"THE SINS OF THE FATHERS."

Evening Star, Issue 7646, 23 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

"THE SINS OF THE FATHERS."

A LIFE FULL OF TRAGEDY. ('From our London Correspondent.] London, May 4. Few sadder or more significant stories have recently been unfolded to a curious public than that of Madame Helene CrosmondTurner, an opera singer of some celebrity, who committed suicide in a cab the other day. Madame Turner was a daughter of Madame Rachel, of “beautiful for ever” notoriety, and had already achieved success as a soprano and married happily, when her unhappy mother was found out and sentenced to a long term of penal servitude. The disgrace attaching to the affair, and the apparent impossibility of getting rid of its wretched associations, told sadly on Mr Turner, who was an eminently respectable silk merchant. He grew morbid, and eventually committed suicide. A sister of Madame Turner’s also made away with herself soon afterwards, and her brother became a prey to melancholy. These sorrows, combined with professional disappointments and ttie abuse of narcotics, made the poor lady most unhappy. Never was there a case in which the sins of the fathers were more severely visited on their children. “The tragic death of Madame He If me Crosmond-Turner ” (writes a correspondent of the ‘ Daily News’) “ has shocked a wide circle of friends, acquaintances, and admirers. There is no doubt that she took too much to heart the failure of her negotiations for an engagement this season at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden. The story, us it was told by the prima donna herself a week or two ago to an acquaintance wellknown in musical life, was as follows: Madame Crosmond had last season been engaged as a member of Mr Augustus Harris’s Italian Opera Company at Drury lane. This year her engagement at the Royal Italian Opera was so far settled that the salary had been arranged, the draft contract had been sent her to he signed, and as she expressed herself in need of ready money for her maintenance Mr Augustus Harris had sent her a cheque in advance. Madame Crosmond duly returned the contract signed, and with it an intimation that she intended to make her renlrt'e. as Aida. The communication was couched in such terms that it was justifiably held to be a condition, although the lady subsequently declared it was merely a request. An interview betweeen manager and artist ensued, and in the result, as Madame Crosmond stated, in a fit of temper she tore up her contract. She afterwards sought to reopen negotiations, and consulted a solicitor, hut iu the interim Mr Harris—be it said, with full justice—had engaged other artists in her place, and he naturally could not go hack on his word. Madame Crosmond found herself out of an engagement. The poor lady took the situation very much to heart, and in a letter written less than forty-eight hours before her suicide, she declared that ‘ it will he pretty well the death of me through worry.’ Furthermore, she was iu acute pain, and apparently had recourse to a dangerous extent to narcotics. In the same letter, written on Tuesday night, she says : ‘ 1 have been at death’s door. Sleepless nights, through intense neuralgia in my head, obliged me to take an overdose of a mixture which was prescribed me by my doctor td relieve pain. After some considerable hours I was brought to life by the vigilant care of two medical men. I feel still queer, especially about the eyes. I am thinking of going away for a little while.’ “The career of Madame Hdiene Crosmond was almost from first to last a very sad one. She was the daughter of the notorious Madame Rachel, of ‘beautiful for ever’ fame, and who spent a portion of her life in prison. No woman more than Hdldne Crosmond made a braver fight, not only by the purity of her domestic life, but also by the nicest observance of the requirements of respectable society, to live down the remembrances of her parentage, Even till a few years ago her mother’s memory was thrown at her in print by thoughtless persons, and caused her acute pair.. But in due time men began to admire the struggles of a good woman to win her livelihood in an honest walk of live, and Madame Helene Crosmond has since been higly and deservedly respected by all who were brought into business correspondence with her. About fifteen years ago she was a member of Mr Carter’s choir at the Albert Hall, and shortly afteiwards she entered the Royal Academy of Music in the class of Mr Randegger. At the Academy she gained high honors, and was selected to play the principal part in a stage presentation of the first operetta ever composed by Mr Eaton Failing, now professor of music at Harrow School. She married Mr Turner, a wealthy city merchant, and her life seemed to lie destined to be a happy one. But Mr Turner died under most unfortunate circumstances, and Madame Crosmond-Turner, after successful appearances at Her Majesty’s Theatre, and with Mr Mapleson’s company in the United States, went to Milan, where she secured a high position, particulaily for her representation of ‘ Aida.’ She returned here about seven years ago, since when her public career has been more or less well known. In private life Madame Crosmond was distinguished for her brilliant conversational powers, her command of language, and her wit. She was one of the most openminded and sensible of women, and short of brain disease caused by trouble and physical pain, she would probably have been considered the last person in the world likely to take away her life by violence.” MR GUS. HARRIS INTERVIEWED, ‘ ‘ Mr Augustus Harris was interviewed with refe-ence to his business relations with the unfortunate woman. He said that when he was making arrangements for the coining season of Italian opera Miss Crosmond desired an engagement. The circumstances were identical with those of last year, when he engaged her, not as a leading attraction, hut to have her in reserve in case of necessity. It happened that she was needed, and sang ‘ Aida.’ They had a preliminary talk about the coming season, and several months ago a contract similar to the former one was drawn up and sent to her. She was in poor circumstances, and at her request, pending the signing of the contract, he advanced her L2O. After receiving the contract, however, she sent it hack to him with a letter accepting it, but closing with the words ‘ It is clearly understood that I make my rentr6e in “Aida.” E haul a.’ The Italian phrase meant‘That is decisive.’ Mr Harris, however, had not planned to produce ‘Aida.’ Ho was willing to engage her, but could not permit her to make conditions that interfered with his arrangements, and he so notified her. The result was that at the next interview she tore up the contract, and the understanding was at an end. Instead of viewing the matter from his standpoint she persisted in looking at it from her own, and proposed to bring an action. She went first to one solicitor and then to another, but was informed that she had no ground whatever to base an action upon. Her attempt, however, greatly diminished Mr Harris’s sympathy, he said. The tendency to bring suits of this kind is a constant annoyance in the managerial business, as some lawyers are always ready to bring such actions on speculation. She had a large number of influential friends, and they came to him with requests that they would offer her some opportunity, and he should for their sakes have done so, but for her legal attempt to either frighten or force him to do something in opposition to his plans. The result was that the understanding between them ended, and he made other engagements. She was a lady of impulsive and excitable disposition. He had been disposed to do anything that was reasonable for her, but he could not permit her or any other artist to interfere with his managerial plans and direct his affairs. It was not a business way of doing things,” TWO OTHER SUICIDES. “Madame Rachel’s was truly a case of the sins of the parents being visited on the children. The deceased lady had not only to contend against her mother’s reputation, which was frequently thrown in her face, but she suffered from hereditary improvidence. She was brought up in extravagance, and always lived up to, when she did not live beyond, her income. Madame Rachel, whose husband’s real name was Leveson, when she carried on the beautifying business earned plenty of money. Before she commenced her musical studies H6leue

