THE AUSTRALIAN MOZART.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 38, 20 February 1878, Page 3

THE AUSTRALIAN MOZART.

! A very re mar^aßje. dispu,t|9. f o r the; ppsse.sßiojQ. o^ a $iild is ' tfecdrcfed' iii the Melbourne., papers 'us.. ; foillows :^-Some, - months, ago, Australian, xnusitia}.' oi.rcles : were ■ greatly excited 'by the extraordioary perfojrfltiances on. the. pta^iof prte of a six-year-old child named Ernest ! JBCatcheson, wrhp. soon became known, rastKe-'«Aus.traliajiMozart,'\ Amongst 'tho^e.who, took spficia^i tajterest: m 1 the boy was 'the^ wellvkubwnr q,rt- ! crit^/i|r. Jumfis. Sj^th }i who, & triU> De pJemeinberea, lectXire<^ ra Duftedin. 1 a few yeaVs ago'; ana it is stated- that, the, eminent ritualist:; undoubt-^ 'Jngly believes that young Hutcheson is no other than the greatrMioz^rt rer ' incarn^teii. Wheja Mr. B. S. Sm^the. j 'returned to Mieftiourne fre^m J&g-jJ , land ' last v August, Mr Smi th. br,o.ught ithe. IM^zart *'• "unider the. i notice of "the most travelletj ma^ I'jager1 '- jager " as a, genius, who only wanted :to be properly brought, out to, create •a. World- wide sensation. Being associate.d, m. business, with, the Eev. [ Charles, Clark, Mr Smythe was inpt I m;,; with Mp , Smith's i fishes ; but r^centiy } heardmost of tlio musical p. rofligies, •m. the CWd and-. the;Kew "^"b^ifl, in- ' eluding- the famous- sjaye! pianist, Tom,"* h^. want vto hea.r J Er-heSt Hijtcfieson. Eb came- a^way jfronjth^ recital 6rßaJy corivipced ,tha,Jb thQ^ bQJj was t^he greatest .mj4Sical;vbpder,.of the age. As sucK ihe recommended! him to the care of' theifavourife vocalist Miss Christian|ii ' who is as AyeH-k«iqkS!Kn s in i A k ustJsaJia f oX her kind heart and charitable disposition as for her charming singing. At the same time, out of; considera-r. tion of the child's tender years, Mr stroilgly ajl_vi.?ed ; that he. b.e. Ijept f.romip^drm,in§.m. rpublje for. at least twelve i&onths ;This wjsccQunsel' the parenifs-agreed' to follow; but it was not long before serious differences arose on the point. The f^ther.T who? re a biacksmith>by. trade; believed' tfeat fife -gi&ed'.fcojc iwas wprtha-king's ransom, and there iseemed some danger of the goose killed for. the sake of; its golden eggs i 'tl^/mcihec,- on the., jolher^handj objected to engagements being.made for the child, an^ wished, the fiarmonioua blacbsmitn to. re'tarat to his- attvil/ The- quarrels between the parents new became so i violent that they separated, and then icommencecijthe struggle as. to who (SDould^i .fea^e. BQsa^sioit bf tH>s newIGKnx's baby. Mr Hutcheson, having givjrig thei;ehild^his .iflusieahtrah^hgy considered' tnat> outside any legal claim he might have, this fact en•titled hijea tojits custody jesigreise of this right it was rumoured tha^-he^intended to take the> ohijdj to Sanr'^ariciso^fpr] the purpose ■■>< oj, letting- him^t&ißarpum or"somea6ihe.ii . Yanfcee\spe^i^itolr.j" ,The fe^ar- of' losing her '* maf vejlous -boy "caused the(.m.^th^theTmokt poignant; prief ; andiri^tKe eiidj her maternal affe'clion' overcoming shame and all other ;<sO4teMo!&s:ip.^ Christian that the- chiid was illegiti■mate. Thisayowal epmpletly chapged ithe situation, jVlies. Christ-ianj who from the first had done her best to prevent Jbhe child's.. . f agujtiss from joeing; ■ otef-strairiddjt aifd 1 to carry - ; ou|, he.r.i beiievplep^ -iu^en'tifpH;-- ha^ ||advapee.d J a, . qptisl^pr^ble sum, of ;!money to theHatchesorkJ, determined -to . pr^.Yenii_ the.:^ cjiijcl. llrpm.. being; r ruined by the father's, unuatural jgreed,'. Af^er cop^ujting a, solicitor jßher.per)»uaj^4? t^©- fl^PtheV,- to apply jfor a wri|( pf; - habeas c«>?^*,.directjingrthe» f^];her> tq>, p^ro^ce tjie. . child jbefpre.ajudge ifl-fehambej?s^ Qu the aLlih.irist^- the case came oil for hear^ig byefore ther Glrief i'^asttGe. jln thes course of* : Iris-affiklayit, 'the ifather made the fpllowing extraojdi^ary^ statenient :-r^^^"^That^althpligh oiily six yeai^s a^ bajf.ol^^ the child^ before the. Court can play the ''violin, ' accordian;^pianoforte,' and .organ. He c,an, sing and cpmpose imusic, and he has composed 15 coih-

positions of lengthened character. When, four years and nine months old he poujd play on the piano up\yq,pds qf 300 cninpositioijs, and can now auswefl vi,ny question m th{> seienoo of h^puioi]y, In giving his decision, Sir William »Stt>well holtl tha^t the child, beiu«; illogititnate, the mother was the person entitled to. its legal custody, aud the child was accordingly surrendered by the father to the mother, llosina Brown. It is stated that, after a short tqur, Miss Christian intends to send the Australian Mozart to England that his musical education may be finished at the Royal Academy of Music, of which institution the accomplished vocalist was apupil. It is only just to add that m her i pffor.ty on the child's behalf Miss | Christian was war.rn.ly supported bj r \he llev Fletcher H. Long, a Church of England clergyman, living m Melbourne. — Dunedin " Star."