Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-11
"SANTA CLAUS LADY, IS SUICIDE
MISS ELIZABETH A. PHILLIPS
DIES BY GAS.
Her Charitable Enterprise in Phila-
delphia Had Failed-Gave Up
Job to Help Children.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.


PHILADELPHIA. Pa, August ll.-Mis:
Elizabeth A. Phillips, originator of the
Santa Claus Association, a plan fol
bringing Christmas cheer TO the poor OF
Philadelphia, committed suicide in he,
room at 1221 Walnut street because OF
dependency brought by the thought tina,
her association was a bout to fail.
She was found stretched on the floor,
cracks through which gas might escape
stopped with pieces of blanket. and gas
tube in her mouth. Apparently she hao
been dead for several hours.
Miss Phillips left d brief note which
said:
Il lrave been ill failing health for some
time. [ have tried to do my best for my
fellow-man.
Enterprise Is Failure.
In preparing for her usual Christmas
gifts to the poor several months ago she
opened a store at 18th and Walnut streets.
This enterprise did not NEE. with Its
usual success, and she was forced to adj
NIT that the store was not going to sue
coed. Then she closed it up and became
q bookkeeper N the big commission house
of her father on Dock street.
disappointment over the failure of her
to have combined to weaken her mind
temporarily. She had suffered from q
weak heart for months.
The night on which she died was evil
IDENTIFY one of mortal fear to her, al
though the cause of the fear lay entirely
in her oyerwrought nervous condition.
At about midnight she raped on thu
door of the room of Miss katherine
Casho. who conducts the apartment
house, and asked Miss Casio to PERM,
hA~ Gle NIT hn~
Miss Casho says the room was damp. y
having just been papered. She told Miss
Phillips she thought she had better &C
to her own room Miss Phillips did. al
though saying that she was afraid te
sleep alone.
The Santa Claus Lady.
Miss Phillips has been known for years
as the Santa Claus lady. Each year she
has collected from hundreds Of persons
who admired her and who took delight In
her work. gifts Of toys and good things
to eat for the children of the poor. She
distributed them herself
Year before last. early on Christmas
morning, she took two automobiles crowd
ed to their tops with toys from the room
in which she made her headquarters on
Walnut street to all sections of the city.
During the same holiday season she OBJ
tanned permission from the fedora. gov
eminent to get from the PnliaOelpnla
p st Office all letters sent there by chill
dren addressed to Santa Claus.
These she sorted, picking out those from
children who seemed to be in danger OF
being forgotten and getting up on Christ
mas morning with empty stockings.
Miss Phillips idea. which has beer
copied by charitable associations through
out the country, came to her following
recovery from severe Illness.
While seated at her window she had q
distinct vision of Santa Claus beckonins
her So impressed was she that she gave
up her position as schoo, teacher at 81.
{, month and decided to devote her whole
time to bringing Christmas cheer 10 tbs
needy.
She took the laces from her neck AND
Jewels from her fingers and began the
nucleus of the Santa Claus Association
which has achieved national reputation.