The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-07-22
FAMED AS PiANIST.
Biihd Iom' ard His Remarkable
GIFTS Of Memory.

oefore his piano in the home of Mrs.
Eliza B. Lerche, the widow of his old
master, at 60 Twelfth street, Hobok-
en-, N. j., singing the old melodies
with which he had thrilled great au-
diences before the civil war, he sud-
denly stopped and fell face downward
on the floor. Mrs. Lerche, who has
cared for him for more than 20
years, ran into the room and, help
Ing him up, found that his whole
upper right side was paralyzed.
But Tom could not understand
that he was different, and soon went
back to the piano. When he found
that his right hand could not strike
the keys he said, with his voice
quavering:
Toms fingers won't play"
Again and again he tried. Finally,
when he realized it was useless his
big blind eyes filled with tears and
he wept like a child. Each day he
returned to the piano and with his
left hand started some favorite piece.
Dlscords came quickly, however and
then, with tear-moistened cheeks. he
would rise and pace the floor until
late into the night. His old mistress
sought to comfort him, but he would
only sob out:
Toms fingers won't play no
mo-"
Blind Toms body lies this morn
Ing at the undertaking room of the
Frank E. Campbell Company. where
1t was taken by Mrs. Eliza Lerche,
with whom he had been living in
Hoboken. Mrs. Lerche is the widow
or John G. Bethune, son Of General
Bethune. After the death of her
husband, who had been the blind
mans legal guardian and manager.
she succeeded to his immensely VAL
liable guardianship Of the blind mu-
sician, after a long fight with her
father-in.law in the courts.
In early childhood he initiated the
cries Of farm animals, the call of
birds and the sound of the wind and
rain for the amusement of the house.
hold. BY night he would steal into
the t4house of his master to initiate
In undertones on the piano the pieces
he had heard others play during the
day. He was destitute Of invention.
but marvelously initiative. During
his public appearances he frequently
played one melody with his right
hand and another with his left. sing
ing or visiting a third, as fire.
quently the classic compositions Of
Bach, Chopin and Mendelssohn as
yankee Doodle" Sailors Horn
pipe" or other pieces of that class.
On occasions he played pieces with
his back turned to the piano. He
could initiate the sound Of other
musical instruments and deliver con-
nected addresses in foreign Ian.
suages without understanding word
he uttered.
The eccentricities Of Blind Tom"
on the stage pleased audiences as
much as his playing. He always re-
ferred to himself as the third per-
son. and would announce his pieces
by saying, tom will now play a
beautiful piece he heard recently"
He frequently jumped about wildly
and started the applause himself
when he finished q numoer.
His mother, Aunt Charity, died in
Birmingham, Ala, on November 2a,
1902, at the reputed age Of los. She
had spent a few years in comfort in
New York with the musician, but
never was really comfortable here,
and finally went back to the south.
blind Tom" had a geat fondness
Tor watermelons and could always be
induced to play for any one who
offered him a piece OF the dainty
His money affairs were in the hands
OF the Bethunes, and no accountina
OF his earnings was made for some
time. Several suits were brought
against Mrs. Lerche, but nothing def
mite ever came Of them.
Just how old ne was is unknown.
stories vary. but he was born prob
ably between 1849 and 1853 on a
plantation near Columbus, Ga, where
his parents lived as the slaves of
Gen. James n. Bethune. He made
his first appearance in New York in
1861, played in Chicago the following
year, at the Empire Theatre, Lon
dPn, in 1867, and in California in
1873. His last wOrk In D,,h,;o ,,o.