Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-14
TO BE BURIED HERE
Remains of Lizzie Macniohol to Be Brought
to This City.
Funeral From Her Fathers House
Is
TOmOrrOw-Sketch of Her
operate Career.

opera singer is national and whose former
home was in this city. died Saturday even
ing at T:3O o'clock at Chocorna, N H., of
peritonitis No aspirant for honors on the
operate stage ever won more friends and
inspired more love for her womanly and
generous traits of character than Miss
Macnichol, who was especially we'll known
In this city, where she was born and rear
ed Although always retaining her maiden
name on the stage, she was married to Mr..
Charles Louis Reitz, a merchant of Balti-
more and an amateur musician
Rapid Development of Disease
Miss Macnicho was never in more per-
feet health than she was few days before
her death. This morning her parents, who
live at 1O5 street southeast, received a
letter from her husband, which was writ
ten last Thursday evening, saying that his
wife was not feeling we'll. There was no
thought that her illness was at all dam
gerous at that time. But she developed
peritonitis. and on Saturday morning word
was received here by telegraph that she
was critically i'll. She grew worse steadily
until evening, when she died. She had
been at Chocorna for some weeks and
since her stay there had enjoyed several
mountain trips with her husband. and her
family here suppose she contracted the dis
ease that resulted fatally through overeX-
ertion in this way last week.
4 Heroine at n Fire.
A short time before her illness Miss Mac
nichol had played heroic part on the oc-
cs sion of the burning of the new home Of
the Runnels family, near Chocorna. This
elegant mansion had been fitted up at great
expense, and at the time only the family
servants were there. The alarm of fire
reached the hotel in which Miss Macnchol
was stopping. and she and her husband at
once repaired to the scene of the disaster
to render whatever assistance was in their
power. Miss Macnichol showed great pres
ence of mind during the confia grafton and
largely through her direction and personal
efforts much of the valuable contents of
the house was saved from the flames. She
became the village heroine on that occa-
sion. While some reports from Chocorna
trace her illness from the excitement on
the day of the fire, her family here do not
believe it was in any way connected with
the disease which later developed.
1t was with the greatest regret that the
news of Miss Macnichols death was re-
ceived here, where she had lived since her
childhood Her talent and beauty of per-
son and character had endeared her to an
unusually large circle of friends.
Her Musical Career.
Early in life she gave evidence of having
contralto voice of remarkable sweetness
and of unusual scope. Her musical train
ing was begun under the direction of DIR.
kimball. She sang at different times in
many of the churches of this city and later
filled an engagement in one of the Brook
lyn churches in order that she might be
under the tuition of Sig Agramonte She
then went to Philadelphia, where she made
her debut in the part of Lazarillo in Mari
tana,' at the Grand Opera House. This
was in 1883 and was her first appearance
in opera, and. although entirely new to the
stage, she achieved an Immediate and pro-
nounced success. This engagement was
with the American Opera Company, with
which she continued for some time. In
1880 she joined the Emma Juch Opera Com
pany and was with 1t during three seasons
She then Joined the Hinrichs Opera Com
pany and played a summer engagement in
Philadelphia and New York.
Her Success in Opera.
Her success in heavy opera was signal
and her ambition led her to devote her
time to the highest class of music. for which
her natural talents and education fitted
her. The public demand for light opera
and attractive offers she received for such
engagements caused her in 1894 to make
her appearance in Rob Roy as Flora
Macdonald, in which she won decided sue
cess. She next came here with the Grau
Metropolitan English Opera Company, and
later joined the Castle Square Opera Com
pany. Her popularity contributed very
largely to the success of that operate
ganization. When the company appeared
here at the Lafayette Opera House and the
traction that guaranteed well-filled houses
at all times.
Miss Macnichors first husband was
Franz Netta, the well-known Quaker basso,
who died five years ago Three years later
the widow married Chas. Louis ReitZ of
Baltimore, who had been with her in the
north since her engagement was closed
for the summer.
Her father, mother, five brothers and
two sisters reside in this city, her death
being the first that has occurred in her i'm
mediate family.
There are many incidents that indicate
the sympathetic and generous nature of the
deceased opera singer, who appears never
to have been appealed to in vain. She was
noted for her acts OF kindness to strug-
Cling opera singers, and was as popular
among the chorus as among the managers.
To lie Buried Here.
The remains of Miss Macnichol will be
brought to this city tomorrow morning,
and the funeral will take place at o'clock
from her parents home. 100 c street north
east The intermcnt will be in the Con-
gressional cemetery, and Will be private.