The evening world., 1908-03-20
Herbert Kremer's Wooing of
Divorced Wife of Lafe' Glea-
| son Ends Dramatically.
DEATH INSTANTANEOUS.
Woman Had Refused to Marry
! Him Unless he Gave
Up Drink.

Mrs. Gertrude Gordon Gleason, the
beautiful divorced wife of "Lafe" Glea.
son, clerk of the State Senate, left the
Hctel st. Charles, in West Fort,y-nlnth
street. to-day. deserting the apartments
where last night Herbert Kremer, son
OF the president of the German-Ameri-
himself because the young woman re-
fused to marry him.
At Z O'Clock this morning Mrs. Glea-
son came downstairs carrying hand
bag. She paid her bill, entered a cab
and was driven away.
IT was presumed that she was leav-
ms town to avoid the notoriety follow
ting the suicide of young Kremer. a
burial permit had already been issued
by Coroner Hamburger. and the police
had satisfied themselves that Kreme-
died by his own hand. but it was GER
tain that the attendance of Mrs. Glea-
son as n witness would be required al
the inquest.
On the dead mans left wrist were
tattooed the initials of Mrs Gleasou's
maiden name. Gertrude Vivian Gordon,
under which she has lived since her
divorce. with the addition OF another
G. which. perhaps. stood for Gleason.
On his breast We're tattooed the Ger
man and American flags.
Coroner Hamburger announced that the
case was evidently one of suicide and
the young mans relatives would take
care of the body. Although kremer had
In the last few years run through n
lot of money. and at the time of his
death was drawing a good salary in
the insurance brokerage offices Of Wal
lace Reed. at No. Sc Maiden lane. he
wore heavy blue workmans shirt last
night, and his whole appearance was
that of man in needy if not destitute
circumstances.
Kremer's death came as the climax to
q long career of dissipation and half
hearted efforts at reform. He had
begged Mrs. Gleason to marry him again
and again, and she had always told him
that when he braced up and showed
he had strength of mind enough TO stop
drinking she would gladly do so. Last
night. after meeting her by appointment
at Broadway and Forty-second street.
no accompanied her 10 her apartment.
She had invited him there to spruce 80
q little. He renewed his demands that
she marry him and she refused once
more unless he would leave liquor alone.
Then Killed Himself.
Kremer put down the cigarette he had
been smoking and, drawing a pistol
said. slowly:
Well, then. II! do 1t up in American
style"
Terrified at the gleam of the weapon
as he pressed II to his right temple.
Mrs. Gleason fed screaming into the
hall. She had just reached the elevator
when kremer pulled the trigger He
died instantly.
Mrs. Gleason was taken to the West
Forty-seventh street station By Police
man Brown. but after she had told her
story there 20 Coroner HarburEer was
not detained.
Mrs. Gleason obtained a divorce from
"Iafe" Gleason, Secretary of the Re
publican State Committee and one o.
the most popular politicians in the State.
on Jan. last. and received the right
to resume her maiden name.
Mr.. Gleason on last Saturday went 10
Connecticut and married the divorced
wife of Joseph McEntee. OF Aloaa".
whose counsel he had been in her az
uon agains, a well-known Journals;
Always Wild, Says Father.
William NJ. Kremer, who lives at No
11 East Thirty-seventh street. father
OF the suicide, When Informed OF hts
sons death last night. said he was not
much surprised. He denied that the
bow had been sent away from home
because OF his attentions To Mrs. G,ea-
son. but said Herbert was always wild
Mrs, Gleason told the Coroner that
che met young kremer two years ago
He was drinking hard then and h.,
father placed him in Dr G!ddIngs's
sanitarium in Stamford. Conn. where
ne was to stay for two wears. He wrote
to her and other friends begging TO be
released. and last December. Mrs. G!ea-
son said, she went to Stamford an az
automobile and brought the Young man
to New York
After entering the insurance office n
Maiden lane he began drinking again
and few weeks ago went to White
Plains and took a gold cure. which did
not cure. He has been drinking hard
recently.
Tried Death by Poison.
Mrs. Gleason said that two weeks ago
Kremer took apartments al the ST,
Charles. next to hers, on the tenth
floor He was constantly importuning
her to marry him and she was as con-