A Mysterious Life and Death

Man of Mystery

One of the most famous entertainers of the 20th Century, The Great Lafayette was a quick change artist, magician and master illusionist.

Real name Sigmund Neuberger, Lafayette was born in Munich 1871, before his family emigrated to America in search of a better life.

Lafayette’s early career was heavily influenced by the Chinese magician illusionist Ching Ling Foo who had brought his show to America with great success. In 1900 Sigmund Neuberger appeared in London transformed into The Great Lafayette. Audiences were transfixed by his magic talents and he soon became the highest paid performer of the time.

Beloved Beauty

Lafayette’s most treasured possession was his dog, Beauty – a gift from friend and fellow illusionist Harry Houdini.

Beauty wore a gold and diamond collar and was showered with expensive gifts. Lafayette’s London home and his private railway carriage had special rooms for Beauty, and by contract she would stay at the same hotels and even eat from the same table.

On 30 April 1911 Lafayette and Beauty travelled to Edinburgh in a private coach to perform a two-week season of sell out shows at the Empire Theatre on Nicolson Street. A few days later Beauty died of suspected apoplexy and Lafayette was utterly grief-stricken.

Lafayette requested for Beauty to be buried at Piershill Cemetery. Permission was only granted with the proviso that when the time came Lafayette would be interred there too, but unbeknown to himself, he was to join Beauty just a few days later.

The Lion’s Bride

Lafayette was known for his spectacular stage shows, but his appearance at Edinburgh’s Empire Theatre in May 1911 was extraordinary even by his standards.

On 9 May 1911, 3000 spectators packed the Empire Theatre for that evening’s performance. For the finale of his show he performed his signature act ‘The Lion’s Bride’, an exotic illusion of Oriental splendour set in a Persian harem which required a real lion, a horse and a cast of faithful performers.

The lion paced restlessly in a cage while fire-eaters, jugglers and contortionists performed. A young woman in Oriental dress walked slowly on stage and entered the cage. When she was inside, the lion roared and reared up ready to pounce. The animal skin was then suddenly ripped away to reveal The Great Lafayette who had mysteriously changed places with the beast.

Blazing Inferno

At the end of the act, a lamp caught fire. The audience, accustomed to unusual effects, were slow to recognise the danger.

The rapidly-deployed fire curtain ensured the crowd managed to escape without harm, but the cast were trapped on stage. It took three hours to bring the fire under control, and eleven people died including members of the orchestra, stage hands, and two midgets called Little Joe and Alice Dale, who operated a mechanical teddy-bear.

Early the next morning a charred body, dressed in Lafayette’s costume, was found and was taken to be cremated. Two days after the tragedy dumbfounded fire officers discovered the ‘real’ body of The Great Lafayette. It transpired that the first body had, in actual fact, been that of his body double.

The Final Performance

On 14 May 1911 the streets of Edinburgh thronged with spectators to see The Great Lafayette’s funeral procession.

The funeral was described as ‘one of the most extraordinary internments of modern times’. Huge crowds packed the streets to see four Belgian horses carry his coffin, followed by a long procession of coaches.

Upon arrival at Piershill Cemetery, Beauty’s coffin was opened and Lafayette’s ashes were carefully placed beside the preserved body of his dear pet. Lafayette’s grave, with memorial stones to Beauty and The Great Lafayette, can be seen to this day on a grassy mound just inside the entrance to Piershill Cemetery.