San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25
DEATH NEAR
BUT DIVINE
SARAH ACTS
Great Tragedienne, Penni-
less, STRUGGLES in Her
Delirium.
CONDITION is GRAVE
Doctors Believe Bernhardt
Is Playing Her Final
Role.
CONDITION Is GRAVE
Paris. March e4.-Sarah Bernhardt.

Paris, March 24.-SarGh Bernhardt,
"divine tragcdienne" of all time, nj
the point of death tonight. played the
final role Of a tragedy as dramatic
as any enacted on the stage.
Penniless, it was disclosed as physi-
clans bulletins pronounced the fear
that death was at hand, the great ac-
trcss 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. Crudely glaring calcium lights
cast their CHASTITY flickers over gaudy
costumes, backdrops, makeup boxes,
all the paraphernalia. of the TRACE
6ienne art lie scattered about in con-
fusion.
Doctors Work Hard.
In such setting. the white haired
physician OF Nine. Bernhardt for 30
years, read in n broken voice the
latest bulletin. signed by six physi-
clans. laconic because they feared to
say more:
"Thc, condition Of Madame Bern
, hardt is extremely aggravated
DIR. Marot, himself on the verge Of
collapse after sixtcen-hour vigil by
IL -. IL. al.
MADAME may last through the
night. But she never has been so bad.
1t is hard TO say, because OF her
wonderful vitality"
Uraemic poison is sapping the life
of the woman who. at as. still is recos-
nizcd rs the worlds greatest actress.
Camphor has been injected. 1t was
disclosed that one of Bernhardt's lid
news has been infected for 80 years.
Undertakes Film Contract.
Recently her illness following n
fainting spell caused grave alarm to
her friends. but she refused 10 spare
herself and undertook a film con-
tract.
She appeared TO be somewhat bet
ter. So great was the secrecy sur
rounding the sudden crisis that the
cameramen and directors were not
notified and arrived at the Bernhardt
home this afternoon ready to go TO
work.
Downstairs, servants with tear
stained faces, shifting whispers and
starting with apprehension each time
the door of the sick chamber opened,
tip-toe about anxiously.
No one. not even Maurice Rostand.
playwright. and beloved friend of the
tragcdienne. was allowed to see her
today.
Recites Her Parts.
In her drlirirm Nine. Bernhardt
recites as only she is able. the classic
roles that brought her fame and made
them famous.
"Camille. "I.Aiglon. characters
immortalifies by the divine Sarah's
art, live in the sick room as Bern
hardt sinks. Then she wants tho news.
papers. TO read about herself. and
Der illness.
How the whole French nation feels
about the passing Of one of its great
est women was revealed today when
il was learned that the nress has &C
ouiescnscd to a request Of -B"rnhnrdts
physicians that her illness be played
down and mipimized. 70 avoid excit-
ing her when she reads of it.
Today. with the greatest crisis OF
her life at hand. only or" Paris nnn"r
made mention of II. and that a little
item of hut four lines.
Burial Place Picked.
"Then in her delirirm she insists
upon gcttinr m and eoing downstairs
to pose for the film. It is all that they
can do TO dissuade her.
This is tho great TRAGEDY ~ Bern
hardf's last days-that she is literally
forced to earn a living by acting at
the arc Of nearly four score. She dis
sinated several fortunes during her
lifetime.
One thing remains to the TRACE
dienne from which shn will never part
the little island off Bret'ny coast
which she bought TO be her final rest
in~ nlace.
There. amidst the sunshine anil
storms Of the north coast. the body of
the greatest tracedienne the world has
ever rpown WI lie entombed ms a
shrine for nrt lovn-s for all time.
49, >vv-~ - vvyA - n -