Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-28
THAW A DEGENERATE.
George w. Lederer Declares Slayer is
Victim of Vicious Habits.

erer, manager OF the Colonial theater
and one of the best known theatrical
men i'll the country. who was init
mately acquainted with Harry Kendall
Thaw, his wife and Stanford White.
gave out an interview in which he
declared that the slayer of White was
a moral degenerate. a morphine and
cigaret fiend. and was not responsible
for his actions.
Leierer was the man who discover
ed the pretty young artists model
and placed her in the cast of the
''Florodora" company which was then
playing in New York He said that
Stanford White first saw her when she
was singing in the chorus, and. being
struck with her great beauty. decided
to assist her and her widowed mother.
"Thaw met the girl when she was
only Is years DID," said Mr.. Lederer.
That was before / knew her, and
when she was posing in Philadelphia.
She and her mother were afraid of
the young Pittsburg millionaire and
would have nothing to do with him. He
followed the girl all around the coun-
try. He sent her grand piano, num-
erous gowns and jewels. but her moth
Cl always IClui ieu tHSlll. ANo ItPulSe,
however, seemed to accomplish any
thing. and the girl finally gave in.
Il found Miss Nesbit in Philadelphia.
and was so impressed with her great
beauty that made proposition to put
her on the stage. l believed I could
make a star of her and astound the
country. But on the stage she was
self-conscious, and made no hit, except
as a pretty chorus girl.
1T was about that time that she met
White. Altho the architect had been
mixed up in many affairs and was
known as quite man about town. he
declared to me that his interest in the
girl was platonfc. He said he felt sor-
ry for her. and wanted to see her plac-
ed in better position. Her mother
seemed to feel that he was only inter-
ested, as he said. and when he fitted UP
apartments in New York she and her
daughter moved into them
"All during this time Harry Thaw
was following her about the country,
sending her flowers, jewels and other
things. They We're all returned to him
as far as l know. Then the girl quit
the 'Floradora' company and went with
the Wild Rose company. She had no
talent for the stage and finally White
proposed that she enter a private
seminary in New Jersey and finish her
education. The fact that the archi-
tect placed her in school caused, me to
believe that his interest in her was
honorable.
Then she quit school and l heard.
nothing more from her for some time
She practically disappeared, and when
| met White on the street one day he
told me he didn't know where she was
The next heard of her she was travel
ing in Europe with companion, and in
the company of Harry Thaw. l was
greatly surprised, for knew that she
had always had great aversion to the
young Pittsburg man.
Some months passed and I heard
nothing from her outside of club gos-
sip. One day l was sitting in my of
flee when the door opened and Miss
Nesbit appeared. She pumped herself
down in a chair and burst into sobs.
When she recovered her composure she
told me that she had run away from
Thaw in Paris and had come to me FOR
advice. She told me story of Thaw's
actions in Paris that was simply hor-
rible.
She said she had determined to
leave him. She declared she had known
for some time that he was addicted to
morphine and cigarets. Thaw dis
covered that she was getting ready to
separate from him, and locked up all |
her gowns and jewels with the excep-
ton of moleskin dress which she
wore when she came to New York.
Il advised her to go to her mother,
and she went. I presumed her separa-
ton with Thaw was final. but about
the next thing 1 heard was that they I
had made it all up and were again
travelling in Europe Then came the /
news of their marriage, and since that
time haven't seen either of them.
"The last time saw Thaw was when
he entered a restaurant in New York I
where a party OF us were dining. His /
eyes were bloodshot. his face drawn
and white, and he showed every evil
dence of being under the influence of
drug"