The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-08
LILLIAN GRAHAM PLAYS ROLE OF
 EVELYN THAW
Especial from United Press.)

New York, Dec. 8-Lillian Graham pretty showgirl, took the witness stand, today, prepared to innmolate herself to keep the state from sending 'her and Ethel Conrad, her compan- ion to prison for shooting W. E. D. Stokes, millionaire hotel man.
 Nervous, and bracing herself contin- ually to keep from weeping the young woman told of her relations with Stokes from the day she first met him. She spared herself nothing.
 It was only a few minutes before noon when the girl, clad in blue Norfolk jacket suit and wearing a white hat and heavy veil, mounted the witness stand and solemnly repeated the oath. At her attorneys commano she threw back the veil and reveal ed her face for the first time in the courtroom. Her body moved convul- sively and her lips twitched as she grasped the arms Of the chair, in an effort ito prepare herself for the ordeal she was to face.
 Attorney Clark L.. Jordan, in out lining the defense, declared the girl would tell how, as a simple child, she had become Stokes victim.
 ''I am only 2 years old,'' said Miss Graham, in an almost inaudible voice. replying to Jordan's questions. Stokes attorney maintained she Is 2S.
 ,'I was born in the state of Wash ington and I lived in the country un- til my poor mother died."
 Her voice broke into a sob as her two sisters, Mrs. Singleton and Mrs. Andrews broke down and wept.
 "After Mamma died, went to Los Angeles to live with my sister and, in 1906, I came to New York with her. mean Mrs. Singleton.
 ''We took an apartment at the An sonia. T first met MT. Stokes in my sisters apartment. We were not for mally introduced. I was playing the piano when he came in and said: My child, you play wonderfully we'll"
 After that became very familiar with MT. Stokes. He came up to see me often and he sent me, Oh. so many nice notes and letters. I always an- swered them, either by note or phone"
 Here Jordan read a number of let ters written by the girl to Stokes in 1906. to "show the innocent spirit of the child who was writing" he said. The letters were gushy, little notes of girl.
 Jordan showed Miss Graham an- other letter written by her to Stokes. He did not read it but asked:
 stDid you mean to ask Stokes for $2.500 in that 1etter?' 'No indeed '' whispered the girl. ''I only wanted $50. I had only been back short time from Chicago and needed money"
 Jordan then showed the girl bank book, to- prove that she had received money from her mothers estate, and that Stokes was not then supporting hef.
 'T told MT. Stokes I didn't have too much money" she said. land asked him about what I should do to make a living. He told me not to go on said"
 Here the girl became so hysterical that Justice Marcus ordered five minute recess.
 When the questioning was resumed, Miss Graham said she often went mos toring with Stokes. until she left New York in 1907, in the chorus of musi- cal show.
 .'I was in Memphis, Tenn..'' she said, when I received a. letter from MT. StoFes, on his stock farm in Lex ington, ky, asking me to come there for visit. He told me he would have other guests and saw no i'm prorriety in going.
 When I got to Lexington, only Mir. Stokes and his co1ored servant met me. He drove me, to his stock farm asked MT. Stokes where they were. He said they would be there by evening. That afternoon, he took me on a long drive When we got back to the house there were still no guests and I asked in alarm where they were. He evaded the question. In little while his negro servant left and I was left alone in the house with Stokes
 On the witness stand. Stokes had declared he had been guilty of no im- propriety with Miss Graham until he had documentary proof, signed by her, that she was not innocent. He sub mitted to the court a letter written him by Miss Graham, in which she admitted her previous shame. This letter. Stokes Swore. was written in New York, before Miss Graham visit ed him at Lexington.
 The young woman told a different story.
 "That letter was written that night, in Lexington" she said "and W. F. D. Stokes stood over me and dictated it, every word. I was horror strick- en. I did not want to write 1t but he made me. He said if T. didn't write the letter he would telegraph my people that l was there alone With him and that I would be disgraced forever. I had to write it."
 Miss Graham declared she remained on the farm three days and then re- joined the theatrical company in Memphis. Later, she said, when she returned to her sister in the Hotel Ansonia, which Stokes owns. Stokes telephoned her to come to his office.
 'I went down to see him." she said. "and on his pended knees he begged me not tell my sisters anything about lexington. For the sake of my dear little boy he begged me, don't tell anvone'
 Here the luncheon recess was talk. en.
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