The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-06
Says She Refused to Mar
~ Him, and He Shoots
Her Through the Head.
GIVES HIMSELF UP
Harry S. New, Jr., Drives
to Station With Body
Of Frieda Lesser and
Surrenders to Police.

Senator'S Statement.
Washington. July 5.-United States
Senator Harry s. New said tonight in
the presence Of his wife:
The man under arrest at Los An
geles under the name OF harry s.
4New. Jr.. has never been acknowledged
~ me ~ my son and has no legal right
" bear my name"
Il knew Mrs. Burger under another
name more tina nthirty years ago. sad
senator New. The statement that
was ever married to he rat any time
or unoer any name Is absolutely IN
true"
Los Angeles Calf, July The
girl IL dead. l shot lner--st must
have been in temporary ut of m
sanity. All want now is to die
Calling again and again for his
financee, Harry s. New. Jr., thirty
two, said to be = son OF United States
Senator New, of indiana. Ia held in
the city jail tonight on charge of
murder. while in ths norgue lies the
body of beautiful Frteda Lesser.
twenty. formerly OF Birmingham.
Alabama, who was killed by New in
one Of the strangest murders In the
annals Of The local police
New sho, the girl while driving
with her in Sedan in lonely canyon
last night while they were discussing
their wedding plans. The wedding
Wa to nave occurred tonight. 1t had
been postponed until Saturday night
beca relatives could not he present.
After the murder. he drove about
fondiy caressinx the body for three
hours. hoping against hoDA fDr y
faint ray OF life and intermifE9nttY
feeling her pulse Tor = spatk of life
AccoriisnG to New, the Girl Told
|. m " IN laaa Z IS zlae s zee {
DuiIet into hsr fose,heAd. The mi ~
|motioniess. He picked her MP In ~
arms. not realizing what had hap
paneds according 70 his story to The
police. Then he litter her body 70
the rea. seat OF the car and tried to
make her comfortable. and drove
the machine about with one hand
.1Ehila he hAld her-hAnd with the
othsr. he said In hopes, she would
soon show q spark OF life. For three
hours he drove around, often stop
ping To make the body more confer
table. Then he decided 10 give him
salt up to the police and drove with
the body to the Central station. ar
irving there a, a. NJ Before reach
ing the station. New took fur from
around the giris neck and placed It
over her open. glazed eyes.
Accusing Eyes.
II could mt stand those accusing
eyes" he told the police. 7
They seemed % look directly q
X do not care what becomes Of me
now" he said IN HIN cell in the Jail.
II will not make any defense. l will
no, even hire = lawyer"
New declared he had intended to
marry the girl and raose to distant
town. ne she wished to avoid the ae-
cusations that her father, Emil Lesser
had been sought on suspicion that he
Maa German spy
Lesser disappeared two years ago
and and his wife states that he died
from drowning.
New met the girl u Z lumber COM
pany's once here. where both were
employed eight months ago He was
: truck-vaxon driver and she Z
stenogrApher.
The automobile used m the death
ride was owned by Mrs Lula Burger.
News mother, who, according TO
News statement. was divorced from
Senator New, OF indianapolis, eight
years ago.
Relatives of Miss Leser eisimed the
body and will take II to Btrmintham.
Alabama. her former home, for burial
Mother 70 Ala.
indianapolis Ind. July s.--Over-
come by appalling crime committed
by her ron. Mrs. Lula Burger. mother
OF Harry s. New. Jr.. self -confeased
slayer OF his sweetheart, Frieda Leser,
It Los Angeles. Calf. this afternoon
declared that Senator New Of Indiana,
u the father OF her son.
- fantic was she on the receipt Of
the news ~ the murder that she al
most gave way to hyeterta.
They'll hang him. they'll hang
him ahe moaned over and over, Il
must wire hts father: must wirs his
father. senator New IL pss father.
you know. Do ron think he could do
any 1oodc I'm afraid NJ c4nnot
help my boy"
Mrs. Burger prepared this after
noon 10 hoard the flrst train for Los
Angeles 10 aid her aou. She said she
has already teiesraphed TO Senator
- l.