Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-17
ICNOBLE END OF A GENIUS
y. O. Knopfelt, Composer Of Sacred Music,
Narrowly Escapes Potter's Field.
ONCE oReANlsT IN BttCHtRS CHURCH
Body Lies Five DAYS unburied for
want of Funds-Incidents from
III. Carecr-.yuIes Lumbard
10 the Rescue.

For a time the potters field and the
Omaha Medical college were rival claimants
for the body Of Prof J. c. Knopfelt. who
died last Saturday as the result OF fall.
This was the inglorious end of man IN
whose soul burned the spark OF genius, VINO
has written sublime sacred music. and VINO
for nine years was organist OF plymouth
church Brooklyn, while Henry ward
Beecher was pastor.
Knopfelts body is still unburied. For
fve days It has lain on a marble slab in the
coroner's office while that officer has Kept
the wires busy communicating with relatives
Of the deceased TO learn IL they were able
or willing TO advance the funeral expenses.
Yesterday the final answer was received. u
came from a brother Of the dead musician
living at clinton. la. and read: I'VE are
very moor There has been sickness, and
now We are rich in nothing but empty
medicine bottles. Give my poor brother as
decent a burial as you can and may heaven
be kind TO him.
As Knopfelt was virtually pcnniless at
the time of his death this meant that In
the final disposition of his body there could
be hut two alternatives-the potters held
! or the medical college. Already the college
| had in an application for the "cadaVcr'
! At the eleventh hour, however, Jules Lum-
. lu,
/ ing conditions and arose TO the occasion.
> lie raised the funds necessary TO give MS
old friend a funeral service and grave.
The simple ceremony will be held at the
coroners rooms at 2 o'clock this
afternoon and the remains Will be inferred
at Forest Lawn cemetery
Tingc OF Deep Pnthos.
There is an infinite pathos in the life and
Of ~ 10 married
in Chicago in the later COS, and at that time
was a musician in good standing with the
profession. Everything looked prosperous
for him then. In the course of time child
was born to them, and the rising young
composer was happy. Then came the Chi
cago fire Knopfelt's humble home stood
directly in the course of the flames. He
rescued his wife and babe and was hurry
ing them to a place OF safety when n great
brick wall under which they were passing
crumbled with the heat. toppled and fell.
When, three weeks later. Knopfelt re-
gained consciousness he found himself in
hospital and the nurse told him he had
undergone spell of brain fever. on every
side were cots, each laden with victim Of
the great conhagration. He never saw nor
heard of his wife and babe, and conjecture
has It that they were numbered with the
hundreds of unidentified dead.
With returning health he disposed OF his
household effects and bought a lot in Rose
Ull cemetery. which he dedicated to his
dead wife and child.
But Knopfelt was never the same after
that. TO begule his spells OF remorse he
began drinking. thereby acquiring a habit
which during his declining years he lacked
the spirit TO combat.
Orgnnist in Bcecher's Church.
Because of the beauty of Knopfelts touch
and the marvellous power of his musical
conceptions he was given a position as or
ganist in Plymouth church at Brooklyn and
for nine years the fashion and wealth of
THAT city reveled in his symphonies. Moved
by the exquisite execution of the organist.
Henry Ward Beecher. then pastor of the
church, would often congratulate him. and
during the last few years OF the great di-
vines life a cordial friendship sprang up
between them.
Just what brought Knopfelt to Omaha
As not known. Perhaps the fact
that he drank leaked out
in Brooklyn and shocked the pious parish
oners OF Plymouth's congregation. However
that may be. he left the City OF Churche:
and came west. For a time he was con
nected with Kountze Memorial church II
the capacity of organist. and then was sup
planted by a more temperate, IL lest
talented choir master After that he ekec
out a precarious livelihood by giving musi
lessons This, with such income as he wa
able TO realize from royalties on his musica
compositions. enabled him to keep up ap
pearances. but little more.
Enopfet vas very little appreciated ii
Omaha, but among his meager effects a
the coroner's office are certificates o
ROYALTY on some conceptions of exalte
sentiment. with wealth of tender spirtu
ality which vouchsafes to them a tenur
OF life greater than that of their unhapp
author. 1t may be that they will redeem
his memory from any odium which ma
have attached to II. 1t may be that lik
that other composer:
Seven cities claimed him dead
Through which the living Homer begge'
his bread.