Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1914 — When the Singing Hushed, the Crowd Hurried On [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

When the Singing Hushed, the Crowd Hurried On

{INDIANAPOLIS, IND. —Coining down Meridian street one morning, shortly after 8 o’clock, just after crossing Ohio street, one heard a rich, sweet tenor voice. Pedestrians, hurrying to their work, listened to the sweet melody.

Persons in the street looked up at the windows in the board of trade building and again over toward Christ church, as the melody seemed to come from that direction. However, np window was open and no one was to be seen. The strains grew' louder and the words, “Ach che la Morte” from “II Trovatore,” rang out clear and distinct. Who is it! and where is it! was in everyone’s mind and on every tongue. The sounds now came from the space

between the board of trade building and Christ church, and the crowd moved in that direction. From the popular melody from “11 Trovatore’’ the singer took up the aria “Quando rapita in estasi,” from “Lucia," and a florid and show'y execution of that air followed. _ _____ By this time a policeman appeared and made inquiry as to the cause of the bloqkade. Apparently he was deaf to the music which every one enjoyed. His attention being called to the singing he walked to where a Tittle hunchbacked street sweeper, stooping over his work, busily engaged in sweeping the alley, and utterly oblivious to the crowd, was giving vent-to his enthusiasm by song. “Shut up or I’ll run yez in for disturbing the peace!” The singing was hushed, the spell w'as broken, and the crowd hurried on.