The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-11-12
THE MAGIC OF MUSIC
Power of the Melody of the Voice
Over Man and Beast.
SINGERS WHO SAVED LIVES

The Way Lablache, the Basso, Con-
quered'a Bear and a Burglar-Grisi's
Control OF a Mailman With Razor.
A Musical Wife's Presence of Mind.
That music really has charms to
soothe the savage beast is proved by
the many times that the power of song
has been the means OF saving life. On
one occasion when Luigi Lablache, the
great opera basso was aimlessly stroll
ing through . French fair he was sur
liised b. Il sudden stampede of the
sisltseers, who rGshed by him in
great panic. crying that one of the
great bears had escaped from the me-
M serie SO surprised that he scarcely
realized his danger, the singer stood
lis ground and almost Immediately
found himself face to face with the
maddened beast, which halted for a
moment before making its final rush.
In that moment Lablache began to
sing one OF his fayorite airs in voice
so deep and terrifying that the bear
skunk away. thoroughly cowed.
1t was this same singer who, when
confined to his bed by broken leg, |
was surprised by his landlady, who
burst into his room. crying that a rob |
Der was in the house and was about to |
kill her husband unless he revealed the |
hiding place of their money and plate. |
Lablache, unable because of his injury |
to give other assistance, began to sing
an aria in such thunderous tones as
to terrify the robber, who fled.
Nine. Giulia Grisi was once travel
| ing from the south of France to Paris
| in company with several companions
of her own sex when their privacy
was intruded upon by man who en-
| tered their apartment at a .wayside sta
ton Before long he began to act SO
oddly as to make the women appre
| hensive and at last terrified them by
drawing a razor, which he began to
flourish, at the same time demanding
| that he be permitted to sever their
! heads. The women realized that they
| had a mailman in the carriage with
| them and also that they were without
| protection until the next stop of the
train. In consequence they became
hysterical-all save Grisi. who with
great GOODNESS suddenly began to sing
in a soft voice that gradually assumed
volume as she gained the attention of
the man, whose threatening attitude
| gave way to rapt attention as the song
| advanced. Song after song did Grisi
sing. and not another movement did
| or inrl
| was reached, when the alarm was Civ
en- and he was taken into custody 1t
transpired afterward that he had es-
capped from a lunatic asylum.
Jennie Lind once saved not only her
own, but hundreds of other lives by
! her gift of song A fire broke out back
| of the stage in a small theater in her
native land where she was singing.
| The audience became alarmed, and
| there might have been a panic had not
1 Jennie Lind stepped coolly out upon
the stage and begun singing favorite
| folk song. ReasSured and entranced,
the audience reseated themselves, and
| the fire was soon extinguished
| Another well known opera star while
| travelling with some friends in Mexico
was surprised by company of half
breed bandits, at whose approach the
escort fed, leaving their charges to the
mercy Of the robbers. The attitude of
the latter on finding that their captives
had little money and valuables was
menacing in the extreme and the trav-
elerS all expected to be murdered that
| night. When the robbers were eating
their supper the star began to sing,
and his captors were so delighted that
they demanded more. For a time he
gratified them, but at last suggested
that he should sing for the freedom of
himself and his friends. To this the
bandits, checred by wine and song.
agreed, and after having sung for an
hour he and his companion were free.
Kneissel, the notorious Bavarian
brigand, once planned to rob house
in the neighborhood of Munich and, if
necessary to secure the money and
plate he knew was in the house, muir
der the inmates, young married wo-
man and her two female servants. His
approach was heard by the wife, who,
instead of losing her head, sat down
10 her piano and began to sing. The
brigand listened for awhile and was
on the point of forcing an entrance
into the room when the song ceased
and a mans voice struck up a rollick-
ing air, to be followed in a few mo-
ments by a third mans voice singing
a familiar chorus Kneissel paused
The husband evidently had returned
unexpectedly and had brought with
him a friend. He was not prepared to
attack the house against two men, so
he beat hasty retreat, little thinking
that the voice he had heard proceeded
from the lips of the young wife, fine
singer. who was an adept at mimicry.
Some years ago a released convict
went to the house of the Indiana Judge
who had sentenced him to prison with
the intention of shooting him. AS
he crept nearer to the window beside
which the judge was sitting and raised
his revolver to fire the sweet voice of
the judges wife f1oated out on the
summer air from the bedroom, where
she was singing her baby to sleep, all
unconscious of her husbands peril
The lullaby she sang was one that the
convict's mother used to Groom to him.
and throwing aside his revolver, he
walked boldly into the house and con-
fessed TO the judge his intention. The
| judge befriended him. and he is today
one of the most influential and respect
ed citizens of a town in the far west
| -Addie Farrar In Chicago Record-Her-
| aid