Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-12-16
Verdict Of Not Guilty Returned
in Case Against Lillian 6ra-
ham and Ethel Conrad After
Brief DeIiberati0n,
DEFENDANTS VISlBlY
AFFECTED BY FINDING
Miss Conrad Goes Into Violent
Mysteries and Creates Scene.
in Court Room Crowded With.
Spectators,
IBy Morning Journal special Leased wir..l

tby Morning duurbai sprsihi icascu Rtrtsl
New York. Dec. IA verdict OF
mot guilty" was returned late today
freeing Lillian Graham and Ethei
Conrad OF criminal charges on which
they had been held since last June
for shooting the millionaire sports.
man and hotel proprietor, w, f. D..
Stokes.
The jury reached it's verdict In
slightly less than one hour.
The shooting show girls were
tried on an indictment of three
counts, the first charging an attempt
to murder Stokes. OF consideration
of this count, however, the jurors
were relieved by Justice Marcus, at
the request Of the district attorneys.
The court restricted the jury TO the
second and third counts, when
charged respectively, assault in the
first degree with intent to kill ana
assault in the second degree with in
tent to do bodily injury.
When summoned to hear the YER
and was assisted into the court room
trembling The more spirited Miss
Conrad came unassisted but nervous.
When the girls faced the foreman
and he announced the words mot
guilty" Miss Conrad cried thank
God" and went into violent Mysteries.
She sank to the counsel table, then
jumped up again. shriC kline and tear
inE her hair and throNing her arms
about wildly. IL was surprise to
the spectators for Miss Conrad had
kept much the better nerve of the
two defendants throughout the trial
on the other hand Miss Graham,
who continually wept during the trial
and sobbed the more when she heard
the verdict, recovered herself when
she saw her companion SO affected
and acted as the comforter TO her
younger friend.
1t was at first thought that Miss
Conrad misunderstood the verdict
and her companion tried to assure
her they were free.
"Oh. | know" she said. Tell moth
er we are free. Tell her we are COM
ing home
The girls hysteria continued ten
minutes
The jury arrived at its verdict after
four ballots. on three OF them the
jurymen voted each time eleven to one
for acquittal, the one man DISSENTING
being In favor of a conviction of see
ond degree assault,
The summing up arguments which
Assistant District Attorney Buckner
made against the girls was dramatic.
H., /,
which the girls had shot Stokes ana
punctuated his recital Of the shooting
by frequent snaps Of the trigger
He referred to the contention OF
counsel for the defense that Mr.
Stokes could not be punished and that
the. girls had been punished enough.
He said
perhaps 1t Is no punishment for
man with six months bride and
fourteen Vear-old son to have such
things hawked about in every village
and hamlet as have been published
in this case. And how have these
girls been punished? While Stokes
was nursing his wounds they hung his
bloody trousers outside of thcater
and expected the public to deposit its
money In the box office"
A favorable word as to Mr.. Stokes
condition was given out this evening,
The attending physician said his patti
sent is well on the road to recovery
"Mr Stokes is ignorant of the ac-
1uittal.' DR. Thornly added, and did
rot even know that the case had gone
to the jury. | don't care to leopard
ize the chances of my patients recov-
cry by disc ussing the case with him
or allowing anyone else to do So"