Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-18
GENEV|EVE WARD,
TRAGED|EN!NE, DIES
Famous American Actress s
Passes Away in London at
Age Of Eighty-four
BIZ Associated Press

London, Aug. 1S.-Gcnevieve Ward,
famous American tragedienne. died of
heart failure today at her home in
Hampstead at the age of eighty four
years.
Genevieve Ward. affectionately known
to the theatrical fraternity as "The
Grand Old Dame of the Stage" en-
dcared herself to millions of theatre
goers in every corner Of the world dur.
ing the fifty-fivc years she appeared
before the public in almost every role
from grand opcra 70 light comedy.
Either Of two events occurring while
she was still quite young might have
first of these was an unfortunate mar
riage at the age of seventeen to Count
Constantine de Guerbel. of Russia,
from whom she separated, and the sec
ond was the complete loss of her sing
ing voice through an attack of diph-
iberia after her success in grand opera
lad been assured.
iforn in New York. March 81. 1888.
daughter of Colonel Samuel Ward and
granddaughter of Gideon Lee, once
Mayor of New York.
The American "Sarah Bcrnhardt'
began her career in Italy. Her first
appearance on the American stage was
as Violetta in LA Traviata," in 1862.
She toured the United States again in
1878, in Shakcspearean roles. Since
1900 she lived in London, where she
remained on the stage until few
months ago.
Her opinion of the modern theatre is
interesting.
"Since the war;" said she, "the
plays have been very bad-silly farces
and bedroom comedies. We are at the
bottom of the circle, but the theatre will
get better as the world gets better
Madame Ward was the only known
case in which an American girl mar
ried foreign nobleman, and never
used her husbands title. The reason
for this, she once confessed, was hel
! scorn for Count da Gucrbel, who wooed
her Mt Nice, France, when she was but
sixteen and married her year later.
But" Madame Ward explained in.
dignantly, 1.-THE Austrian Ambassador
friend of my mother. went to hcl
after the ceremony and told her very
gravely that it was not legal mar
riage. The Count could not be married
without the Cars consent and. ac'
cording to the rites of the Greel
Church.
"You sec. the Count had discovered
was not rich! He had plenty of land
but no money, and he wanted to marry
me because he thought / had money.
This was like a thundcrbOlt from {
clear sky. He consented readily enough
to meet us in Paris and have the cere
mony performed there in the Russian
| Church. But when he arrived certain
religious ceremonies of his church wer'
being observed and we could not b.
married Immediately.
"But l dressed in mourning from
! head to foot. My mother and brothe
were with me in the church and a
the door stood my father. who hat
hastened over from America. He ha,
a loaded revolver In his hand and full.
intended shooting Count Guerbcl dea'
IL he made the least resistance to es
cape the ceremony.
"However, the thought Of Siberia 70
life was enough to induce Nhe Coun
to make me his wife according to Rus
sian law, as l was already according
to American law.
"After the ceremony ] took off tn
ring and flung it in his face. That i
not the way woman usually wins
mans heart, but, strangely enough. tn
Count was desperately in love from
that time on.
"When he died I would not touch
penny of his money or take foot o
his land,'