Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-06
Man Who Says He Is Son Of
Indiana Senator HauIs VIC
tim to Police Headquarters
and Gives Himself Up.
REFUSED TO WE'D HIM
so HE KILLED HER
Was Soon to Have Child, She
Told Him; QuarreIed Over
Thought Another May Have
Been Intimate With Her.

Los Angeles, July ST killed her
because | loved her and she wouldn't
marry me as she promised. love
her still and am ready to die for
MY act because I want to go to her"
Lying on a cot in the city Jail
here, Harry S. New of Glendale, said
to be the son Of United States Sen
ator Harry S. New of Indiana, thus
concluded an account of the killing
of Miss Frieda Lesser, his fiancee
at lonely spot in Topanga canyon,
about Is miles northwest of here,
early today.
Calmly and without apparent re-
morse, New reviewed in detail to
newspaper men and police officers
his actions, which included his driv-
ing to the central police station with
his fiancee's body in the rear seat
and surrendering.
Planned To Be Married.
1--WE had planned to be married
today" he said. "At the last mo-
ment Frieda interposed objections
and | proposed that we take All
automobile ride to some quiet spot
where we could talk things over.
Reaching a lonely spot, | started
PLEA ding with her to marry me at
ONCE.
She remained obdurate and told
NE that she was expecting to be-
come mother and that she had de-
cided to undergo a surgical opera
ton rather than marry me. That
made me mad. | lost my head and
almost before l knew it, had
snatched revolver which was kept
in the machine as protection against
highwaymen and shot her through
the head. | believe she died almost
instantly.
For nearly two hours I drove
with Frieda lying beside me. Then
it dawned on me what horrible
deed | had done. | decided the best
thing to do was to bring the body
to the police station and surrender"
New, who is 80 years old, is a
graduate of an Indiana military
academy He said he later attended
Notre Dame university. He met
Miss Lesser at local manufactur-
ing plant, where he was employed
as a truck driver and she as stenog-
rapher. The young woman was 2l
years old.
Borrowed Car From Mother.
He said he had borrowed the au-
tomobile from his mother, Mrs.
Lulu M. Burger of Glendive, and
had driven with the girl to Venice,
then through Hollywood, and final
ly up the Top Ango Canyon road
where their quarrel eliminated i'll
the shooting. He told the officers,
they said, that for three hours after
which he drove around town, trying
to make up his mind to surrender
to the police. New is of slight
builC and small stature. He showed
no evidence of excitement and Off
GERS said he had not been drinking.
An autopsy will be held on the
young woman it was said by the
police to determine the truth of cer-
tair portions of News statement.
Says New Is Senator's Son.
Indianapolis, July 5.-Mrs. Lula
Burger, mother of Harry S. New,
who surrendered to Los Angeles
police as the murderer of Miss
Frieda Lesser, has left 1ndianapo-
lis for her home in Glendale. Cal.
Mrs. Burger stated that New is the
son Of Senator Harry S. New of
Indiana and that she was divorced
from Senator New about l8 years
ago. Mrs. Burger also said she ex-
pected to wire Senator New and
solicit his aid in behalf of her son.
Denies Mrs. Burgers Words.
Washington, July 5.-Senator
New issued statement denying
that he and Mrs. Burger ever were
married or divorced.
When shown dispatch from In
dianapolis quoting Mrs. Burger,
Senator New said:
The only thing | care to add is
that the statement from any source
that Mrs. Burger and | were ever
either married or divorced at any
time or under any name is absolute
ly untrue,