The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-27
Especial to n. Y. WORLDLY

NCpcSldl 10 N. L. NOrl0.)
Baltimore, Feb, 19.-"Leo Wheat in
the pOorhouse."
Together with a molly crowd. hope
les specimens of humanity, the once
noted musician and composer, associate
or Sir Arthur Sullivan and Paderews-
III, son of a southern family, was rat
tied o ffto Bayview-that last refuge
OF h homeless and friendless.
Leo Wheat had been arrested the
night before for %assaulting a man on
the street with a cane. He was in
liquor at the time. The musician was
walking along the street, a pictur-
esque figure with his OLD gray felt hat
pulled carelessly over his ewes. his
clothes in disorder and a bright red
carnation in his buttonhole. Taking
onense at the way a passerby looked at
him, the "Old Johnny Reb," as he
called himself, raised his cane and
brought it down on the shoulders of
the surprised citizen. and the old man
was baled to the station house.
Here Mr.. Wheat explained that he
had e to a concert and to the ex-
hiiaration of the music he had added
that of liquor, so that he did not know
A ~ uo1liS- Nucu LIS tlcIlIn
learned who his assailant was he re-
fused to prosecute. Then the old
musician, broken in health and purse,
asked the magistrate to commit him to
Bayview. Justice Grammar granted
his plea and he sank YEARLY upon the
wooden bench.
Soon his dropping spirits revived and
while waiting for the prison van the
professor entertained his friends upon
the Old piano in the station house.
Police Lieutenant Cole had been asked
if the old man could harm the instru-
ment and had laughingly replied that
he couldn't hurt it if he played lit
with his feet" MI. Wheat turned
tn ecover down with all the gentleness
with which he might have treated the
finest piano made. Slowly at first and
with little animation he played the old
airs. He livened up considerably Oh
Dixie" making the Away, away.
away down south in Dixie echo and
re-echo through the station house. He
talked of Fort McHenry when he play
er 1.-The Star Spangled Banner; and
he tried to sing when in some truant
fancy his hands wandered into the
strains of the Doxology. But when he
struck his own Cradle" song, which
he told his hearers we're the best thing
he ever wrote, he began to interpolate
remarks of his own in his playing.
hisdavhim Tn Boo etaoin shrdlu Qua
the baby in the cradle. Sh' Quiet!
Now she's singing to it-softly, slow
ly. Now she's rocking the cradle with
her foot-a little woman's foot. Now
she's sewing, sewing" The old musi-
clan took his hands from the keys for
a minute and bent them as if using the
needle.
When he ceased playing he was ask
ed many questions, and to n of them
he replied: You ask me if l have not
played for royalty. Yes, for Albert
Edward, l played twice, once in SO and
again in '66. l have played for EN-
peror Frederick of Germany and for
the emperor of Austria. Paderewski
l met in Poland. He was then a
young nan and requested me to give
him what we call listening lessons"
Leo Wheat was horn near Richmond
and early manifested an unusual tai
ent for music. He went to Europe and
studied there for two years, forming a
close friendship with Sir Arthur Sulli-
van. On his return to America he
was considered to be among the fore
most pianists in this country. He has
been organist in many large churches
in both northern and southern cities,
and has played as premier soloist in
many a concert. He Is a brother of
Colonel Roderan Wheat, of the noted
Louisiana Tigers. and himself served
in the confederate army on the staff
of General Lee. He is a widower,N but
has several grwn children in Virginia.