens, Robert
Toombs the Lamars, and the other great
legal giants of Georgia would come to
Columbus court it was common to heaI
| one of them say:
Come on, lets so down to Jim Bethune's
office and hear his niger boy play the
piano
Out at home 1t was with great difficulty
that Tom was kept under observation
Sound owned him absolutely He would
follow the birds songs out into the woods
/ and frequently when he was lost in this
way, he was brought back by the sounds
of the flute produced by one of Gen. Be
| thune's sons, who performed excellently
| on the instrument. The child's life indeed
was based upon harmony When it rained
4 he would lie down with his ear to the
water spout and listen to the music made
by the patter of the falling drops.
By the time the war broke out Tom was
10 years old and his fame had spread al
over Georgia. His mental cloud still re.
manned and he knew no sentiment. There
was no gratitude about him, and he was
moved only by music. AS stated, he re-
peated everything that was said to him
and he began to display the most inor-
dinate vanity. But he hated women, and
/ could not bear them in his presence.
Pretty soon the news of the miraculous
character of his performances attracted
attention in the north, and it was not long
4 before Charity, poor, trusting creature
/ that she was, was approached by willy
agents of far-seeing managers Visions OF
/ great fortune wer held out before her en-
/ tfanced eyes, and the upshot of it was that
/ she applied to have Gen Bethune removed
/ as Toms guardian and another person APP
! pointed in his place. Judge Bond granted
Z how rao41ast and Blind Tom began tina