The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-01-27
RAGGED GENIUS !.
GIVES CONCERT
Wizard of fiano Entertains Po-
lice Station Inmates With
Jazz and Classic Stuff.
LIFE STORY ONE OF TRAGEDY
Unkempt Prodigy Of "Hoboes' Col
Iege" Retains His Love Of Music
= Through Vicissitudes That
Pursue Shamblins Life.

adelphia.-Music critics have ig-
nored the concert given at the piano
Of the police station the other evening
by Harry Tannehill of Pittsburgh and
points West, more recently musical
director of. the Hoboes' college and
pianist extraordinary.
Tannehill, cleverly disguised as
hobo-and one in all reality-gave
the police several hours Of uninter-
rupted ragtime and then tore off a
lot of classical numbers that left the
veriest patrolman feeling like an am
bassador. He glided through a little
Liszt, gave some Chopin dirges and
then threw the whole outfit into rap
lures with a masterful Interpretation
of RachmaninOff
It was an impromptu affair entire
ly. The artist arrived at the little
bare room opposite the cell tier short
ly before seven o'clock, conveyed by
MulhOlland of the motorcycles" His
escort had lured him from the con-
crete campus of Hoboes' college.
For four hours he played his roper
toire Of melodies, jazz and classic.
The station house did it's usual night
ly business of the district. Drunks
were brought in-many of them.
Migrants were lodged. The police
surgeon made his round. And all q
glance into the music room disclosed
to any Of them was the sight of q lit
tie ragged figure, cap tossed aside,
battered shoes, dirty sweater and un-
forgivable linen, sounding chords in
a revery. Two revolver shots sound
ed, just around the corner Someone
receiv ing wrong change in a nearby
cigar store had said it with gunfire.
The music never stopped. It even
grew stronger.
Tells Life Story.
Lieutenant Cocoran finally poked his
head into the music room and ordered
halt. Then they got him talking.
BY now q metamorphosis had taken
place. The 'bum" had given way to
the musician and Tannehill dis
coursed Of music and his eventful
past as If he were drinking wine with
intimates on a terrace in fair Capri.
He was forty-six, he said. Had taken
up music at fourteen, studied the
piano for eight years, three in the
conservatory at Mount Union, O., and
then for time had gone on the con-
cert stage. After that he tried teach
ing.
Eight years ago." Tannehill said,
my wife deserted me and she took
with her our three-year-old daughter.
She may be alive today, she may be
dead. I don't know and I haven't
been able to find out. My little girl
was my world; when she went, ambi-
tion followed"
The pianist came to Philadelphia
nearly three years ago, but other
than few movie-palace performances
he has been without work. He tried
carpentry for while, and other work
more arduous, but. was not equal to It.
"You know the rules Of the Hoboes'
college, don't you" asked the bluff
Mulholland Of his protege. IF you
get work, you're automatically ex-
PEELED. You'll have to leave the in
stitution.'
A "curtain Call"
II don't care" answered the macs
tro. "Give me a few decent looking
togs and several good meals in sue
cession and I'll defy any Of them to
tell the bum from the musician. Just
once more, before I die, I'd like to
get loose in the vicinity Of q grand
piano."
A taste for music, like the love Of
horse or dog, is q saving grace;
the last characteristic to 60 in the
drop to degeneration; the first thing
to build upon in the climb to re-
habilitation. The police made ND q
purse for their visitor and asked him
to play one more before he left.
"I'1l give you little william TELL"
he announced. And under the manip-
ulation Of the nimble fingers of a
master, the old piano awoke to life
1t had never known. The master
arose and bowed Then afoov1v ha