File:Leslie Rowe (1867-1904) obituary.png

Leslie Rowe (1867-1904) obituary in the New York Times on July 8, 1904.

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"Death of Leslie Rowe, Blind Man Who Gould Tell Denomination of Bills by Touch. Leslie Rowe died at his home, 133 Glenwood Avenue, Jersey City, on Wednesday, from a complication of diseases. He was the eldest son of Norman E. Rowe, a well- I known lawyer, and was blind from his I birth, thirty years ago. His sense of touch was so keen that he could distinguish one banknote from another, and could pick out a $1, $2, or $5 note without hesitation. His friends not only frequently tested his ability in this direction, but tried to puzzle him by giving him several bills, all of one denomination, but one of them said last night that Mr. Rowe never failed to detect the trick. How he did it, Mr. Rowe said, he could not tell; the knowledge seemed to come co him by intuition. He had possessed the fac-ulty from boyhood, he said. He showed the same perception in snaking his way from one place to another, never needing a guide and never making a mistake. • Samuel T. Archibald, who lived near Mr. Rowe's home for several years, said the neighbors used to watch him as he left the trolley car and made his way to his home. He would walk down the street on the further side until he reached a point directly opposite his home. Then he would cross over. Persons who watched him on numerous occasions said that the spot at which he stopped never varied more than a few inches. He could also tell even when passing through a strange locality, whether any particular house before which he was stopped was brick or frame. Mr. Archibald said he made several tests of this kind and never knew Mr. Rowe to make a mistake. He was also a proficient pianist, his sense of touch and hearing aiding him in this direction. He could play, the most difficult compositions after hearing them once. His musical talent made him welcome at all social gatherings in which his relatives took part. Occasionally he gave public exhibitions, which were always well attended. He never married."