Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
BLIND BOY DESERTED
Heartless Companions Bring Him to Wash
ington and Abandon Him.
He Finds Friends in q Barber Shop
Story Related to Sanitary
Officer.

Deserted by two companions who ha6
enticed him away from his southern home
John billiard, a blind colored boy about
twenty years of age. was found cropping
helplessly along Pennsylvania avenue yes
terfay afternoon. By chance he stumbled
into barber shop conducted by members
of his own race, and there told his story
He was given some food and was later
taken care Of by the police. This morning
billiard was brought to the Office Of SAM
tary Officer Frank. The story told by the
boy is a peculiar one.
His home, he says, is in Bristol, Tenn
where he has a sister. billiard worked
there at his trade, stemming tobacco. Bud
Houston and Edgar Payne, two colored
men, after much persuasion, induced the
boy to give up his position and go with
them to Philadelphia. where they would
put him to work, they said, stemming to-
bacco at wages at least twice as great as
those he was receiving in Tennessee. Dill
lard claims to be a good tobacco worker
in spite of his affliction. He can see dimly
out Of one eye.
Companions Get His Money.
In an unhappy hour billiard consented to
venture forth in the world. His sole pos
session at the time was a S. bill. This he
gave to his companions. and with them
boarded a Norfolk and Western train, ar
irving in Washington yesterday morning.
He was told that this was the place to
change cars for continuance of the jour
ney to the Quaker city. So out upon the
streets they went, billiard being led from
the Baltimore and Ohio station to some
distance above the peace monument on
Pennsylvania avenue.
Wait here a minute" said one of the
men. I've got to see friend up the
street"
The blind boy and the second man wait
ed. Finally the second man, Payne, de-
clared: We'll, I'm going, too. Good-bye!'
billiard could not see whittier his faithless
companions went He waited some time
expecting them to return and continue on
the way to Philadelphia 1t was shortly
after this that he stumbled into the barber
shop and received attention. He Is pennt-
less and unable to help himself except In
pursuit of his labor of stemming tobacco.
The case is peculiar in that the motive
billiards. companions would have in bring
ing him here only to desert him Is mex
pucable. The So he gave them was hardly
sufficient to pay his fare from Bristol to
this city, even at second-class rate
Sanitary officer Interested.
Mr.. Frank is Of the opinion that Houston
and Payne probably took an interest In
the boy and thought to obtain better en-
ployment for him. They discovered, per-
haps, that they had made bad bargain
and unceremoniously and heartlessly left
him to care for himself. They might have
thought to share his wages should his en-
ployment in a tobacco factory prove profit
able. The boy is illiterate and does not
speak freely. His name is billiard, as
nearly as can be made out from his pro-
nunciation. He is ignorant as to how the
name is spelled. He will probably be held
to see if some of his friends may not be
heard from. Mr.. Frank has had to deal
with many peculiar cases, but pronounces
this one of his Queerest.