Death of a Musical Prodigy,

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 241, 23 June 1874, Page 7

Death of a Musical Prodigy,

Little James G. Speight, who died at Boston, was not quite seven years old. Those who knew him as the infant leader of the orchestra at Niblo’s will remember (says a New York paper) the precocious abandon with which he rendered himself to the spirit of the piece which he chanced to be performing. This was wholly natural, and the daily life of the little enthusiast was consistent with it. When he was five years old, he was brought to the United States from England by his parents. They were persons not remarkable for musical ability, but naturally were proud beyond measure of their little son’s genius. Almost tho first public exhibition in which he appeared was at Niblo’s, and he sprang, in an evening, to national fame, Ho could remember an air as soon as he could utter articulate sounds. Sometimes one of the members of the orchestra, during an exhibition, would “play a point on him,” as the expression atnong.them was—that is, would purposely make a misplay to bother him. On these occasions he not only recognised the error, but was able to distinguish, from the nature of the sound, that it was made on purpose. He would turn with a roguish assumption of anger and shake his fist at the player who was in fault. Until eight or nine months ago ho played nothing by note. From that time he studied hard at music, and with a success that was almost as surprising as his natural gift. He was also set to work at reading and writing, ami showed himself an extraordinary bright child at these studies. It is feared that ho was allowed to use his precocious brain too continuously. Yet he never had a day's sickness, and the agony which, as he lay in bed by his father side last Saturday night, forced from him tho pitiful cry, “ Merciful God, make room for a little fellow !” was the first serious pain, perhaps, that he ever felt., He was the friend of everybody, and was the special pet of the ladies of the company. Tho little prodigy left behind him a brother and sister, both younger than himself. It is said that the little brother, though he can scarcely talk, already begins to handle the violin, and shows unmistakable evidence of a genius' similar to, if not as remarkable as, that of “ the child violinist.”