Evening journal., 1894-01-11
LILLIAN RUSSELL.

escortinQ Miss Russell TO and from the
theater, and they were seen together at the
Sunday night concerts in the Metropolitan
Opera House.
Nobody dreamed, however, that they con
templated matrimony, and the announce
ment was a genuine surprise There are
some persons wicked enough to say that
the whole affair is nothing but "A scheme
TO advertise Miss Russell aud the opera,
but the knowing ones scout nc such a sug.
gestion and declare that Miss Russell
would not lend her name to anything Of
the sort.
The announcement also seems to set at
rest all the talk about her prospective mar
riage to Sandow, the strong man, which
has been exploded from time TO time.
Lillian is now said to be IL her thirty
fourth year. She was born in Clinton, Ia,
and her mother is Mrs. Cynthia Leonard,
the woman's rights advocate Miss Rus
sell began her stage career when she was
rs years old as a concert hall singer She
made her first appearance ia this city in
Tony Pastors theater at 5S5 Broadway.
She also sang in Tony Pastors Fourteenth
Street theater. Her debut in comic opera
was as a chorus girl in "pinnfore," aud
her first appearance as star was as Mabel
i'm the Pirates Of Penzance"
She was the prima donna in comic opera
at the Casino in the hoyday Of that play
house from 1850 TO 1885, and she has ap-
peared with success In the "Grand Ouch
ess," "Nndiy," "Olivette," Patience, 4"
Dorothy - Polly" princess Trebi.
zonde," " "The Queens Mate. " Poor Jona-
than" ia Cigale," "The Mountebanks
and 'Girohe-Giroha."
Her Former Ventures.
Miss Russell's first husband was Harry
Braham, a musical director They lived
together for some time in Boston and then
quarreled and separated She afterwRrd
became enamored Of Teddy Solomon, the
composer Of "Billee Taylor and other OPP
eras in which she appeared, and one day
she suddenly gave up her engagement at
the Casino and sailed away to Europe with
Solomon on a wedding trip.
She has q daughter now years old, the
result Of the marriage with solomon. A
short time ago Miss Russell had her mar
riage with Solomon annulled on the ground
that he had another wife living and that
he had forgotten to 60 through the formal
ity otaa divorce. Miss Russell lives In a
handsome furnished house with her mother
and daughter at 3ls West Seventy-seyenth
street.
Signor Perugini is 80 years old. He has
a brother, Charles Chatterton, who Is EN-.
ployed in the Office Of Abbey. Schoeffel &
Grau. Perugini made his debut about Il
years ago in the comic opera 1.-THE Queens
Lace Handkerchief with Lilly Pest He
was afterward with the Colonel John A.
McCaull opera company and also sang
with PATHS company in the Barber Of
Seville" He has also sung az the Casino
in various operas.
He is tall, good looking man, with q
black mustacne and dark hair. Before be
sang at the Casino he played the part OF
Columbus in Rice's "l492" company in
Boston.
A reporter saw Miss Russell and Signoi
Perugini after the performance last even
ing They both admitted the truth Of the
rumor of their approaching marriage
which they said would probably take place
about Easter. The season at the Casino
will probably end inside of month, and
the company will then go on the road. The
company plays in Boston on March IL, and
the marriage will probably take place then
The ceremony will be performed at the
Little Church Around the Corner or St
/ Timothy's Protestant Episcopal church
though Siguor Perugini is a Catholic.