1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Well, shades of Harvey Weinstein was the case I'm about 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: to tell you about, the first big kind of forerunner 3 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: to the Me Too movement more than a century earlier. 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: So Evelyn Nesbit was a showgirl who wanted more and 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: architect Stanford White was a celebrity hotshot who could give 6 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: her more. So how did he wind up murdered at 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: the rooftop theater at Madison Square Garden And why did 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: Thomas Edison make an early flick about the murder? I'm 9 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: Patty Steele, Stanford White and Evelyn Nesbit, the girl in 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: the Red Velvet Swing. That's next on the backstory. We're 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: back with the backstory. Powerful men and their biggest weakness. 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,319 Speaker 1: What do you think it is? Beautiful young women? Right? So, 13 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: how did Stanford White go from being the darling of 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: East Coast society to being gunned down in cold blood 15 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: in front of a theater going crowd at one of 16 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: his most beautiful creations, Rooftop Theater at Madison Square Garden, 17 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: and then have his reputation completely shattered after his death. 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: It was nineteen oh six and it was called the 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Trial of the Century, but today we'd call it the 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: ultimate me too. Case with fifteen year old showgirl Evelyn 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: Nesbit at its core, Yeah, I sent fifteen years old. 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: It led to several explosive firsts in the courtroom. Stanford's 23 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: killing obsessed America, and it was a cold shower for 24 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: other wealthy womanizers all bet. Stanford White designed some really 25 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: iconic buildings in places like New York City, Newport, Rhode Island, 26 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: Long Island, lots of other places, from fabulous mansions for 27 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: power players like the Vanderbilts, to spectacular public places like 28 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: the early Madison Square Garden and the exquisite Tiffany Building 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: on Fifth Avenue. But he had a fatal flaw. Like 30 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: a lot of powerful men, he was crazy about very, 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: very young women. In nineteen oh one, and when he 32 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: was forty seven, Stanford met Evelyn Nesbit, a gorgeous fifteen 33 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: year old whose widowed mother needed money. She pushed Evelyn 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: to work as a model and showgirl to help bring 35 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: in cash, and Evelyn was actually pretty successful. Like a 36 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: lot of stage mothers, Evelyn's mom loved the idea of 37 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: her daughter meeting rich guys, and she encouraged her to 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: cozy up to Stanford when he showed some interest in her. 39 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: Not long after, mother and daughter had lunch at his 40 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: fabulous apartment over Madison Square Garden. Stanford set the family 41 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: up in their own apartment and paid for her little 42 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: brother's boarding school. When Evelyn's mom had to leave town, conveniently, 43 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: she asked Stanford to watch over her daughter. That led 44 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: to dinner and plenty of champagne at his apartment. Was 45 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: it spiked maybe? He had her change into a silk kimono, 46 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: and she settled into the infamous red velvet swing that 47 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: hung from his towering living room ceiling as he pushed 48 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: her back and forth. She later said that the next 49 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: thing she knew, she woke up naked in bed next 50 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,959 Speaker 1: to Stanford, who was also naked, and there was blood 51 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: on the sheets, which she said proved she'd been raped. 52 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: But the relationship did continue for several years. Eventually, though, 53 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: it petered out, as those things do, but he still 54 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: took care of the family. After seeing other men, Evelyn 55 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: hooked up with a multi millionaire from Pittsburgh, Harry Thaw, 56 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: a spoiled rich kid whose mother constantly protected him from responsibility. 57 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: He was horribly abusive and vindictive, but his money made 58 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: him a catch and Eventually he asked Evelyn to marry him. 59 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: She finally agreed, but then told him she'd lost her 60 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: virginity to Stanford and kind of made it clear she 61 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: felt she'd been raped. Harry went nuts. He beat Evelin up, 62 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: but in nineteen oh five he married her. A year later, 63 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: though he had a plan for his revenge. He and Evelyn, 64 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: along with another couple, went to see a show at 65 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: the Madison Square Garden rooftop theater. As usual, Stanford had 66 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: a table right in front of the stage. It was 67 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: eleven PM and there was an intense scene in the play. 68 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: Harry excused himself from the table. He quietly walked over 69 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: to Stanford, opened his coat and pulled out a pistol. 70 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: He pumped three bullets into Stanford's head and back, killing 71 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: him instantly. While it was the biggest story in decades, 72 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: by the next morning, every page in every newspaper was 73 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: filled with stories about the murder and the people involved, 74 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: even the most peripherally involved. Other wealthy playboys were targeted 75 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: by the press as well. A ton of them took 76 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: off for Europe or distant country houses where reporters in 77 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: those days wouldn't actually follow them. And listen to this. 78 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: Just a week after the murder, Thomas Edison put out 79 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: a film about the killing called Rooftop Murder that ran 80 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: in Nickelodeon theaters. Yeah, cashing in with what may have 81 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: been the very first celebrity gossip flick. Stanford was relentlessly 82 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: attacked in the press, and Harry, whose mother spent a 83 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: fortune on good press for him, was portrayed as a 84 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: guide just protecting his wife's reputation. In fact, his mom 85 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: also spent a million bucks, which by the way, is 86 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: the equivalent of thirty five million today on a team 87 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 1: of lawyers who had Harry plead temporary insanity. Now that 88 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: was the first time that had ever been used in 89 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: court in the US. It was called the Trial of 90 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: the Century, and also for the first time in US history. 91 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: The jury was sequestered to keep them from reading the 92 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: lurid press accounts, they couldn't go home at night. In 93 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: the end, Harry was found not guilty by reason of 94 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: insanity forget the temporary part, and he and his mom 95 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: were furious after all the money they'd spent, but he 96 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: went in he was still spoiled, and while in the 97 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,679 Speaker 1: asylum he had a luxurious cell with a brass bed, 98 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: antique dressers filled with tailor made clothes, and dinner brought 99 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: in every night from some of New York's finest restaurants 100 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: like Delmonico's. After five years, with the help of his mom, 101 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: Harry escaped from the asylum and fled to Canada. Eventually 102 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: he was extradited back to the US, but by nineteen fifteen, 103 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: authorities decided he was no longer insane and they released him. 104 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: A year later. Guess what, He was arrested for kidnapping, beating, 105 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: and sexually assaulting a teenage boy. During that trial, it 106 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: came out he'd done the same thing to a lot 107 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: of other teenage men and women. He had a particular 108 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: passion for beating them and scalding them with hot water. Again, 109 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: he was judged insane, but he was freed just a 110 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: few years later, eventually dying in nineteen forty seven. Evelyn 111 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: Nesbit had a son with Harry, but soon divorced him. 112 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: She married again, but that didn't last either. She did 113 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: have a pretty successful career in Hollywood, and she died 114 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: there in nineteen sixty seven, at eighty two. Evelyn was 115 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: at the heart of what you could call one of 116 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: the first hugely publicized me too type cases, but it 117 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: didn't put a stop to that abuse of power. While 118 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: Stanford White's reputation took decades to resurrect, ironically, it didn't 119 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: take much time at all for the abuse of young, 120 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: vulnerable show biz wannabes by powerful people to return to 121 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: business as usual. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is a 122 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is 123 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: Doug Fraser. Our executive producer is Steve Goldstein of Amplify Media. 124 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: Where out with new episodes twice a week. Thanks for 125 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: listening to The Backstory, the pieces of history you didn't 126 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: know you needed to know.