Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-09
New and Sensational Develop
ments In Case of Des Moines
Man Found Dead
HE MAINTAINED TWO HOMES
Girl Whom He Had Promised to Mar
ry as Soon as He Could Get Divorce
From His Wife, Tells Of Liason with
Man Who Was Thought to Have
Been Murdered.

CoSeleut lHal george II. GrlSWOld, the
insurance agent whose body was found
In the Coon river with his hands tied
behind him, led dual existence In
Des Moines. This discovery, 1t is be-
lieved. clears up the mystery of his
death, and the general theory now is
that he committed suicide because he
feared his secret would be discovered
and because litigation over the checks
which he had been "kiting' was threat
ened. The admissions OF Grace Stock
man, pretty young girl Of "a years,
concerning the illicit household main
tanned by, Griswold on Ridge street, of
which she was the mistress, and in
which he was known as Arthur Stock
man, her brother, has added the clos
ing incident to the many startling
events OF his life which have become
property since his mysterious death.
and bring to light the strongest motive
for suicide which has yet been found.
For more than q year this dual ex-
lstence has been secret, shared dur
Ing Griswolds lifetime by only three
persons-hiinself, Miss Stockman and
her sister. For many months he sue
ceeded in maintaining his two house,
holds, his home on Ingersoll avenue,
where he lived with his wife and four
daughters, as George R. Griswold, and
his Illicit establishment at PA Ridge
street.
yc -
MS companion for nearly year, whom
he had promised to make his wife as
soon as he could secure a divorce, and
whose love for him had originally
brought her to Des Moines, has guard
ed her secret with jealousy which
kept it from being divulged, even dur
ing the rigid examination of all his
affairs which was made Immediately
after Griswold's death.
With the exception Of her sister,
whose knowledge Of the laison extendt-
ed from the time of its origin, and DR..
Chester A. Ayres, who, thru force of
circumstances, was acquainted with
the case before Griswolds death, Mrs.
Stockman has taken but one other in
to her confidence. That one other
was William S. Ayres, an attorney, to
whom she says she told the entire
story and on whose advice 1t was she
acted in remaining quiet following
Griswold's death.
Grace Stockman, when waited upon
by reporters yesterday broke down and
for ten minutes INDUCED in crying
spell that at times bordered on hys-
terics. From time to time she referred
to Griswold between sobs as my dar-
ling George" and bemoaned his tragic
death. Water was brought to prevent
her from fainting. Finally becoming
quieted, she told her story She said:
Eyes, the man we introduced as our
brother, Arthur Stockman, and whom
we represented had come here from
California ito join us, was George Girls
void. We did everything in our power
to protect him from the public ana
that was the reason we called him Ar
thur. When we lived on Ridge street
he came TO our home every day, gen.
orally for meals, and to spend the
evenings. 1t is true that he furnished
the money to pay our living expenses,
and it is true that he bought supplies
and brought them to the house. 1t
was home he had provided for me
and my sister. came here from Chi
ecago at his solicitation and with the
understanding that he and 1 were to
be married and except for the furnish
ings put in the house he provided for
us.
Met in Station.
IT first met George in Chicago about
three years ago. was in a depot
there waiting for train. He occupied
the seat next to mine and we engaged
in conversation We formed an at
tachment for each other from the first
and this ripened into friendship and a
love affair. met Griswold OCCASION
ally until finally came to Des Moines
with my sister at his solicitation. A
year ago last fall came to Des Moines
for the first time, during the state fair,
and stayed here with Griswold.
Il did not know until three months
ago that he was a married man. He
represented to me always that he was
single until one day we were driving
and noticed that he kept away from
the business streets and seemed wor-
ried. Finally he told me he had lit
tie joke to tell me, and did not want
me to become angry with him. We
went to private room and there he
told me he was married and had four
children. He told me he did not love
his wife; that they did not get along
together; that he thought the world
and all Of me, and that his only reason
for remaining at home was to protect
his four children, and he promised
me he would secure divorce and we
would he married. We were expecting
to be married about Christmas time,
She Stayed BY Him.
at was too late when this revelation
was made to me for me to turn back. I
loved Griswold and our relations had
been such that I needed his protection.
The fact is expected to become the
mother of his child shortly and would
have been but for mishap that sent
me- to the hospital where I was the
night of September ~, when he disap-
peared. I was booked as Miss Preston.
George came out to see me that day at
/ o'clock and came again in the eve
ming at 8 o'clock, and was there until
$50, when the attendant came in and
told him that visiting hours were over
and that he would have to go. He told
me that night that he was going to
Omaha did not want him to go be-
cause L was sick and my sister was
not here but he insisted that he had
to go there on business-to take care
OF. couple of checks that were out
and over which he said he was being
threatened. He represented to me that
q xn,it coming I'M about which