Catherine McLaen Brown
Harry Stewart New was born in Indianapolis in 1858. His family had lived in Indiana when it was still the Northwest Territory in the early 1800s. The family was well off and well connected to Indiana power families and high society. His father was a well known newspaper publisher.
At age 15 Harry went to Europe and toured it mostly alone. Returning home, he attended Butler University for a year, then joined his dad in the newspaper business. He and his dad had purchased the Indianapolis Journal and he served as a police reporter, editor, part owner and publisher.
After dating Kathleen Virginia Milligan, a Chicago girl, for 2 years they suddenly married after a romantic trip to Ripon, Wisconsin. Harry had made Kathleen a promise before the wedding to allow her to stay in Chicago with her invalid mother and he commuted between there and Indianapolis. But, Kathleen's health was not the best either. She suffered from the effects of a recent case of cerebrospinal meningitis. After having a daughter, she developed pulmonary issues and died before their third anniversary in 1883. Their daughter only lived one year.
The young widower returned to Indianapolis but didn't grieve very long. Harry had a fancy for showgirls. Especially ones from the Chicago Opera company. Soon he was linked to one of their headliners, Louise Eissing. (Shown below)
At age 15 Harry went to Europe and toured it mostly alone. Returning home, he attended Butler University for a year, then joined his dad in the newspaper business. He and his dad had purchased the Indianapolis Journal and he served as a police reporter, editor, part owner and publisher.
After dating Kathleen Virginia Milligan, a Chicago girl, for 2 years they suddenly married after a romantic trip to Ripon, Wisconsin. Harry had made Kathleen a promise before the wedding to allow her to stay in Chicago with her invalid mother and he commuted between there and Indianapolis. But, Kathleen's health was not the best either. She suffered from the effects of a recent case of cerebrospinal meningitis. After having a daughter, she developed pulmonary issues and died before their third anniversary in 1883. Their daughter only lived one year.
The young widower returned to Indianapolis but didn't grieve very long. Harry had a fancy for showgirls. Especially ones from the Chicago Opera company. Soon he was linked to one of their headliners, Louise Eissing. (Shown below)
By 1886 the newspapers were reporting they would soon be announcing a wedding date for Harry and Louise. It did not happen. Harry had a secret woman on the side. More about her later.
Then suddenly in August 1891 the newspapers report that Harry is getting married in a small private ceremony in New York City. His 21 year old bride is another actress from the Chicago Opera Company named Catherine McLaen Brown (Shown on the left). Because of her stage career the couple wanted a private ceremony without a lot of notoriety. The couple left quickly for a honeymoon in Europe.
Catherine was raised on a farm in Toronto, Canada. For secondary school she was sent to the Ursuline Convent in Chatham, Ontario. It was called Ursuline College for Young Ladies from 1860 to 1971. The Ursuline Convent was founded by Mother Xavier LeBihan of Le Faouet, France in 1860. The nuns established a boarding school and a day school that became the college.
Ursuline Convent
After college, Catherine apparently wanted a less strict life and ended up with the Chicago Opera Company. She was a very good singer and soon stood out in a new musical from England called "Faust Up To Date".
"Faust up to Date" was a musical burlesque with a score written by Meyer Lutz. The libretto was written by G. R. Sims and Henry Pettitt. It is a spoof of Gounod's opera, "Faust", which had first been performed in London in 1864, and followed on from an earlier Lutz musical, "Mephistopheles, or Faust and Marguerite".
Catherine spoke French, was an artist and singer and very outdoorsy. Harry had a cabin in Michigan, the couple would go there to fly fish, hike and hunt bears. She even played golf and held the course record for women at the local country club in Indianapolis. She could drive a ball over 160 yards in her day. Catherine even wrote a poem for Golf Magazine.........
MY DRIVER, OH! MY DRIVER
I think of all thou art to me,
I dream of what a drive should be,
Not "pulled" or "sliced" from off the tee,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Perchance if I could find a club
To suit my "form", (ah! there's the rub)
I need not always be a dub,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Perchance if I'd give up the game,
Not play until I'm stiff and lame,
I might find whether thou'rt to blame,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Ah! no I'll not endure such pain,
Though all my efforts prove in vain
I'll cling to thee with might and main,
My driver, oh ! my driver.
I'll leave thee not, I'll use but thee,
With curse or blessing on each tee,
And put the blame where it should be,
My driver, oh ! my driver.
I think of all thou art to me,
I dream of what a drive should be,
Not "pulled" or "sliced" from off the tee,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Perchance if I could find a club
To suit my "form", (ah! there's the rub)
I need not always be a dub,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Perchance if I'd give up the game,
Not play until I'm stiff and lame,
I might find whether thou'rt to blame,
My driver, oh! my driver.
Ah! no I'll not endure such pain,
Though all my efforts prove in vain
I'll cling to thee with might and main,
My driver, oh ! my driver.
I'll leave thee not, I'll use but thee,
With curse or blessing on each tee,
And put the blame where it should be,
My driver, oh ! my driver.
In 1895 she published a book titled "A Woman Reigns". It was an instant success. The newspapers describe it as “An original short story is indeed a rarity in these days when newspapers and magazines are crowded with tales of every kind. However the little book, 'A Woman Reigns' by Catherine McLaen New, wife of a well known Indianapolis journalist, gives us a new idea. We are told that his Satanic Majesty, wearying of his failure to entice mortals to his fiery home through loss of friends, fame or honor, agrees to give the reins of government to his wife if she can devise certain earthly sufferings which shall make one mortal feel that Hell is kind by contrast. The story of her success is dramatically told. It has the firm touches of an artist's sketch which gives promise of good pictures in the time to come. Vigor and character are good points in a new writer's work-smoothness and delicacy can come later. The second story in the book is more conventional, but quite as good in character-drawing. The whole volume is an unusually pretty example of the book-binder's art. It is the work of the Bowen-Merrill Company.”
