The evening world., 1916-11-03
Fifty Boys and Girls
Famous in History
By Albert Payson Terhune

" ~
NO. 9.-THOMAS CHATTERTON, THE Mareious Boy"
IN IsToRY has named him "The Marvellous Boy" But his own
generation branded him $ a scoundrei AMI let him sarve to
death at seventeen. Here is his story:
&&A His father VI as @ provincial schoolmaster In England. who
died In the summer Of 1852, Just three months before bis only son birth
Thomas W a. sent to a charity school by his widowed mother when he wA
half wi,ted. 1
After eighteen month. be IA sen back to his mother with a me,sas.
that ven . charity school was no place for a "incOrrigioie Ounce" His
mother then tried to teach him to read. bu, with no better success. until
she CHANGED to show hun an Illuminated parchment manuscript that had
belonged to her husband. n
Thomas IA wild with delight at seeing tho yslOwed old manuscript
He threw off his dull apathy and began to study.
a.oDhsr the illuminated letters he i, oec mastered the science Of reading
ss:ia. only 70 : a so he S'S could s% MOT ). q " ~ scS a.: .tas s''i r :ses s% he :. i sss:s
Th.n, III a. nee when b. =. eleven no became . prize studsn, and
, ~ ~. ssss;i ~. /. Z h: |: .. s;i:;;, .y ':s,s: IL ss not = study : q
~s:s. : ssa' t st r 'ss.' s: :s q ssp : : s !" . "a as one ss.,s sss; %sss3
h. attic Of III. home. III. manu.eHp s SUPPORTED &c date from the aSssa,s
Sse5SH q tn. sSii sissss N ne Hs:'s account y we W fss1iasss and ma ea a.ssao ssa.iss.
He snnounecd that the chest Of old manuscript. had been Sousa. a. .
cover. Many of the manuscript. Thomas declared. rel stn in his.
The bulk of them. he said. contained poems. by n Thoma. Rovisy. I.
pos sa'' a isT ss.a . h esi'. sons Of ' sSs stained ' ODD p %3o asst.'p to eas1:
He presented the city of Bristol, with a 500 year old history u,o by
. s5sS%as n . slsmsr Sa n as saag S of 6a 81, G Ro WI Sy inspire, Hf sea asrn "a eminent
,,o All tA; ~, sort +, OF ,h .ms,s soSssS % s ss boy s a s ssE,ao on s Amount n. Of ,, local
waiDoie. the author, statesman. . SNUG. c0neatsd. vindicavs old patron of
,e.' &C. Of arc literary y.,us- :: cS, .aow,.yr W., %alpSl. Va, asnsh'sdS
aafraG the the youns,ter a~ohs { and himself famous:
~. .nu.crint nat wapoe 20 boasttuny showed them They told Wal.
pole the manuscripts were hnpudent forgeres And
IA~.~~~>>>~A the full exposure followed. Chatterons story had been
$eno.m. sndS true only s concerned the fact that his father had
I Punishment ! pough d hu"pI vi " V Wv" Hem" M
S~~~~~~~@ 70 az sINhco 'heSe !" """o ""' Won 81" ouI M
O them he had written the poems and chronicles and
I..a,.s, &c which he attributed to the mythical "Rowey" The work had
shawn a. excellence OF literary quality Inc q amNlarn with ancient Eng
and hat had at fstd deceived every one
"' H. half ucated boy could have written such things is still n
uv.sIs Of n ages why he did II, Instead OF profting by the
- ,.h,, hnselt 4, also a mystery. There was practically no money In
~ =, s" n Walnoie instead f haiing Chaterton as a prodigy. denounceo
him as a t@ger The lad was discharged by his employers Every one
Stunned him. .,. -.n. r,,,u --..- No.. A..
u,,,aSo a,d editors meeNy followed Walpoies lead by backhstng the
pup'"n 80. -, munger after nearly a week OF starvation in his garret DON
10y ' .nerth s lstp penny for a small dose of arsenic to hasten his death
lhoms spN - ,aysn,cen whe 10 died. HI vas buried in a pauper ceme-
10 as -. la.er III the world began to acclaim him a 8 q peerless