The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-29
Will Billy Kneibbs of
Worcester
SING IN TIE OFE RA.
Gave His Voice, Almost His
Life, for Cuba.

William L. Kneibbs, a young Swede
Of Roxbury, who first learned to love
and master music-and he did love and
master it well-in the old days at school
N Worcester has been told by his ply
sicians that he can never sing again;
it is doubtful, indeed, if he can ever
talk aloud
1t will be sad intelligence to every
lover of opera who has. ever heard his
sweet tenor voice in the Clara Lane
opera company; he had begun there to
make name for himself 1t will be
sad news too, to the Swedish singers
out at Quinsigamond who will remem-
Der him as a bright boy who made
many merry moment for them in his
school-boy days.
knlebbs was hero of the Cuban
war; and yet never a word has been
told of him in the public prints. The
definition of the word hero has been
strained almost to the breaking point
since midsummer; but there is plenty
OF Incense to use it for kneibbs, al
though it is the last thing ne would
nave thought of calling himself.
lie lett worcester half dozen years
ago. and brought up in Boston to pur-
sue his musical education. He had
everything but money to do it with;
but he soon found friends, and none
were Kinder to him than Lillian Dur
proprietor of Bowdoin Square Theatre.
After she died, young Kneibbs be-
came trifle faint-hearted. She had
hopeQ Tor him greater things than he
-ouio nave dared believe would ever
come to him. But the start she had
gwen him finally secured for him the
patronage OF Clara Lane, and he was
sven good chance to distinguish
himself with her people.
He was beginning to do it when the
CUBAN war broke out, and without a
WORD to anyone, he enlisted. The an
guments of the opera people were use
ess; the music Of the reglmental band
was too much for him. Long before
the opera season closed in Boston he
fantry at Tampa.
More men We're killed in that regi-
ment on the first day of July than in
any other regiment of the army. and tie
hst or wounded with one exception
was the largest.
Kneibbs was on the wounded list
long before the day closed. He re-
just as he started down the hill thai
raced the village. 1t never stopped
MN; he tied his neck handkerchief
about it and rushed on.
An hour later a MauSer bullet cut a
mole clear through the left side of his
oody, far enough from the heart to
save MIN Tor another charge and an
other shot.
1t came in a little time. and the mark
OF its course will remain on his head
toreVer-one hole where the bullet
grove in just over the right ear and
another just below the left where it
came out 1t passed completely
through the head. Not one man in one
thousand could have lived under such
circumstances.
But Kneibbs did, and he is living
yet, and was one of the most import
ant and interesting witnesses before
the war investigation commission in
Boston
But that last shot was the one that
knocked him out of business" as he
told the commission He worried little
about the others; but that one struck
some nerves that affected the vocal
per.
Inc chairman of the commission de-
clared it one of the mos pathetic spec
tacles he had ever witnessed.
The war department has discharged
me for disability said kneibbs, "and
suppose the concert managers will.
II had my voice back, I wouldn't
care so much. But the only two pro-
tessions l ever had, lighting and sing
ing, are all gone by now and | am
AFRAID | shall have to fall back on nv
friends"
Billy has many friends in Boston and
worcester, and he may rest assured
that none of them will ever let him
come to poverty or want.