New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-11
A STRANGE REVELATION.
Gsttschalk. the Pianfst-The Cause Of His
sudden Death.
From the New York Tribune.l

From the New York Tribunel
Ever since the sudden prostration of
Leuis M. Gottschalk, the eminent American
pianist and musical composer, in the midst
of grand concert which he was giving in
Rio Janeiro, November 25, 1869, there have
been current in that city floating rumors
that this and his death on December Is,
following, were the result of some foul
play. gentleman who has recently ar
rived from Rio Janeiro gives an account
both of the various ruanOrs which have OBJ.
tanned some degree Of credence and also OF
what appears to be the true story as he
heard it, Just before his departure, from DR..
Severiano, the physician who attended
Gottsehalk in his last hours The same gem
tleman had also obtained corroboratlye
information from Firmin, who accompanied
the pianist as sort of majordomo, upon his
tour in Brazil. 1t was believed by many
that lGottschalk, whose amorous adventures
were numerous, was the victim OF some
Jealous husband or lover. The stories
agreed that the immediate cause of his
death was blow upon the back from q
''ssnd- bag"-a deadly weapon used by Bra
lillian assassins The instrument is a small
sack. tightly filed With sand, and suspended
at the end of a cane. The effect of blow
from it, usually given upon the back, is al
most always fatal, !heugh the injuries re-
ceived do not fully develop themselves for
DAYS or even weeks afterward. Gottschalk
himself said very little of the causes of his
prostration, and it is thought hardly realized
their nature. The explanation stated to
have been given by DR.. SeverianO is as fol-
lows:
Gottschalk sent his agent, Firmin, to San
Paulo, which is sixteen hours by rail from
Rio Janeiro, and is the seat of a college for
young men, to make arrangements for a
concert. The college boys, being unusually
frolicsome, inflicted many annOyances upon
Firmin, and attempted to practice the same
upon Gottschalk on his arrival on the day of
the concert. Gottsehalk became much en-
ragged, and drove the prosecutors out OF the
room, causing some of theu to vow revenge
upon him. That night as he was leaving
the place where the concert was held, he
was struck in the back by some unknown
person with sand-bag. He was moment
arily stunned. but passed on, and soon
to Rio Janeiro. He complained
from that time, however, of an OppreS-
sion in his chest, which, it now appears,
was caused by loosening of the ligaments
of the lungs, from the ugly blow of the sand
bag. An abscess was formed in the back
part of the chest, as was ascertained upon
post norton examination, and it was doubt
less the breaking of the abseess which
caused his prostration in the midst of his
last concert. His death soon followed, and
was accounted for upon the post mortem ex-
animation by the discovery of what was APP
parently cancerous formation in one of
the lungs. The details of the case, however
they. may at the time have been understood,
were hushed up; and it is only1by the recent
explanations of the physician and of Firinin
that any correction of mistaken rumors has
been offered