A MUSICAL GINX'S BABY.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 886, 26 February 1878, Page 3

A MUSICAL GINK'S BABY.

• OKI of 'the M most remarkable disputes tor 'the; possession of a child that has oacurred. since King Solomon delivered his famo'ia judgment is recorded m the Melbourne papers just to hand by the last mail. Some months ago Australian musical circles were greatly excited by the extraordinary performances on the pianoforte of a six-year old child named Ernest Hutohenson, who soon became known as the 1 Australian Mozart/ Amongst those who took special interest iv the boy was the well-known artcritic Mr James Smith, who, it will be remembered, lectured m Dunedin a few years ago ; and it is stated that the eminent Spiritualist undoubtingly believes that young Hutchenson is no other than the great Mozart re-incarnated. When Mr R. ;*S. Smythe returned to Melbourne from England last August, Mr Smith brought the 'infant Mozart 1 under the notice of ' the most travelled manager' as a genius who only wanted to be properly brought out to create a world-wide sensation. Being asociated m business with the Key. Charles Clark, Mr Smythe was not m a position to comply with Mr Smith's wishes j but, having 'recently heard most of the musical .'prodigies m the Old ' and the ' New World, including the famous slave pianist, i Blind Tom,* he -went to hear Ernest Hutohenson. >. He came away from the recital y firmly convinced that the boy was the : greatest musical wonder of the age. 'As such he recommended him to the care of the favorite vocalist, Miss Christain, who is as well known m Australia for her kind heart and charitable disposition as for her charming singing. At the same time, out of consideration for the child's tender years, Mr Smythe --v strongly advised that he should be V kept from performing m public for at least twelve months. This wise ' counsel the parents agreed to follow j :•; but Jit was not long before serious ' difference arose on the the point. The father, who is a blacksmith by trade, believed that his gifted boy was worth a king's ransom^and there seemed to be some danger of the goose being killed for the. sake of its golden eggs ; the mother, on the other hand, objected to engagements being made for the child, and wished the harmonious blacksmith to return to his anvil. The quarrels between the parents now be- \ came so violent that they separated, and .then commenced the struggle as to who should have possession of thiß,new Ginx's baby. Mr Hutchen»gon, having given the child his musical training, considered that, outside any legal claim he might have, this fact entitled him to its custody j and m the exercise of this right it was rumored that he intended to take the child to San SFrancisco for the purpose,. of letting Mm to Barnujin pr; some other Yankee speculatp^ The fear ol losing her ' marvellous boy' caused the mother the most poignant grief j and ia the end her maternal aftection overcoming shame and all other considerations, she confessed to Miss Christian tiat tbe phild was illegitimate. ThisV avowal completely changed the'situatiqn. Miss Christian, who, from tbjq first had done Her best to prevent the child's faculties from being over-strained, and tp carry out her benevolent intention had advanced a considerable sum of money to the Hntchen-son-s, determined to prevent the child being ruined by the father's unnatural greed. After consulting a solicitor, she persuaded the mother to apply for a writ of habeas corpus^ directing the father to produce the child before a judge m chamber a. On tbe 11th inst. the case came on for bearing before the Chief Justice. In the course of hit. affidant, tho father made the. following extraordinary statement : 1 That, • although only six years and a half oid, the child before tbe Court could play the violin, accordion, pianoforte, and organ. He could sing and compose music, and he has composed fif een compositions of a lengthy character. When four years and nine months old he could play on the piano Upwards of 300 compositions, and could now answer any question m the system of haijnony," Jn giving hi* dpvisipn, Sir

William Stawell held that the child, being illegitimate, the mother wait the person entitled go its legal custody, and the child . w^s accordingly surrendered by the father to the mother, Rosina Brown. It is stated that, after a short tour, Miss Christian iuteuds to send the Australian Mozart to England that his musical education may be Euished at the Royal Academy of Music, of which institution the accomplished vocalist was a pupil 1 . It is only just to add that m her t.-ffects on the child's behalf, Miss Christian was warmly supported by the Rev. H. Long, a Church of; England clergyman, living near Melbourne. .