C-i'osmond assisted her mother in the business. She married young. Her husband was a commercial traveller, living alternately in London and I'aris. lie was a man excellent character, and was most highly spoken of by all his acquaintances. He was of a very sensitive disposition, and was much disturbed by the antecedents of his mother-in-law, and by her whole notorious career, which culminated in penal servitude. In addition to this he had to contend with his wife’s extravagance. He soon found himself in pecuniary difficulties, and during his wife’s absence in Italy committed suicide by shooting himself in the Terminus Hotel, London Bridge, He engaged a room there for the express purpose of committing the deed. This was ten years ago, and with this event commenced the tragic history of the family, which seems to be affected with a suicidal mania. Another daughter of Madame Rachel committed suicide in Paris from no other reason—so far as known—than the effect of her mother’s reputation on her mind. After her husband’s death Mrs Turner continued her operatic career. She was fairly successful, and earned plenty of money, but was always in need. She was a charming and winning lady, and did not want friends outside the profession. She had borrowed a good deal of money, and was very much distressed, as she was unable to repay it. It was impossible for her to save or economise. Only a few days before her death she wrote to a lady who had lent her money a very touching letter. It was evident that she was disappointed and brokenhearted. On Wednesday she took a small room in Bentinck street; too small to hold her grand piano. _ It is thought that she had meditated committing suicide in this room. She was always haunted with the recollection of her husband’s and her sister’s selfinflicted deaths. She was unable to live down her mother’s evil reputation, and, encompassed with difficulties and harassed by creditors, she resolved to put an end to her unhappy existence. She has a brother in London, who is described as a man who ‘ writes for the papers,’ and is habitually despondent in spirits. Madame Rachel died some years ago.”