The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-06-06
LILLIAN RUSSELL
DIED This MORNING;
I'LL A FEW DAYS
Noted Stage Beauty Sue
cumbs After Relapse at
Pittsburgh Home.
STARRED MANY YEARS
She Won Fame in Musical
Comedy Produced on
Broadway.
FOUR TIMES MARRIED
Became Wife of Alexander p.
Moore, Publisher, in 1912
FOUR TINES MARRIED
Became Wife of Alexander p.
Moore, Publisher, in 1872
Born i'm 1861.


PITTSBURGH, June 6.--Mrs. Lillian
Russell Moore, wife of Alexander P.
Moore, publisher Of the Pittsburgh.
Leader and noted stage beauty of a
score and more years past. died at her
home at 1920 o'clock this Tuesday
morning after an illness of several
days.
At the bedside at the end were her
daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Calbit, Mr.
Moore Ter niece, Mildred A. Martin
and Or. c. B. Schieldecker.
Following crisis in Mrs. Moores
condition Saturday night. her physi-
clans had expressed belief that she
would rally, but late last night it
became evident that she lad suffered
q relapse. While it was recognized
that the situation was grave. meabers
OF the household nevertheless made
known, late in the evening that no
alarm was felt.
Lillian Russell was the hardy peren-
Mai OF the American stage. From Tony
Pastors old Bowery variety theater to
the Palace of to-day, her stage career
covered forty years Of varied theatrical
endeavor. but the most remarkable thing
about her career was Lillian Russell
herself. She never seemed to grow old.
Year after year her blonde beauty
flashed across the stage in burlesque,
musical extravaganza and comedy. She
toured the country from Maine to Cali
fornia. she played long runs on Broad
way, yet she came up fresh and smiling
every autumn and the world waited and
watched in vain for her beauty to fade
Her childhood name was Nellie Leon
ard, and she was born 81 years ago in
Clinton, Iowa. Her father was Charles
u. Leonard. newspaper editor and
printer, and her mother was Cynthia
Leonard.
A clear, fresh young voice and
vivacious personality gave early promise
OF a stage career and her mother
brought the girl East in the seventies to
study music. Grand opera was her orig
inal goal and she was progressing under
Leopold Damrosch when Tony Pastor
heard her sing and offered her $50 a
week to appear in his variety show. She
accepted and Mr.. Damrosch refused to
speak to her or continue with her les
sons when he learned she was singing
at Pastors.
Early Earns Advancement.
But the youthful Nellie Leonard al
ready knew enough of music to carry
lively music hall tune. and besides she
had certain physical attributes that
Damrosch and all his fine technique
could not improve upon. She looked so
we'll in tights that Tony Pastor had
raised her salary to 500 week within
fortnight and to $3.50 two or three
months later.
The eighties saw Tony Pastor in his
heydey as producer of musical extrav-
aganza and the first nighters of that
day soon began to acclaim the spark
ling genius OF the blonde young woman
whom the bills proclaimed as Lillian
Russell glance at the list of produc-
lions she appeared In will give an idea
of the range and character of her early
successes:
She sang Mabel in the Pirates OF
Penzance' burlesque, called THE Pie
Rats of Penn Yann." and Phoebe In
"Billec Taylor; subsequently at the BIZ
lou she was Dilemma in THE Great Mo-
gui' and Bdthilda In "Olivette." In
1882 she played Patience and Aline in
THE Sorcerer."
Her London debut was made at the
Gaiety In July. 1885, as Virginia in "vir-
ginia and Paul" and at the Novelty
Theater (now the Great Queen Street
Theater) a year later she was Polly
Piuckrose in Polly and toward the end
OF the same season she unprecedented
Pocdhontds In an extravaganza.
First Appearance ut Casino.
Returning 70 New York the following
year. she appeared at the Casino Theater
again in Polly" and at the Union
Square In March. 1886. she had the title
role In "Pcpita: or, tie Girl with the
Glass Eyes" At the Standard Thcater.
In August. she was Virginia in The
Maid and the Moonshiner.' In Nover,-
Der. 1887, at the same theater she sang
Dorothy. and at the Broadway In May.
1888. she was Tnes In THE Queens
Mate"
Returning to the Casino she was Prin-
cess Eteika In "Nadgy" In January.
1889. and shortly thereaftc she APP
peared as FioreIln in THE Brigards."
Then followed the title role in 1.-THE
Grand Duchess" Harriet In Poor Jona-
than" and Pythio In apollo; or. The
Oracle of Delphi"
At the Garden Theater in 1891 she
played the role of Marion In LA Cigale"
and later Teresa in THE Mountebanls"
and then the twin sisters In "Girofie-
Girofa." Back at the Casino again In
November. 1898, she was seen as Rose
In THE Princess Nicotine" orr to Lon
don again and at the Lyceum in 1894
she sang Beta in The Queen OF Bril-
liants."
New York saw her that November at
Abbey's i'm the same part, and at the