Show Blind TointIte Pianist NEW YORK Oct 11 Judge Donahue of the Supreme Court has decided the application applica-tion of Mrs Charity Wiggins the mother of Thomas Wiggins known as Blind Tom the wonderful pianist to have his mental condition inquired into by a committee and his estate cared for Toms fathers name was Mingo He is dead Both his father and mother were Georgia slaves Tom was born in that State in 1849 When he was four years old the whole family were sold as slaves to James Bethunewith whom they remained until freed by the war Under an agreement Tom was placed in the control of Bethune for five year until May 1870 when he would be of age This was approved ap-proved of by T F Bayne Superintendent of Freedmen at Augusta Georgia without the parents consent Bethune took Tom out of the State and put him on exhibition as a pianist In 1876 Tom became a citizen of New York While on exhibition in Virginia Tom was declared a lunatic and Bethunes son John G Bethune was declared a committee com-mittee of his person The latter acted as Toms manager till 1884 when he died The elder Bethune was then appointed In the meantime M Wiggins removed to this meantme Wiggns city She brought suit against Bethune for the services of her son and accounting of the profits of the exhibition since 1865 That suit is pending at Alexandria Virginia The old lady has twelve children the oldest sixty years old and the youngest twenty eight all born in slavery therefore not born in lawful wedlock Tom has no heirs and his mother is the only next of kin unless the Court decides that the other children are relatives Hence the application to Judge Donahue The affidavits state that Tom though possessed of wonderful musical ability is not an idiot The application was denied on the ground that the proceeding proceed-ing should be instituted in the State where the committee was first appointed |