The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-17

mold than his brother, had scented an
enemy in the unObtrusive stranger.
"AhaW he whispered 10 a fellow-per-
former, us that not Professor Lucchesi?'
- Now Lucchesl. under the name of "A.
Sharp had penDed some biting remarks
respecting Faustno Ziliani in last Satur-
days Wasp. and these criticisms :still
ranked in Carlos bosom, therefore when
he was informed that the stranger was in
deed the hated "a. Sharp" he walked up
to him, and, in choice Italian, told him to
begone. -. ~. I'll;
/ What was Carlos surprise when Luc-
chest looked at him with a blank stare,
and replied in excellent English: Eyes?
| Did you make remark? Perhaps you
will repeat it so that can understand. {"
"UnderstandR cried .Zliani. You are
an Italian You speak the language as
well as 1 do" But shrug Of the shoul-
ders and a negative gesture were all he
rung from Succhesi. Then the willy Carlo
determined to test this impassibility.
Bending forward he missed in thein
truder's ear the single: word, "Cargona"
(corpse). which in Italian is an insult even
the humbest will not brook. 1t acted
like an electric shock upon Luechesi, and
without an instauts hesitation be slapped
Carlo Ziliani full in the face, following up
the blow by well-direeted lunge in the
ribs. x
After that none of the combatants are
able to give very clear account of the
battle, although Lucchesi declares that in
the heat of the fray he made very in
teresting discovery.
'The brother of Ziliani= wears false
teeth he said yesterday. ''I hit him
DIN the face and the musical critic
slogeed the air with his good right fist.
My thumb went right into his mouth,
almost down his throat, and I held it
there and banged his head against the
wall. So" and Luechesi raped his
knuckles so hard upon the chair in front
of MIN that it must have hurt Then he
continued. with the air of one who has
made a really interesting scientific dis
covery:
"Well, Zilani could not bite my thumb
to save his head from being banged, and
said: 'Ah! thank heaven. he wears false
teeth. l shall still be able to play the
"Rhapsodie Hunsroise. because, you
see," added the man of music. "a bite in
the thumb might have made me able to
play the piano never again.
"But 1t was useless for me to fight, they
came upon me not in twos or threes.
There were ten of them all hitting me at
once and-well. have had TO get a new
hat, and it cost me 50 so"
Carlo Ziliani, when questioned respect
ing the fight, modestly admitted that he
had called Lucchesi corpse" ut was
an insult. yes! But wherefore did he say
Il no speak Italian?'"
81 know him TO be Lucchesi and l say,
Sir, this is only for performers and for
friends Then Lucchesi say. L am re-
porter and / stay l say You no stay
and I call him 'Carogna' and then we
fight"
The fight, from all accounts. seems to
have been a Homeric one. Startling
deeds of valor were performed on both
sides, and hard hits were given and taken.
Some daring members of the company
undertook to tear the eombatants apart,
but others preferred to join In the fray.
and, as one of them expressed it, Have
lick at Lucchesi myself" At last the odds
became so fearful against the critic that
he was dragged from his assailants by
three able-bodied singers, who feared for
his life, and hustled him out of the theater
door, his hat battered to shreds and his
coat torn and covered with gore, the result
of heavy blow or the nose.
But Lucchesi although beaten was not
subdued. He purchased ticket for
Martha" yesterday, and arrived in time
10 pass severe structures upon the overture.
Call that conducting, to saw the air in
that manner" he was heard to remark.
When asked whether he should send an
account of the combat to the Milan Ga
Zetta Musicale. of which lie is correspond
emf. he replied proudly;
II do not wish to waste paper" And
then he leaned back in his seat ana
listened to Martha" at his ease
As for Prof sssor Faustno Ziliani. be
WAS conducting rehearsal OF the chorus
when the fray occurred and was 81 en-
crossed in mis- work that the sounds of
strife never reached his ears, although the
contest almost took place on the stage.