The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-14
SHE LOVED LE0NCAvALLo.
SUICIDE OF MISS MoFFETT OF
PHILADELPHIA IN GENEVA.

From the Philadelphia Times.
! The tragic suicide of beautiful Alice D.
Monett, reported from Geneva, Switzer-
/ land, last Friday nign.. brought sorrow 10
| the hearts of many people i'm Philadelphia
aud Plainfold, n. J., VINO had known and
loved her N both PAGES. In Tie town she
| spent much Of The summer in 1892 Her
/ suicide put tragic ending ID a Efe
/ crowded with excl enc 4 r-ul te wi h an
/ that makes 1t worth nt.us, and sensation
al in every chapter. .A.ct u. Moffett was
! known in the h.shes Social circles IN
| every large city OF Tie East and West
! for her Ieauty. as wei as her talents. Tie
| events thai prefaced the self-inhic cd
| death of the unfortunate young woman
were told last might TO a reoott,r Of the
! Times by an intimate sitl friend of hers,
| whose home is at Brookhurst. several
| mixes below Plaiuheid.
! Alice D. Aloffott was born IN III $ city in
! the summer Of 1879. Her grandfather,
! Adam Moffett. was a prospector who came
| 10 this country from England in the early
| 5os. lie met and became intimate with
| Charles N. Creole and laer the TWO were
! partners. In the agreement each swore
that if in the future prosperity came 10
! him lie would divide The spo.ls with the
O, !.er
After several long and weary years
! among the mountains Moffet was cured Of
| the gold fever and came East to Phila-
| delphia. He married and with his wife
/ and children lived for years at Eighteenth
| aud Spring Garden streets. His favori e
! child was a son, Edward, who also mar
{ i.a wa Fha "a of Alice n Moi
| felt, the subject of the recent cablegrams
| from Geneva.
| The younger Monett died in 1879 and
! left his wife and daughter, then 4 years
| old with heritage that scarcely sur
| fiCed to feed and clOthe them But an
| unlooked-for circumstance held cards in
! the game. c. n. Creole had found untold
/ millions in the mining camp that to-day
/ bears his name and mindful of the early
! compact with his old partner he set an in
! quiry on foot and located the little fam
| lily in Philadelphia Mining stock ADD
4 cash to the extent of nearly 100000 was
/ turned over 10 the daughter-in-aw of his
| old friend in trust for the latters grand
! daughter. When her mother finally pass
! ed away Alice became the sole mistress
! OF a considerable fortune.
Backed by the income derived from the
! drifts of the Big Bonanza, Alice speedily
/ became known at many fashionable sum-
! mer resorts as a sort of Miss Money
| Bags" She had all she desired in the
way of the luxuries of life and naturally
becoming used to these she reached out
! into the future for more She aspired 20
| become an actress.
After a course of vocal training at the
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the
| girl applied for a place in a good opera
! company, but was rejected. She returned
| to her studies and finally managed 70 Sc
| cure minor part in an amateur society
/ nTn6IiC tiOn a the Burbank Tbaatar in To.
| Angeles.
Drifted OF 20 Paris.
From there she again came East and
! sought admission to Pearl Eytinge 9
| School of Dramatic Art in New York city
! in 1890 She was, however, persuaded to
| postpone her intentions for a year or so
! until her powers should have had chance
to develop more fully.
She dnfted to Paris with maid and an
| elaborate wardrobe. and speedily took a
| prominent place in the American colony
| She received and was received by prom
! inent people of many cities, and it is
! rumOred that the notorious ex-King Milan
| at one time paid her marked attention.
She appeared for two nights as Nile.
| FREELY in a spectacular performance at
the Foles Bergere in Paris, and was
only induced to discontinue ner connec-
ton after several appeals from friends,
who assured her that she was running her
able dramatic managers would decline to
ally themselves with her in the future.
The girl then took up the study of art
in the ateier of Julian, and was also an
ardent student of Bouguereau.
In Love With LeOncavnIIo.
One story told of her life in the Latin
| Quarter alleges that on an occasion of the
students ball she emulated Bettina Ger
| ard, and suitors for her favor drank deep
| 1v 10 bar n,
slipper. She was known to the students
| by the name lie cherie Americane''-lh ne
dear little American-and artist func-
ton was deemed complete without her
| presence as queen and ruler of the festivi-
| ties. Art and artistic sensation appealed
TO her strongly, and it was while she
was present at a Bohemian supper in
Paris in 1895 that she first met the arbter
| of her fate, the musician and composer,
Leoncavallo from whom the tragic end
of the girl that loved him only drew the
| remark, Il never knew her"
According to the pitful story, told after
much urging by her little comrade of 9TH
er days, in Plainheld last evening. the
| composer not only knew the girl, but had
led her to believe that he loved her in re-
| turn. Among her effects, it is said, there
should be a diamond and pearl locket Civ
en- by the musician to the dead girl short
~ after the beginning of their acquant-
ance, in token OF the feeling thai existed
]
| between them.
Letter From LOvesick Girl.
A letter dated Paris, July q, 1897. was
| received from Miss Moffett by her friend,
which shows how the girl at least re-
garded the meeting. 1t said:
MY Darling VI cannot begin to tell
! you of the sunlight that has come to me
and you cannot know of it, for you have
| never met Him, | often think how good
/ it is in an artst-a genius, for he is moth
ing short of the mark-to care for one so
far beneath him in the gulf of medocrity
that you know has overwhelmed me. I
thank the good God every night of my
life that 1t Is So You should have
seen his triumph last night. dear and
how the people cheered him. Ny heart
went wild with JOY at the applause .
l am not worthy to stand beside him"
The IDOLS Feet of Clay.
In another letter of date in the latter
part of 1898 came the news that to the low