Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-03-13
THE MAGIC OF MUSIC
Power OF the Melody of the Voice
Over Man and Beast.
SINGERS WHO SAVED LIVES.
The Way LabIsche, the Basso, Con-
quered Bear and a Bursar-crisi's
Control of a Mailman With a Razor.
A Musical Wife's Presence Of Mind.

tue many umeS tnat 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 a French fair he was sur
prised by sudden stampede Of the
sightseers, who rushed by him III a
great panic, crying that one of the
great bears had escaped from the me-
nagerie. SO surprised that he scarcely
realized his danger. the singer stood
his 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 favorte 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 fed.
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 a man who en-
tered their apartment at waysde sta
ton. Before long he began to act so
oddly as to make the women appre-
hensive and at last terrified them BY
drawing 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 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 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
the man make until the next station
was reached. when the alarm was Civ
en- and he was taken into custody. 1t
transpired afterward that he had es-
capped from 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 panic had not
Jennie Lind stepped coolly out upon
the stage and begun singing a 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, cheered by wine and song
agreed, and after having sung for an
hour he and his companion We're free.
Kneissel, the notorious Bavarian
brigand, once planned to rob a house
in the neighborhood of Munich and, IL
necessary to secure the money and
plate he knew was in the house, muir
der the inmates, a young married wo-
man and her two female servants. His
approach was heard by the wife, who.
instead Of losing her head. sat down
to 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
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 fioated out on the
summer air from the bedroom, where
she was singing her baby to sleep, all
of her husbands peril.
The lullaby she sang was one that the