Evening journal., 1912-01-30
NE w NEWS
OF YESTE RDAY
AN INCIDENT OF THE DEATH

In the spring Of 1905 Theodore
Thomas passed away at the age Of 70
years. A man of unusual physical
strength, OF great muscular power, OF
the vitality and nervous force which
no amount Of labor or even any ankle
ties seemed more than momentarily TO
affect, he was, nevertheless, about a
year before his death, seriously i'll
with an attack of grip in one Of its
most violent forms. In his GONZALES
cence Mr.. Thomas illustrated the pc
culiar features of that disease; It did
grip him with certain after effects.
For the first time in his life he found
that he was weak in the limbs, suffer-
ed much lassitude and was compelled
to exercise 10 it's full capacity his un-
usual will power. Mr.. Thomas friends
were always Of the opinion that this
weakness caused him to be especially
susceptible TO the germs Of the dis
ease which caused his death.
He caught a heavy cold while direct
ing a rehearsal at Chicago and 1t
speedily developed into pneumonia
For several days the physicians were
hopeful that they would be able to
conquer the disease, but about week
after the great orchestra leader was
stricken It became apparent to them
that his was a mortal illness. Toward
the last Mr.. Thomas suffered very lit
tie, being in a partially unconscious
state. But on the day of his death,
and only little while before he pass
ed away, he seemed to revive and said
to those who we're around his bed
side
Il have heard most beautiful mu-
sic"
His family was reioiced, not only
that he had, as he thought. listened
to music which no one else had heard
but that the melodies and harmonies
which had come to him had brought
him peace and so greatly comforted
him that he had been able to come out
Of his semi-conscious state and relate
to those who we're dear to him what
music had been brought to his ear.
A few months before Mr.. Thomas
illness he had given a Christmas pre-
sent to his wife, a tiny silver chime OF
bells. The music that came from these
bells was singularly clear, soft and
soothing, and 1t had especially APP
pealed to the greatest force America
has ever had for the stimulating of ma
tional interest in the best music the
world has produced The family won
dered, after Mr. Thomas had said that
he had hear beautiful music whether
after all, it was not immortal or fan
cicd music, but the actual notes struck
from this silver chime had reached HIS
cars and aroused him to conscious.
ness. For his wife, hoping always fol
the best, believing that her husband
would recover, had struck the chimes
with the little mallet and rung out .
tune.
oh" exclaimed one member of ths
family, don't you know what it Il
that you played? It is 'taps'-th,
melody that is played when a militar,
officer passes away
Instantly Mrs. Thomas looked at ;
little record book she had. and in OF
der to counteract any possible signi
iicance there might have been in th'
fact that she had rung out taps upol
the chimes, she struck again. this tim
choosing the melody which those VIII
were near told her was that of tn
reveille or awakening.
II was less than an hour after thes
little silver chimes had rung out bot
taps and reveille that Theodor
Thomas came out Of his cunconsciou
state, told his beloved ones that he ha
heard beautiful music--and passe
away. And after his death it was spol
en- Of by his intimate friends as tn
strangest OF condolences that thi
great musician should have heard jus