South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-17

LOS ANGELES. Calf. Dec. 16-
Harry S. New, jr., alleged son of
United States Sen. New Of Indiana.
who went on trial here today before
Superior Judge Gavin w. Craig.
pleads emotional insanity as his
chief defense for the murder of his
beautiful young sweetheart, Frieda
Lesser, 10 years old. former Biz
mingham. Ala, high school girl.
The young woman was shot and
instantly killed by New on the night
of Fourth OF July, last. The scene
Of the crime was a lonely road in
Tonango canyon, where the girl had
gone with New in his automobile.
Cast against a background heavy
with the fateful story OF his own
tragic life and love and closely in
terwoven with the unhappy past Of
his devoted mother, Mrs. Lille NJ.
Burger-who bore, she says, for Sen.
New SO years ago the son now on
trial for his life-Harry News case
psDects itself into such national
prominence as scarcely has been
equalled since the Thaw sensation.
Charge Fermentation.
New committed premeditated muir
der, the state contends.
When he sent a bullet crashing
through his sweetheart's brain after
she had broken their engagement TO
be married within the week. accord
ing 10 the prisoner, and he had also
declared she would not bear their
expected child, New committed
murder in the first degree, accord
ing to the charge.
For that Deputy District Atty.
Asa Keyes, prosecuting New, de
mands the defendants life. on that
predicate he examined veniremen to-
day on the question of capital pun
ishment while the prisoner sat by
hearing his own hanging demanded
and displayed no emotion.
Combating the states insistence
Of the death penalty with the legal
weapon of the prisoners irrespon-
sibility at the time Of the murder,
lie Compile Davis and John L. Rich
-ardson, counsel for the defense de-
clare they are prepared to show by
eminent aIienists and psychologists
that New was temporarily insane
when he committed the crime.
To Review Details.
Opening statements Of opposing
counsel in the trial will review the
CHASTITY details Of the tragedy each
according TO his own legal interpre-
clouded paternity and its morbid in
fiuence on a sensitive character will
play an important part. Atty. Da-
Wis declared today.
Pretty, petite Frieda Lesser was
murdered on the eve OF what was -
have been her marriage to the man
who killed her. But for the privi-
lege which she thought was hers 10
change her mind, break her engage
ment and escape from the shadow of
motherhood. she paid the supreme
price.
She and Harry New had been
sweethearts for a long time. 1t was
his first romance, he avows. and is
corroborated by his mother and sis
ter, Alice Burger. To him 1t was the
hottest thing in his life, an emotion
almost divine, a passion as pure as
a living flame.
Engaged Several Months.
"Frieda and l had been engaged
for several months before-befOre
this" he told newspaper men. I've
were not in a position to be married
at once. and each understood that.
But we gave each other our love un-
reservedly. And then one day when
she told me that there was % be
another 10 share our love through
life. we set an early date for our
marriage, and I was the happiest
man in the world
but suddenly she changed. What
ii was l do not know TO this day It
may have been another man; it may
have been the influence of n woman
friend. At any rate on the evening
Of July 4, 1919. while I had her and
her mother and aunt out driving in
my car. she whispered 10 me that
she couldn't marry me. We drove
home Immediately and l asked her
10 ride a while longer after I had
let her relatives out OF the machine
She did. I drove TO the TopangO
canyon road north OF Hollywood
and there stopped the machine TO
beg her TO reconsider her words Of
half hour before. She was obdurate,
she said
Her Decision Final.
AT last I rose and went 20 the
front seat. We had been sitting to-
gether in the tonneau. Just before
started the car I turned around
and asked her once more II her de-