The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1908-07-23
PIE Girl" IS ALIVE
ACTOR IN STANFORD WHITE DIN.
NER NOT DEAD.
Susie johnson Declares Money Was
Paid Her to Disappear from
vieW-TeIIs How Feast
Was Planned. T

New York.-"The Girl in the Pie,s
who figured so prominently in the
amazing revelations Of upper life in
New York's Bohemia a few years ago
and who was reported to have died OF
consumption, is alive and literally
kicking. Susie Johnson-such is her
name-did not get married, did not die
of consumption and was not buried
In Potter's field, as was alleged when
the notorious pie incident was brought
up during the first trial Of Harry Thaw
for the murder of Stanford White.
White was one of the diners at the
celebrated dinner given by Jimmy"
Breese, at which the high fiers of
New York's rapid set were present.
He became much interested in Susie
Johnson after she made her sensation
al exit from the big pie in which she
was concealed at the now historic
carouse.
A worldwide search was made for
her when the matter came up during
the Thaw trial, but she was not found.
A reporter the other day met the
young woman, who Is hale and ex-
tremely hearty.
why did you not contradict those
reports Of your marriage, desertion
and pathetic deathY" asked the re-
porter.
Money replied the pie girl placid,
~ as she slipped off her dancing slip
per and shook out an ordinary bit Of
sand. Money" she repeated thought
fully. '"The same money that makes
men take long chances down on Wall
street, the same money that makes
them sacrifice fame and friends, the
same money that makes Mr.. Rookie:
Teller happy and Mr.. Carnegie build
libraries kept Susie Johnson, the girl
in the pie out of sight. I was doing
pretty well, thank you, by just keeping
still. But now the time for keeping
still is past. I Just want to say that
a lot Of stuff published about me was
not true.
mo reporter has ever talked to me.
I was spirited away when that dinner
broke up and no one, not even my own
parents. saw me for a long, long time.
Perhaps other girls represented them.
selves as Susie Johnson and did the
talking. I W did. They said I
was married and that my husband,
brooding over my role in that famous
dinner, went nearly insane and de-
serted me. I never married. They
said I had consumption. I have never
been Ill a day. And you'll admit I'm
very much alive.
Nov that my lips are %unsealed, I
am willing enough to talk. My mem
DRY for dates is not very clear, but I
think that dinner was given in May,
1896. I had been posing for various
artists, head and figure, and was just
ID years Of age. Henry c.. Poor gave
the dinner in honor Of a business
friend. whose name I do not remem.
on Sixteenth street.
II think Robert Reid planned the
dinner and Mr.. Poor footed the bills,
because it was Mr.. Reid who engaged
me and told me what a great event it
was to be. One hundred and fifty
quarts of champagne, he said, had
been ordered, and the dinner was to
cost 500 per plate without the wine.
H rehearsed me very carefully for
the part I was to play. You see, I had
posed for him very often and he knew
just what to expect of me. He bought
a great shallow pan or tub, just big
enough to hold me, and had a cover
of crust baked for 1t. Then the crust
was very carefully lifted off, I was
put inside and the cover laid over me.
My shoulders were draped with black
gauze and a blackbird such as you put
on a hat was fastened in my hair,
which hung down around my shout
ders. In my hand I carried a box
filled with tiny birds. AS soon as the
crust was cut I took the lid off this
box and out flew the birds. Then I
popped up into view"