The sun., 1908-07-05

washed. 1t was not every one that he
would allow to attend 10 his toilet.
On one occasion his manager had to
leave him in the hotel, and before leaving
him explained how he could regulate the
heat in the room. Now" said he, -if this
room gets too hot turn this radiator this
way, and il too cold turn it the other way"
and he illustrated what he said by guiding
Toms hand. Then to find out If Tom under
stood he asked what he would do. if the room
was hot. Tom had his fingers on the radia-
tor and with ease pulled 1t out.
When very young Tom used to like to
hurt other children 80 that he might hear
them cry. 1t was thought that he did not
do this out Of cruelty but because of his
fondness for all sounds. Once he choked
a younger brother nearly TO death. and at
another time burned n infant sister. This
mania lasted all his life, and any exclam ma =
ton indicative Of pain always gave him
great pleasure. although he always ex-
pressed sympathy for the sufferer. Once
when in n small town his manager locked
him in the hall as usual and Tom amused
himself with the piano. When his manager
returned he was surprised to find Tom
holding q man down on the floor and almost
choking him. The man was yelling and
Tom was delighted.
Another peculiar fancy Of Toms was to
stand on his head. Almost the first thin
he would do on entering his bedroom was
to jump over the foot of the bed head first
and stand on his head on the bed. This
he would do over and over again, and then
rub his hands and chuckle.
When Tom first made his appearance
many musicians were sceptical as to his
abilities and many visited him. One OF
the first was Prof. George A. Kelly Of Pitts
burg. Tom was 4years old at the time and
in order to test him Prof. Kelly play ed
a piece Of his own composition which had
not becA published. Tom played it at once
as accurately and with as much expression
as the professor Thirteen years after.
| ward Prof. Kelly saw Tom again. Tom
remembered the incident Of many years
previous and played the professors piece
| for him again.
Tom could name any note played on a
| piano, and musicians would try to catch
| him by striking keys at random. and how
! ever dlscordant the chords might be Tom
! would name every note with extraordinary
| uuickness. He did this for Charles Halle
! for Moschees and other noted musicians.
The Albany Argus Of January, 1855, de.
scribed Tom as "a wild, unoouth figure
angular at all points which should be curved
and curved at points that should present
| acute lines-loose jointed, close woolled
thick Tipped, sprawl footed with forehead
almost covered with kinky locks, eyeballs
prominent and distended. and an idiotic
staring expression Of coun untenance-in shor
a regular specimen Of the African In hit
unadulterated and barbarous condition.
] 1t then described what Tom could do, how
he would name any note struck. how he
would call off correctly twenty notes thai
had been sounded rapidly. how he play cd
Beethoven's Sonata Pathetiquer withou,
O false note or discord or omission.
TOMS wonderful memory lasted through
| his life. When last performing IN Brooltlyn
| he was visited by the daughter Of HE ole
! manager and asked II he remembered one
who had gone twenty five years before
why, yes said Tom, "she used 10 wast
my face and then he talked Of his ole
friends and seemed happier than he hac
been for long time. - -