Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1919 — GIRL’S SLAYER SEN. NEW’S SON? [ARTICLE]

GIRL’S SLAYER SEN. NEW’S SON?

MURDERER DRIVES TO POLICE STATION WITH BODY. ‘ Los Angeles, Cal., July 5.—-In his cell at the city jail tonight Harry S. New, who this morning surrendered to the police as the murderer of Miss Frieda Lesser, 21, of Glendale, Cal., his sweetheart, told this story of the killing and said that he was ready to die as he wanted to join the women he loved. New, 82 years old, who said he is the son of -Senator Harry S. New, of Indiana, drove up to the police station this morning in an automobile containing the body of the young woman. “We had planned to be married today,” he aid. “At the last moment wFrieda interposed objections and I proposed that we take an auto ride to some quiet spot where we could talk things over. Reaching a lonely spot, I started pleading with her to marry me at once. “She remained obdurate and said she would resort to any means rather than become my wife. That made me mad, and almost before I knew it, I had -snatched a revolver Which was kept in the. machine as protection against highwaymen and shot her through the head. I believe she died almost instantly. “For nearly two hours I drove with Fmaa lying beside me. Then it dawned on me what a horrible deed I had done. J decided the best thing to do was to bring the body to the police station and surrender.” He said he had borrowed the automobile from his mother, Mrs. Lulu M. Berger, of Glendale, and had driven with the girl to Venice, then through Hollywood and finally up the Tepangro Canyon road, where their quarrel culminated in the shooting. New is of slight build. He displayed no evidence of excitement and officers said he had not been drinking.* Indianapolis, July s.—Mrs. Lulu Burger, mother of Harry S. New, who today surrendered to the Los Angeles police as the murderer of Miss Frieda Leser, left Indianapolis late tohight for in Glendale, Cal. Mrs. Burger stated that New is the son of Senator Harry S. New, of Indiana, and that she was divorced from Senator New about eighteen years ago. Mrs. Burger also said she expected to wire Senator New and solicit his aid in behalf of the son. Washington, July 5. —Senator New issued a statement tonight denying that he and Mrs. Burger ever were married or divorced. When shown a dispatch from Indianapolis quoting Mrs. Burger, Senator New said: “The only thing I care to add is that the statement from any source that Mrs. Burger and I were ever either married or divorced at any time at under any name is absolutely untrue.”