The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-31
Nellie Newsletter Described as a Gay
Creature with Ability to Squander
Big Fortunes in Triee.
SAN FRANCISCO HER HOME
Her Early Life There in Keeping
with Her Later Conduct.
New YOrk's Multi-Milli0naire Not Her
First Victim-Her Travels i'm Europe
and Return to the Pacific Coast.

SAN FRANCISCO. Aug. SO-The news
that Nellie Newsletter, or Neustadter, as
she spelled her name here, was a San
Francisco woman has greatly aroused the
interest in Mr.. vanderbit's love affairs.
The people with whom she used to associ-
ate while here say she is thoroughbred
and is fully capable Of leading Mr.. Wander
bilt as lively a pace as he may desire and
his wealth justify. Her faculty for spend
ing money is regarded as remarkable, even
in this city of liberal ideas, and the fast
set of San Francisco could not keep up
with her. Nellie dazzled them with her
splendor until her money gave out and
then she went East for more.
According to the story printed in local
paper. after her return to Eureka. New.
from Mills Seminary, her beauty and DASH
ing manner captured the little town and
the heart of Frank Mills, nephew of ID.
o. Mills. Young Mills was very devoted
in his attentions. and In order to stop the
affair Nellies parents sent her to San
Francisco. She was then eighteen years
old and seemed to care for nothing but to
have a good time Already ner tastes
were expensive and she showered her
favors on anybody who had the wealth
and inclination to cater to her pleasure.
Up to 1884, as far as was known, Nellie's
heart was whole, but in that year she be-
came smitten with Henry Neustadter, who
was popularity known Judy" on ac-
count of his nose, which a standing
reminscence of the old-time Punch and
judy show. Benjamin Cohen, Nellies
father, was delighted when she showed
her preference for Neustadter. Neustadter,
who was then, as now, the agent OF
well-known brand of cigars. was not in
afiiuent circumstances. but he was making
a good income, and when he finally
married Nellie, after couple months
courtship. he set up little establishment
on Sutter street, between Taylor and
Jones, afterward removing to Taylor, be-
tween Sutter and Post.
CHANGED HER NAME.
1t was I'm 1884 when Nellie Cohen changed
her name at the altar. and all went well
for a little while. Business called her hus-
band to Portland and they, therefore. re-
moved there and alternated between that
city and San Francisco until 1887. = few
months before the close of that year events
began to mold themselves for an important
epoch in her life. Nellie was. in one sense
of the word, "gcing to the dogs" She
dressed expensively, wore good jewelry.
and, in many ways. showed she was hand
ling plenty of money, far too much, in fact.
To those on the inside, though, this was no
mystery. Neustadter's business kept him
on the road a good deal of the time, ana
while he was away she was enjoying her
self to her hearts content. Many evenings
she sat down to dinner and supper at swell
resorts with choice spirits like Porter Ashe.
Fred Webster, Tom Williams and Harry
Veouve and she achieved her reputation
as a thoroughbred" because no pace could
be set that was too fast for her. She.
however, managed to fool her husband,
and he did not know anything was wrong
until one day she told him she was going
to New York to visit some of her relatives.
and away she went:
stories. came to her husbands ears lie
learned that her trip TO New York was
made in company with crowd, one mem
ber of which was the celebrated Laura
Edelman, of Los Angeles. Laura had a
record of her own. She was one OF the
most beautiful women in southern Cali,
her, and one day she let every one Know
she had kicked oyer them by deseIting ner
self. too, shortly before her departure by
riding to the courthouse I'm hack and in
was afterwards learned, had Tilted her.
Nellie was, therefore, in pretty pad COM
at least Neustadter thought so. and began
TO make close Investigation he found
his fears were more than realized; He made
one final effort to get back his happiness.
He wrote to his wife and said Come
back and all will be forgiven, But his re-
quest was unheeded, and, realizing the SIT
uation. he applied for a divorce in the Cali
fornia courts and got it.
TRAVELLED LIKE A PRINCESS.
Nellie was then left to her own devices.
She was SO charming and such a good COM
panion that even in the mighty armament
of New York she shone with unusual bril-
liancy, and the good luck which had
marked the opening Of her career kept with
her, for she captured the heart of a mill
lionaire carriage man, and he gave her
sumptuous fat, bought her carriages and
horses and gave her servants and all the
money she wanted. In 1889 he took her to
Europe, and she travelled like a princess.
Everything she had was of the best, and
when she returned she possessed a ward
robe from Worth's and Jewelry that had
sparkled in the shops Of the leading houses
of Paris and London; Nellie began TO
banker, though, after her old home. In the
midst of all her gayety thoughts or her
childhood in California and of her parents.
who had meanwhile moved to San Francis
CO. came back to her with such irresistible
magnetism that, at last, in 1859, she packed
her trunks and came West. She took rooms
at the Palace Hotel, dressed better than
any woman in town, wore thousands OF
dollars worth of gems and spent money as
freely as if she had an unlimited letter OF
credit on the United States mint. She
hunted up ali her old acquaintanceS and
they talked of the gay times they partici-
pated i'm during the eventful period. But
SO Nellie had TO turn eastward again.
This time Nellie took with her as a COM
panion Jessie Whiting, a very pretty girl
from Oakland, and shortly after they
reached New York the news came 10 the
coast that the two women had gone on a
trip 10 Europe. Even il the news had not
been received their whereabouts would have
been known, for few months afterwards
a cablegram came TO the press stating that
Nellie had been forcibly elected from the
Continental Hotel in Paris. The hostelry
i'm question is of the SWEETEST in Paris,
and IL appears that Nellie created so much
stir that all the other guests threatened TO
leave unless she was expelled. She would
not go peaceably, so she was thrown out
From that time up 10 a few months ago
she was only heard from occasionally.
Friends visiting New York found her living
in elegant apartments aud with all the
Llxllries OF life at her command. Some one,
apparently was lavishing lots OF money on
her To her parents she wrote that she
was studying for the stage. and had been
promised an engagement with the Frohman
company She had always carefully con-
cealed from them that she living a
fast life and they believed the stories she
wrote them. The last communication re-
ceived here from her was in March last
She then said that she was about TO take
another trip to Europe. and that she would
return to America about September '1 Will
be i'm Frisco about October, IL all goes
WELL She did not know what was In store
for her. though. The meeting with Van
dsrbut Of course upset all her plana ana