The Man Who Had Two Funerals
The story of The Great Lafayette
Many people have claimed to have heard ghostly roars of a lion and no less frightening a horse neighing, when walking outside the Festival Theatre, the premier venue for operas in Edinburgh after midnight. There are reports of sightings of strange emanations like they were coming from diamond rings when the lights go out before the beginning of a show. The Great Lafayette loved wearing diamond rings.
It is well-known that the Empire Palace as it was formerly known was destroyed in a fire in 1911.
Everybody knows about Houdini the great illusionist and escapalogist, but equally known in earlier days was The Great Lafayette, whose real name was Sigmund Neuberger, born in Munich, and who, fittingly for an illusionist, died twice in Edinburgh, in 1811, aged 40.
He was easily the highest-earning illusionist in the world, reputedly earning on average £44,000 a year. He was, allegedly, “as gay as a pink elephant”, and it is suspected that he had a life-long crush on Harry Houdini, who although he did not reciprocate the romantic tones of Sigmund’s attachment, always had a very strong friendship for his fellow magician. It seems that they may have been lovers. Presumably it was to show him the depth of his friendship that he presented him with his own pet, Beauty, a half-breed mongrel. Lafayette developed the strongest attachment imaginable for the canine, never travelled anywhere without her. He had his Mercedes fitted with a chair so Beauty could sit in comfort as they travelled together.
His prized number was called the Lion’s Bride, in which he appeared to instantly change places with his Lion. Nobody could explain how he achieved this effect.
After successful tours of America, as Houdini refused to make any commitment to him, he thought it best to go back to Europe. Great Britain, to start with, but he fell in love with Edinburgh and made it his home. His shows were instant successes, earning him a small fortune. Soon he was driving a Mercedes, had it fitted with a special chair so Beauty could accompany him in style. He led a celibate life, devoting all his free time talking to Beauty. He was convinced that she understood him perfectly, and was convinced that Beauty could communicate with him with her eyes and body movements. No expenses were spared to keep his companion healthy and trim. He ordered the best cuts of meat and delicacies for her, and it is said that he had six-course meals prepared for her. He did not notice that the dog was massively overweight, and aged fifteen- a centenarian in human terms_ her health began to fail.
Inevitably, no veterinarian could do anything to keep her alive, and, one night, she passed. The Great Lafayette was heart-broken, and wept gallons of tears all day long. He had her embalmed as he did not want to bury her right away. He was only saved because he was dedicated to his work, and insisted on performing his show at the Empire Palace Theatre, now the Festival Hall.
When he finally agreed to give Beauty a decent burial, he decided that she had to be buried in a proper cemetery. In consecrated ground! Council could not agree to his demand, and he used all the power at his disposal, and finally it was his offer to but a small plot for £300 which made the burghers change their mind, but on condition that the illusionist undertook to be buried alongside her in Piersfield Cemetery, in Portobello.
Reining in his grief, he continued to perform, and only ten days after the burial, whilst performing the Lion’s Bride, a curtain caught fire which soon spread. At first the audience laughed, thinking it was part of the act, but soon they realised what was happening and they rushed out in a panic. Once safely out of harm’s way, Lafayette suddenly remembered the horse and the lion which were part of the show, and who were still inside, and rushed back in to rescue them. He never came out.
The theatre was a wreck, and the burnt body of the magician was discovered among the rubble, identified by the exotic garb he was wearing for the show. The theatre organised a proper funeral for him, which, it was said tens of thousands of people attended.
However as the rubble of the burnt-out theatre was being cleared, other bodies were found, including one whose burnt-out fingers sported a number of diamond rings. This was soon established to be the real Lafayette, the previous one being his body double. He was given a proper cremation, and his ashes were placed between the paws of Beauty, in Piershill Cemetery, in Portobello.
