The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-09
SAD DEATH OF AN ACTRESS.
Distressing Circumstances Connected wit
the Death of Maud Stuart

the Death of Maud Stuart
New York Special
Maud Stuart the actress, died at the fiat, No.
2l9 West Fortieth street, either Saturday or
Sunday last The doubt is rendered necessary
by the efforts that have been made to keep the
knowledge of her demise from the newspapers.
Until to-day no public announcement of it has
been made. Tt has been pleaded in extenuation
of this secrecy that charity tor the dead justified
it, but under that sacred mantle it would seem
as if a man had wished to hide. Miss Stuart
was twenty-one years old, and unmarried. She
died of py9mia. following puerperal fever, the
direct result of confinement. She passed away
in the arms of friend in little room on the
top floor of the Fortieth-street fat Frederick
De Beleville, an actor, whose life has been a
romance, is the responsible occupant of the fiat
story of the fat No. 2l7, sturdy Dan Leeson, of
Wallack's. lives. The janitor Of both of these
fats did Eot know Maud Stuart He had heard
that Mrs De Belleville had died, yet Maud
s5suart was not, and never could have been,
Mrs. De Belleville There were already three
Mrs. De Beleviles alive Maud Stuart's
right name was Maude May Gruhbs. She was
an Indiana girl, who came of an excellent fam
lily, and was brought up in Indianapolis. She
was born in May, 1864 AT sixteen she was on
the stage. Before she was seventeen she had
played juliet as one of the five at Atkins Law
rence's benefit. in Philadelphia She began to
be better known after that. and soon went into
the Madison square Theater forces Dan Froh-
man secured Tor hef the role OF clara, In the
original Hazel Kirker Company, and later she
created the role of the blind girl, in "Young
Mrs. Winthrop" She remained at the Madison
square until the change in the management
there when she left. She had been a favori1e
of the Frohmans and once ii had been whis-
pered that she would, perhaps, marry Dan Froh-
man some day; but the engagement if it ever
existed, was never publicly announced. After
her Madison square work she dfi what is pro-
fessionaily called 'jobbing' for time. Early
l--A ell D.. @.f1 -.
Fourteenth-street Theater, she played Nita, in
"Paquita' De Belleville and she, it is believed,
met for the first time in the "Paquita" cast. One
who was in the company says they fell in love
at first sight. De Belleville is courtly, suave
and handsome All the polish of a Frenchman
marks his bearing, AMI with women he has ever
been admired f.voriter
Ever since last summer Miss Stuart has been
known to her intimate friends as Mrs. Freder-
lex DeBelleville, though she has continued to ap-
pear on the stage as Miss Stuart. and her mar
riage was never made public.
DeBelieville told a reporter that private cere-
mony was performed, which, though not legal,
satisfied Miss Stuart until he could procure di-
vorce and marry her in public Miss Stuart
dreaded the notoriety which would follow should
it be known that she was living as DeBelleville's
wife here when it was known that he had a wife
alive
How she died Sunday morning was told by
DeBelleville to-day Il thought she was better
Ouuuay TnOruIu2, no Sdlu w non Wcub u
see her at Z o'clock she was asleep. Fearing to
wake her went into the next room and read
the morning papers. At ii o'clock I again went
in to see her She was as | thought still asleep.
leaned over the bed to kiss her. I kissed the
lips of DEATH seized her in my arms and called
on her to come back. 1t was long before l could
realize that she really gone. have worked
hard to make home for her, and just az l have
succeeded to lose her ia almost more than / can
bear" 1t is said that DeBelleville nursed the
naA . Aaxrn Gs,rs,1
her illness. Miss Stuarts sister is an actress,
playing under the stage name of Fannie Ber-
nard. She arrived at DeBeleville's fat to-day.
and exhibited great grief.
Mr.. DeBelleville said that Miss Stuart's body
will be taken to Kansas City, where her mother
lives, tonight or tomorrow morning. He aud
Miss Stuart's sister will accompany the body.
At the dead girls request, the child, which is a
pretty and healthy boy, will be placed under its
grandmother's care. Miss Stuart's sister said
that six months ago. when another actress of the
same name died, it reported to their mother
that her daughter was dead. Her grief at that
time nearly killed her, and she has never been
well since It is feared that when she hears how
her daughter died she may not live