New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-13
Anna I Held Dies in I otel Here
After Illness of Six Months
Noted Actress Succumbs to
Bronchial Pneumonia;
Lived Hour After First
Announcement of Death

Anna Held died yesterday at her
apartment in the Hotel Savoy, after
nght OF six months against disease, She
collapsed in Milwaukee on January 20
and was found to be suffering from
neurtls, which had developed, it was
said from q cold she contracted while
appearing at environments and assist
ing in the sale of Libery Bonds.
Just before o'clock her physician
was sure that she had drawn her last
breath and so informed her relatives
and friends. The word reached others
who were awaiting the news in The
hotel corridor and was flashed by wire
to hundreds of newspapers
The woman who mad been fohtino
death so long stirred beneath the blan
ket which had been drawn over her
face. 1t was hastily removed, and the
watchers saw to their amazement that
MISS Held was breathing regularly, al
though still unconscious. The report
of her death quickly was corrected. and
the vigil at her bedside was main
tanned anxiously, in the hope that she
might yet regain consciousness. She
did not, though she lived for more than
an hour after life had been declared
extinct. She died at 1922 p. m.
Her death was due to pernicious
an@mia, complicated by acute bronchial
pneumonia. 1t was first reported that
she was suffering from multiple myel-
oma, rare and fatal disease, which
disintegrates the bony structure Of
the body. Physicians despaired of saw
ing her life several months ago.
She rallied from that attack, how
ever, and recovered sufficiently to be
about and take frequent drives. Then
few weeks ago she grew worse and the
bronchial complication set in. DR.. Ed
ward M. Overton, her physician, held
out slight hope for her recovery, al
though he was surprised to note an
apparent improvement in her condition
on Sunday.
With her when she died were Lame
Carrera, her daughter, who frequently
had acted as understudy for her mother,
Mrs. Susanna Westford Allen, of 118
West Sixtyninth Street, a sister of Lii
Liam Russell, and Beatrice Brionchi, an
Italian maid, who has been in Miss
Held's personal service for almost
twenty years. Samuel Kingston, the
atrical producer, who was Miss Held's
manager when she was under contract
with Florenz Ziegfeld, took charge Of
the funeral arrangements
Began as Street Singer
Anna Held was born March 18, 1873.
She claimed Paris as her birthplace. al
though 1t has been stated by some that
she first saw the light in a small In
diana town. Miss Held once said that
her mother was Pole and her father,
a Frenchman, was a glovemaker in
Paris.
Long before she came to America and
startled the country with her lively
songs and rolling eyes and her widely
advertised daily milk bath Miss Held
had been known on the Continental
stage. She was the youngest of seven
children. When nine her father, fail
ing in business opened a small restau-
rant on the outskirts of Paris. This
was unsuccessful and Anna went to
work in factory, appearing frequently
as a street singer.
having relatives, moved to London,
where they resided in small room
next to the Princess Theatre in Oxford
Street
1t was then that she received her first
theatrical engagement appearing in the
chorus. Unable to speak English, but
conversing in French, German, Polish
and Spanish, Miss Held sang in those
languages in such manner as to at
tract attention.
Joins Musical Company
Following her mothers death, Miss
Held joined musical company for
tour of Holland. At Amsterdam she
remained two months, later visiting
The Hague. Christiania and many Ger
man cities. Tt was not until 1889 that
she made her first appearance on the
stage in Paris.
In musical revues she first appeared
at FL Dorado, later singing at La Scala
In 1895 she appeared at the Palace, in