, 1923-03-25
BY WEBB MILLER
United Press STAFF Correspou

United Press staff Correspondent
PARIS. March 24.-Sarah Bern.
hardt, divine tragedienne" of all
time, at the point of death tonight
played the final role Of a tragedy as
poignant as any she enacted on the
stage.
Penniless. It was disclosed as physi.
clans bulletins pronounced the fear
that death was at hand, the great
actress struggled in her delirium to
rise from bed and continue acting,
acting for the films to make money
so that she would not die in poverty.
Bernhard lies critically i'll amidst
a setting that emphasizes the tragedy,
Garish sets for a film play in which
she was acting when taken i'll Thurs.
day crowd the downstairs part of her
house. Crudely glaring calcium
lights cast their CHASTITY flicker over
gaudy costumes, back drops, make up
boxes; all the paraphernalia of the
tragedienne art lie scattered about In
n confusion.
A bizarre scene depicting a Mont
rein fills the living room once
crowded with Bernhardt's treasures.
In such n setting the white haired
physician Of Madame Bernhard for
30 ear read in n broken voice. read
the latest bulletin. signed by six
physicians. laconic because they
feared to say more.
1.-The condition of Madame 7 Bern.
hardt is extremely aggravated"
DIR. Marot. himself on the verge OF
collapse after a sixteen hour vigil by
the beside, wept as he added:
Madame may last through the
night. But she lever has been SO
bad. It is hard to say. because OF
her wonderful vitality"
Uremic poisoning is sapping the
life Of the woman who at rs still is
recognized as the worlds greatest
actress. Camphor has been injected.
1t was disclosed that Bernhardt's
kidneys la been infected for 80
years. Recently her Illness following
a fainting spell caused grave alarm
to her friends, but she refused to
spare herself and undertook a film
contract. She appeared to be some
what better. So great was the
scenery surrounding the sudden crisis
that the camera men n directors
were not notified and arrived at the
Bernhard home this afternoon ready
to go to work.
Downstairs. servants with tear
stained faces, shifting. whispering
and starting with apprehension each
time the door Of the sick chamber
q. opened. tlp-toed about anxlously.
No one. not even Maurice Rostand
playwright and beloved friend of the
tragedienne. was allowed to see hei
today.
In her delirium. Madame Bern
hardt recites as only she is able, tn,
classic roles hat brought her FAME
and made them famous.
Camille" "L'aiglon, - character
given Immortality by the divine
Sarah's art-live in the sick room u;
Bernhard sinks.
She wants the newspapers to read
about herself and about her illness
How the whole French nation feeli
abou the passing of one of the
greatest women was revealed today
when It learned the press hai
acquiesced to a request OF Bern
hardt's physicians that her illness b'
played down and minimized to avolt
exciting her when she read of II.
loudY with Anb kAtaNtdb IAAsAH ~
her life at hand. only n Parii
paper published mention Of 1t, ant
that n little item of but four lines.
"Thcn in her delirium she insist
upon getting up and going dowr
stairs to pose for the film. 1t is al
they can do e dissuade her" SAID
NJ. H%arracourt, old and Intimate
friend.
This is the great tragedy Of Bern
hardt's last days-that she is l~iternlfJ
forced to earn a living by acting a
the age OF nearly four score. Sh'
dissipated several fortunes during hei
lifetime, lavishing gifts upon friendi
and those who sought her charity.
One thing remains to the trnge
dlenne with which she will never
part-the little uninhabited island OF
the Brittany coast she bought to b
her Anal resting place.
There, amidst the SUNSHINE and
storms OF the north coast the bodi
Of the greatest ~tragedienne the worlt
has ever known Will lie entombed, 1
sbrlne for art lovers Of oil time.