Stabbed on Stage

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 11, 28 January 1937, Page 5

Stabbed on Stage

-Press Aasn.-

SINGER DIES Stiletto Was Wielded by Lawrence Tibbett TWO VERSIONS GIVEN

(By Telegraph-

-Copyright.)

(Recexvea zs, a.45 a.m.) NEW YOEK, Jan. 27. Five tours after receiving a wound in his left hand when a stiletto slipped from the grasp of Lawrence Tibbett during a dress rehearsal of "Oapon Sacchi" at the State Metropolitan Opera House, Joseph Sterzini, aged 52, a bass choral singer, died in hospital. Physicians agreed that the wound was trivial and scarcely could have caused death. An autopsy will be held to-morruw, Sterzini was admitted to hospital, however, axxd an operation was necessary due to an artery in the back of the hand being partially severed. It was stated that Sterzini rallied well from the anaesthetic but relapeed despite the administration of oxygen. Lawrence Tibbett was notified of the death just before going on the stage to sing Germont in "La Traviata. ' ' His associates said he was greatly shaken but went on with the part. Opera officials said the dagger slipped while Tibbett, in the role of Guido Eranceschini, reached over the shoulder of Sterzini, who was enacting the part of one of the men who seize Guido in the last act struggle. Questioned for nearly an hour by seven detectives Lawrence Tibbett said: "We were rehearsing the last aet, when Guido stabs his father, Pietro, in the hand. Sterzini, who was playing one of the bandits, got in the way of the dagger while I was pretending to stab the father and the point of the dagger clipped the flesh between his finger and thumb. "I stopped singing, took hold of his wrist and told him to go to a doctor. He insisted on finishing the scene but I dragged him off the stage and told the others to apply a tourniquet and get a doctor. It was the most terrible thing that has ever happened to me. 1 had known him for 15 years and he supported me in many operas." This ver.sion is different from that oi the opera officials who said the dagger slipped in Tibbett 's hand. The detectives are attempting t6 Aua the property man to recover the weapon which, they said, should have been aulled so that it would have been impossible to inflict a wound. The officials in charge of the case said they were certain it was accidental