Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-07
Lillian Russell
Dies Of Injuries
in Storm at Sea
Former Bright Star Of Amer.
lean Comic Opera Succumbs
Unexpectedly After Recov.
cry Seemed Certain.

Pittsburgh. Pa. June 6,-Funera
services for Mrs, Lillian Russei
Moore, who died a, her home her,
early today, will be held in Trini,,
Protestant Episcopal church Thurs
day afternoon. The body will ther
he placed in vault until a suitable
nausoleum can he erected by hei
husband. Alexander 7. Moore. pub
Usher OF the Pittsburgh Leader.
Mrs. Moore had been III seyera
weeks following a shipboard accident
while returning from Europe. Hel
death was unexpected. as her physi.
clans two days ago announced she
had passed the crisis and would re-
cover Mrs. Moore later suffered
u relapse and yesterday afternoon
was so i'll that members OF the fam
lily were summoned to the bedside.
Her physicians, however. refused to
give up hope and early in the even
ing were so confident that she would
survive that they arranged for a
conference TO be held here this morn
ing with DR.. John B. Deaver OF
Philadelphia.
The accident which DR.. Schill-
decker. one OF her physicians. said
was the primary cause Of her illness
and death occurred when she was
violently thrown on the ship during
a storm. The effects OF the injury
were not Immediately serious, never
theless, and although she steadily
failed in health after her arrival home
even those most closely associated
with her were not aware OF the de-
cline. Mr.. Moore's trip to Europe
was undertaken at the request OF
Secretary OF Labor James J. Davis
for the purpose OF making an inten-
sive study among prospective emf
grants to the United States.
Mrs. Moore. who was very we'll
known throughout the country for
her interest in civic matters, was in
great demand as a public speaker,
and only a short time prior to her
death filled a number OF such engage
ments. She was actively interested
in civic affairs in this city and was
a leader in women's movements.
In addition to her husband, there
were present at her bedside during
her last moments her daughter, Mrs.
Dorothy Calbit, and her niece, Mrs.
Mildred A. Martin. She is also sur
vived by two sisters, Mrs. Susanne
Westford Allen of New York City
and Mrs. Hattie Leonard Colburn
of Schenectady, N. Y.
Started in Chicago.
Chicago, June 6.-It was in Chi
cago that Lillian Russell laid the
foundation of what became spccta-
cular stage career.
One of eight children, she was
born in Clinton, Ia, December 4.
1861, and when but 6 months old,
was brought to Chicago by her par
ents.
Her father, Charles f. Leonard.
was a printer by trade and soon
after his arrival here, became menl-
ber of the printing firm of Knight
4 Leonard.
1t was in the old Convent Of the
Sacred Heart that Helen Louise
Leonard, later to become Lillian
RUSSELL" first took up the study of
vocal and instrumental music.
Even as a child, her voice was
marked by its quality and unusual
sweetness. Early in life, she took
lip choral work in Chicago church
choir.
When she was IA she moved to
New York with her parents and
there took up the study of opera
under Leo Damrosch.
Her first appearance on the stage
was far from an operate role, tor
she engaged herself at the age Of IS,
in the chorus of Edward E. Rice's
'Pinafore" company and appeared
at the old Casino theater in New
York.
During her engagement with the
'Pinafore" company and while living
at a boarding house in New York,
Tony Pastor, on visit to friends
in the same house, by chance hap
pened to hear the young chorus
rehearsing one of her songs.
Becoming interested, Pastor ar
ranged meeting. Later he offered
Miss Leonard an engagement at the
old Tony Pastor theater, at $50 a
week. 1t was Mr.. Pastor who hit
upon the happy name which was to
become 80 famous-"Lillian Rus
SELL"
The name became a by-word al
most over night.
Miss Russell's debut with the Pas
tor forces was on February J, 1881,
in the Pirates of Penzance," with
i'll a few weeks she was star OF the
first magnitude.
1t is a matter of unique history
that Miss Russell had been singing
at Tony Pastors theater for week
before her mother or other men,
bers of the family were aware of the
fact
Miss Russell sang in the Casino
theater until 1899. She was with
Weber & Fields company for sew
eral years and later joined the Nc
Caull Opera company. In this COM
pany she was the prima donna until
her own company was organized.
Married Four Times.
With that company she starred in
various roles in America and Europe
and later turned to vaudeville Dur
ing a later period she travelled and
1ectured.
1t was soon after her first entry to
the stage that Miss Russell met and
married Harry Braham, musical di-
rector of the "Pinafore" company.
In 1885, she had divorced Braham
and while she was appearing in THE
Sorcerer," and "The Princess of
Trebizonde," she married Edward
Solomon, musical director of the
Casino orchestra.
Following her divorce from Solo,
mon she was married in 1894 to
John Chatterton, known profession