Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-24
A SAD STORY.

Prof. Leo Wheat was locked up at
the Police Station, Baltimore, few
days ago charged with assault. The
prisoner is now we'll advanced in
years. with gray hair and whiskers
and bent form. He is but shadow
of his former self. The professor
was once handsomely groomed and
we'll kept, being organist at one of
the largest New York churches. His
hymns and songs have netted him
large royalties. At his home in the
Shenandoah Valley many of the ia
nous musicians have been wined and
dlned. When the professor was
brought into the station house he
was charged with assaulting Daniel
Bowling. He was much the worse
from the liquor he had imbibed, and
Justice Grammar held the case over
until the man could regain his proper
senses. He told Justice Grammar
that he had been to hear Padereweski
and that, through the JOY of hearing
the great musician play and the
memories awakened by meeting him,
he had looked too much on the wine
and did not know what he was doing.
Mr.. Bowling said that he didn't wish
to prosecute. After a good hap, Mr..
Wheat seemed refreshed and ex-
pressed a desire to play. The old
piano which has stood for years the
thumps of novices was turned over
to the musician.
Under the soft touch of the old
man as he fondled the KEYS thew
fairly spoke. Mr.. Wheat is thorough
artist. He refused to touch a kew
until he had wiped the dust from ali
parts of the piano. "You curry a
horse, don't you ?" he asked; "then
why don't You clean your piano, eh?"
Though his brain was muddled, the
old fellow turned ont music that
would have been fit for a queen.
Besides being a composer Professor
Wheat is Confederate. He is we'll.
known everywhere, and was once a
social hero.
Mr.. Wheat was sent to Bayyiew
Asylum for one month by Justice
Grammar. Mr.. Wheat said that after
he is released from the institution he
will 60 to Texas, where he has a
standing offer of good position.
Mr.. Wheat gave q newspaper re-
porter the following account of his
separation from HIS wife: "My wife
and were separated II years ago"
said the musician, "when dedicated
the organ at the First COlored Bap-
tlst church in Richmond, the largest
colored congregation in the South,
and numbering among its members
the old dining room servants and
'mammies' of the father of nv wife.
Robert Allen. They came to me
and asked me to play for them when
they put their big organ in, and /
didn't have the heart to refuse. Leo
Wheat said my wife to me. IF YOU
play at that niger church I'll never
speak to you again. That was F.
+. V. pride, and ] had some of it.
too. i was going to play, but |
thought shed relent.
"The night came. 1t was a beau
tiful night in early spring and there
was a full moon (full musician, too,
for l had tanked up along with the
stress Of the thing.) The windows
of the church were all open and the
balmy spring air entered. There
were but three white men in the
place-Valentine, the sculptor; Cow
ardin, the proprietor of a Richmond
paper, and myself.
"My. but those niggers did sing.
That's what | loved them for. THE
old mans eyes sparkled and he raised
his hands aloft to tell his hearers
how they sang, but concluded to hold
his climax. When we came to the
close of the service l turned to the
niger preacher-Holmes was his
name-and / said: "Parson. let me
select the last hymn" gave them
Rock of Ages and they sang it as
only niggers can sing it, while /