RUSSELL, LILLIAN 12/04/1861 – 06/06/1922

RUSSELL, LEONARD, MOORE, BRAHAM, SOLOMON, CHATTERTON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 4/13/2011 at 16:33:03

LILLIAN RUSSELL, CLINTON’S MOST NOTED DAUGHTER, DIES THIS MORNING IN PITTSBURGH
The Clinton Herald; Tuesday, June 6, 1922, P. 1
Lillian Russell, born Lillian Leonard, in Clinton, Iowa, December 4, 1861, the daughter of C. E. Leonard at that time publisher of The Clinton Herald, died this morning in Pittsburgh, Pa. Death has taken a woman who was Clinton’s most noted daughter, one of the world’s most famous beauties and in the days of her stage career an actress of recognized merit. Clintonites have always loved to mark the place where she was born and none was a greater authority on the subject, in these days, than Mrs. Valeria Ankeny who lived at the corner of Second street and Fourth avenue, for the Leonard family lived just across the way.
There were other daughters, playmates of Mrs. Ankeny’s children when all were wee kiddie, and Mrs. Leonard, a woman of marked personality, is well remembered as one of the members of St. John’s church choir. It is related that Mrs. Leonard sang in the church up to the time of her daughter’s birth, and one of the reminiscences of the daughter, published recently in the Cosmopolitan magazine, was that the mother seeking to draw a kerchief from her pocket disclosed instead a bit of then cloth and yards of fine lace that she had been fashioning into a baby gown, and had put in her frock instead of the handkerchief.
The little daughter was born with a song in her throat and a smile on her face and through her long and sometimes arduous life maintained that wonderful charm of happiness which in itself was a contributing factor to her wonderful personal beauty.
Her mother took her to Chicago when she was but a wee baby, six months of age, the family tradition says. And she was but a small girl when the sweetness of her voice attracted the instructors in the Sacred Heart convent, Chicago. There she took up the study of vocal and instrumental music. When she was 14 she moved to New York with her parents and began opera study under Leo Damrosch appearing first with Edward E. Rice’s “Pinafore Company” at the old Casino theatre, New York. During her engagement Tony Pastor heard her rehearsing, he offered her an engagement at $50 a week and gave her the stage name that she made famous – “Lillian Russell.”
Visits Clinton.
Fame came to her almost overnight. Her debut with the Pastor forces was on February 7, 1881 in the “Pirates of Penzance” and within a few weeks she was a star. Singing in the Casino theatre until 1899, with the Weber and Fields’ Company for years, she later joined the McCaull Opera Company. In this she was prima donna and visited her old home town. Later she organized her own company with which she visited Clinton. Her last appearance here was in the “Fire Fly.” At that time the Revere House was the leading hotel of the city and everybody rode bicycles. Miss Russell had her company supplied with wheels and took them round the block to show them the house in which she was born and the Iowa Central Hotel in which her parents later lived, just prior to their going from Clinton.
Soon after she went upon the stage Miss Russell married Harry Braham, musical director for the “pinafore Company.” In 1885 she divorced Braham and while she was appearing in “The Sorcerer” and the “Princess Trebizonde” she was married to Edward Solomon, musical director for the Casino orchestra. Following her divorce from Solomon she was married in 1894 to John Chatterton, known professionally as Signor Perugini, a tenor with whom she sang. She married Alexander P. Moore, Pittsburgh publisher in 1912. Her last stage appearance was in Chicago four years ago when she engaged for the Chicago run of Raymond Hitchcock’s “Hitchy Koo” shows.
Cause of Death.
Pittsburgh, Pa., June 6 (by the Associated Press) Lillian Russell, (Mrs. Alexander P. Moore) bright star of American comic opera for three decades and internationally known as a professional beauty who died at 2:20 o’clock this morning, had been ill several weeks following a shipboard accident while returning from Europe. Her death was unexpected, as her physicians two days ago announced she had passed the crisis and would recover.
Mrs. Moore who was the wife of Alexander P. Moore, publisher of the Pittsburgh Leader, suffered a relapse and yesterday afternoon was so ill that members of the family were summoned to the bedside.
The accident, which 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, nevertheless and although she steadily failed in health after her arrival home even those most closely associated with her were not aware of the decline. Mrs. Moore’s trip to Europe was undertaken at the request of Secretary of Labor James J. Davis for the purpose of making an intensive study among prospective immigrants to the United States.
Mrs. Moore who was 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 engagements. 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 survived by two sisters, Mrs. Suzanne Westford Allen of New York and Mrs. Hattie Leonard Colburn of Schenectady, N. Y.
The funeral will probably be held Thursday at Trinity church with burial in this city.

FINAL TRIBUTE FOR LILLIAN RUSSELL TODAY
The Clinton Herald; Thursday, June 8, 1922, P. 1
Pittsburgh, Pa., June 8. Mrs. Lillian Russell Moore was laid to rest this afternoon in Alleghany cemetery. Men high in the government service, and hundreds of personal and professional friends were in attendance.
Pittsburgh, Pa., June 8. Friends and admirers from official and professional walks of life gathered here today to pay final tribute to Lillian Russell Moore, wife of A. P. Moore, the publisher. A guard of marines kept watch at the Moore residence during the night, detailed by order of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt and a firing squad from the American Legion will give the final salute to the distinguished woman. Funeral services were scheduled for 2:30 p. m. at Trinity Episcopal church, the public services being preceded by private services at the residence for relatives and the immediate family.
Flag at Half Mast.
San Francisco, June 8. While funeral services for Mrs. Lillian Russell Moore, internationally famed actress and beauty, are held in Pittsburgh today, the flag of the Press club of San Francisco floats at half mast. Lillian Russell was the only woman honorary member of the club, so named because of a benefit concert she gave for the club when it was struggling and youthful. She was presented with a golden key to the club.