The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-11
TURNING WHITE.
kin of a Wichita Negro Dark
Only in Spots.
Peculiar Change First Made
Appearance in 'S4.
He FAILS TO ACCOUNT.
Never Suffered Any Inconven-
fence From 1t.
Does Not Think 1t a Disease of
the Cuticle.
HE FAILS TO ACCOUNT.

Wichita, Kan, Aug. 1.-THE Beacon
says:
There lives at 1858 Meade avenue in
this city man who at his birth was
as black as almost any negro in the
city, who is today more than half
white and growing whittier all the time.
His name is Frank z. Bateman. NOR
tar maker and his case is one of the
perpIexing problems which medical sci
ence has yet to solve.
Bateman's hands and arms, save for
occasional splotches, are as white as
those of the average white men and
his body and lower limbs are more than
half white. the color being distributed
about in irregular spots all over him.
SThere are large white spots on his head
and face, giving him peculiar I'M
canny appearance.
Bateman's parents were both quite
black, but three of their children show
ed this peculiar tendency to turn white
and a brother of Bateman's mother
has also undergone a partial change
from black to white.
When seen last night just after the
close of his days work, Bateman was
washing the lime from his hands and
arms and had his sleeves rolled above
his elbows, showing a skin as white as
that of the average white man. he
talked freely about the peculiar change
which at the present rate will leave
him perfectly white in another year
or two.
Il used to be ashamed to let people
see the white spots on my skin," said
he, but 1 have got used to it now and
do not worry about it any more.
Il was born in 1858 at Huntsville, Ark.
They tell me that when 1 was born the
tips of my fingers were white but
aside from that 1 never noticed any
IN f1A oil Of INV -lY n mt
1884 when white spots began to make
their appearance all over me. These
spots we're small, but they grew grad
ually larger for about three years and
growing for several years. Some time
in July last year. 1 noticed that the
white spots had begun again to extend
and new ones began to appear. Since
that time the change has been rapid and
my skin a now fully half white.
Il cannot explain it and 1 have never
found anyone who could do so. 1 have
never suffered any inconvenience be-
cause of it. hence 1 cannot think it is
any disease of the skin, as some doctors
have called it, My health is good and
there has never been any unusual SEN
sation such as itching or burning of
the skin and no peeling off or rough
ness. It is just turning white, that is
all 1 know about it and all there is to
it, 1 guess.
When 1 was small boy, one day in
1854 noticed white spots on the skin
of my sister, who is now in Spokane,
Washington. These spots grew gradu-
ally larger until the last time 1 saw her
she was quite spotted.
"A brother also showed some such
tendency, but not to the extent that
my sister and I did, though the spots
might have developed later in life, if
he had not died. w. Polk, of Kansas
City, an uncle of mine has had a. sim
liar experience. He was on exhibition
for some time as the spotted man."
Frank Bateman has lived in Wichita
since 1884 He is sturdy, reliable
sort of a fellow and has laid by some
thing for a rainy day. He has a farm
in Mcpherson county, Nebraska, and is
arranging to move to it soon, expecting
to adopt farming as his occupatio
hereafter. He is married and though
he and his wife have had three chill
dren, all are dead. One of them, how
ever, who lived to be more than II years
old, showed some tendency to turn white
as his father is doing.
Mr.. Bateman said he once saw a COL
ored woman who once turned complete
ly white and he remembered a case that
seemed stranger still where a light COL
ored mulatto turned quite black.