Catherine was always an active participant in the Indianapolis social scene. She sang and acted in social productions and gave parties. She was also very active in the Women's Republican party.
Harry was also a very busy man in his career. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898 he was appointed as a Captain and assistant adjutant general in the 7th Army Corps and assigned to Camp Cuba Libre in Jacksonville, Florida. Besides publishing the Indiana Journal he also engaged in the stone quarrying and construction business. He was a member of the Indiana State Senate (1896-1900) and a member of the Republican National Committee, (1900-12). Then in 1917, he was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, serving until 1923.
In 1923 Catherine put her artistic skills to work and created a new playing card game called "Sun Chang". It took three years to become patented.
Catherine was always an active participant in the Indianapolis social scene. She sang and acted in social productions and gave parties. She was also very active in the Women's Republican party.
Harry was also a very busy man in his career. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898 he was appointed as a Captain and assistant adjutant general in the 7th Army Corps and assigned to Camp Cuba Libre in Jacksonville, Florida. Besides publishing the Indiana Journal he also engaged in the stone quarrying and construction business. He was a member of the Indiana State Senate (1896-1900) and a member of the Republican National Committee, (1900-12). Then in 1917, he was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, serving until 1923.
In 1923 Catherine put her artistic skills to work and created a new playing card game called "Sun Chang". It took three years to become patented.
She based the card designs on Mah Jongg and the deck contained 144 cards. I cannot find any proof it made it to market.
After an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1923 Harry was appointed Postmaster General in the Cabinet of President Warren Harding and then reappointed by President Calvin Coolidge and served until 1929. The News were personal friends of both presidents.
After an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1923 Harry was appointed Postmaster General in the Cabinet of President Warren Harding and then reappointed by President Calvin Coolidge and served until 1929. The News were personal friends of both presidents.
Harry was not reelected to congress in 1923 possibly due to and incident with his son Harry S New, Jr.. This is where the mystery woman comes in.
Between marriages Harry had been seeing a lady in Indianapolis named Lillie May Scudder. Keeping her a secret he had two sons with her. The first was named for Harry was born in March 1888. The second one, Stewart, died shortly after birth just before Harry suddenly married Catherine and headed to Europe.
Between marriages Harry had been seeing a lady in Indianapolis named Lillie May Scudder. Keeping her a secret he had two sons with her. The first was named for Harry was born in March 1888. The second one, Stewart, died shortly after birth just before Harry suddenly married Catherine and headed to Europe.
Harry Jr. had been in trouble with the law before, but nothing too serious. This time it was very serious. In 1919 he and his girlfriend took a drive in the canyons outside of Los Angeles. After telling him she was pregnant, he shot and killed her. Then he drove back to town and went directly to a police station to turn himself in. The body was still in the car.
During the trial his mother told the press that Senator Harry S New was his father. If Catherine knew about it the papers never said. As the trial dragged on the defense used his half-sister to describe how Harry Jr was "slow" and "not fit to be a father". Alienists (psychiatrists) were brought in to back her story. Plus, having a popular Senator as a father might help.
During a deposition Harry Sr. finally admits that Harry Jr was his son. He and his mother had been secretly together for years and he had even had helped him financially several times. Some people in Indianapolis even knew the secret. Catherine had to have known.
Harry Jr was found guilty of second degree murder and sent to San Quinton prison for ten to life. After being a model prisoner, he was paroled in 1931 after serving 11 years.
Harry retired from politics in 1930 but served as U. S. Commissioner for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in 1933. He died in 1937 at age 78 and left his son nothing in his Will.
Harry and Catherine had an estate called "Hemlock Hedge" in Edgemoor, Maryland, while he served in Washington, D. C.. She stayed there after he died.
In 1938 she announced she was going to write a book about "things that should be told" that took place during Harry's political days. It would talk about unknown things about President Taft, the pilot Charles Lindbergh, President Harding and such. "Ears will burn" she stated. Even though she had a publisher lined up the book never made it to publication.
During a deposition Harry Sr. finally admits that Harry Jr was his son. He and his mother had been secretly together for years and he had even had helped him financially several times. Some people in Indianapolis even knew the secret. Catherine had to have known.
Harry Jr was found guilty of second degree murder and sent to San Quinton prison for ten to life. After being a model prisoner, he was paroled in 1931 after serving 11 years.
Harry retired from politics in 1930 but served as U. S. Commissioner for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in 1933. He died in 1937 at age 78 and left his son nothing in his Will.
Harry and Catherine had an estate called "Hemlock Hedge" in Edgemoor, Maryland, while he served in Washington, D. C.. She stayed there after he died.
In 1938 she announced she was going to write a book about "things that should be told" that took place during Harry's political days. It would talk about unknown things about President Taft, the pilot Charles Lindbergh, President Harding and such. "Ears will burn" she stated. Even though she had a publisher lined up the book never made it to publication.
Catherine Christens An Airplane in D. C. 1929
Catherine became very ill in March 1953 and was hospitalized in Washington, D. C.. She passed away in April at age 83. She and Harry are buried together at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The New Monument in Crown Hill Cemetery