TIL that Evelyn Nesbit, dubbed "the world's first supermodel" became known for her involvement in a feud between her husband Harry Thaw and architect Stanford White who drugged and assaulted her age of 16, this led to Thaw murdering White inside Madison Square Garden in 1906.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by TopAbies9056 t3_z1utg9 in todayilearned
TopAbies9056 OP t1_ixcw3vr wrote
This is the case for those who aren't aware...
Who was Evelyn Nesbit?
She was a model and in December 1900 she came to New York City with nothing but her looks, and became an overnight sensation in the city, she was absolutely everywhere.
While she dancing in a chorus, she regularly met men who offered her gifts and dinners. Being so young, she usually turned the men down, as they were often much older but eventually she got the attention of a much older wealthy socialite named Stanford White
Stanford White was an architect most notable for the arch in Washington Square Park which is still there today and the second iteration of Madison Square Garden.
After seeing her dance in the chorus, White convinced one of Nesbit’s fellow chorus girls to bring her to his apartment on West 24th Street for a drink. Nesbit happily agreed, tempted by the invitation as a socialite was interested in her.
Over the next few weeks, Stanford White, 47 at the time, courted the 16-year-old Evelyn Nesbit and even gained the trust of her overprotective mother. Then, as was destined to happen from the beginning, White took advantage of her
While her mother was away for the weekend, White invited Nesbit to his apartment by lying that there was a party. After drinking some champagne, Nesbit awoke naked in White’s bed with her legs covered in blood. When she cried out, White comforted her and told her not to tell anyone.
Enter Harry Thaw
He met Evelyn some years later and the two eventually got married, but he is said to have been physically and mentally abusive towards her, maybe more then White (poor girl couldn't catch a break) and he eventually learned what White had done to Evelyn.
Then one day Thaw and Evelyn went to a play together in Madison Square Garden. As everyone was settled in their seats Thaw stood up and made a beeline for White. Pulling a pistol from his coat, he fired three shots at White from less than two feet away. Two hit the back of his head, the third hit his shoulder.
White fell to the ground as Thaw stood over him holding the pistol.
At first, no one understood what had happened, as party tricks amongst high society playboys was a common occurrence at public gatherings. However, when audience members noticed that Stanford White was missing half of his face, they began to panic.
“I did it because he ruined my wife!” Harry Thaw yelled, brandishing his pistol. “He had it coming to him! He took advantage of the girl and then deserted her!”
There was a long trial afterwards that I won't go into detail about, but you get the gist of the situation.