Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-06-08
Stokes SHOOTING CASE
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
w. E. D. Stokes, owner of AnSGnla
Hotel dangerously Wounded last
night in New York City. Black
mail Charged.

Hospital with three bullet wounds in
his legs, Lillian Graham, - years old
actress and Ethel Conrad, IS year "d
artist. reiterated today they hot Stokes
IN their apartments Al the Ncruna 10
gave .arir own lives. This Stokes posi-
lively denies and asserts that lie vas
lurrd to their apartment by the two
girls who tried To hlackmail him out of
80 900.
After a night in cell, tile two girls,
both Of whom are decidedly preposscss-
ing, were arraigncd in court on a
short affidavit by Detective Derery
charging them with first degree assault.
They were held until Stokes is able TO
come to court. Both girls, while
nervous and troubled because OF their
predicament. insisted that they shot in
self defense, and lss Graham exhibit
ed what she alleged were marks Of
Stokes fingers on her throat.
Stokes, who recently married Miss
Helen EIwood, a wealthy Denver nu-
siclan, was said at Roosevelt Hospital
To be resting comfortably. His wife
and son by his first marriage, ". l..
y. Stokes jr., were with hlm today.
Stokes will probably be able to appear
in court early next week.
Because OF the conflicting stories told
by the participants, the affair is
shrouded in mystery. On cnly one
thing do they agree, and that IS thai
Miss Graham had received some in
trresting letters from Stokes which the
latter vas anxious to secure. Stokes
SAYS when he went to the apartment
occupied by the young women, they
locked him in and demanded S25, 900
for the letters. They also insisted that
he sign a statement they had prepared
He SAYS when he refused. both girls
drew revo!rers and began shooting AT
his thighs. The girls version Is that
Stokes came clustering into the apart
ment and demanded the letters BE-.
coming enraged when told they
were not there. he began TO choke Miss
Graham and the shooting followed.
Stokes admits having been very
friendly with Miss Graham, but says he
only recently met Miss Conrad. Miss
Graham comes from Los Angeles.
There her sister, Mrs. John Singlton.
who is now in Paris, maintains a mag
niticent home. Another sister. IS Mrs.
Adams, widow Of San Francisco.
With the girls in court today werc
arraigncd three Japanese who were
held as material witnesses. They were
arranging for dinner to he given by
Pat Casey, the vaudeville booking
agent, in an apartment adjoining the
one where the shooting took place,
and they beat Stokes severely, in the
belief that he had attacked the girls.
The police today searched the
apartments occupied by the two girls
in an effort 10 locate the letters whlch
caused the shooting, but without sue
cess.
The following is an account Of the
shooting:
w T.. d. Stokes. owner Of the An.
sonia Hotel, New York. vas shot three
times and dangerously Y wounded yestcr-
day evening by Lillian Graham aud
Ethel Conrad in their apartments ln
t rc Narnna. AT 2.22j West EIghteth
street, New York.
Both young women and three Japa-
nese are under arrest and Mr.. stokes
is being cared for III a private suite IN
Roosevelt Hospital.
Ont Of the chaos Of conflicting stories
told by all parties concerned IN the
hooting Of Mr.. Stokes, it is impossible
Ia make tale that is clear and con
and not unit. the matter has
been thoroughly ventil ucd III 4 trial
court will it bc possible 10 arrive AT any
definite conclusion as to riie causes that
lead up to the most sensational c.s>e of
the sort that has dryrlup,'l ~ New
York since the murirr ni Stafford
White hy Harry Thaw, liyr years ago.
What is definitely known rs that ut
6:05 o'clock yesterday evening" iuSil-
Iadc Of shots III the aparinr ut "f the
two women on ihr fourth l!oOr Ot the
Earuna Apartment House brought
forth sevrrtl witnesses who saw W. r.
d. StoI;e- aggrr from the private hall
leading into Lillian Graham's apart
ments and Saw Miss Graham lire at Mr..
Stokes as he fell to the floor.
Tales of attempted blackmail, OF in
letters in the possession Of
Miss Graham, Of efforts OF Mr.. Stokes
10 regain forcible possession Of the let
ters and a wild struggle III the apart
ment during which bureau drawers
were emptied Of letters aud papers,
form part OF the chronicle Of last
nights events, but on every hand werc
to be met efforts at suppression OF the
facts that might throw light upon the
strange and unusual occurrence.
Mr.. Stokes makes no denial OF the
fact that he knew Miss Graham very
well while she was staying at the Hotel
AnSonia, but be had not met Miss
Conrad until recently. How we'll he
knew Miss Graham will probably be
shown bv the letters which figure so
prominently in the case.
OF Mss Conrad I title is known eX.
cept that she had been au actress.
chorus girl, a writer on fashions and
for two weeks the companion Of Miss
Graham
or Miss Graham much more l.
known. She is the sister Of Mrs Stella
Singleton. wife of John Singleton. one
oi the richest men in Los Angeles.
Cal. where Singleton Court, their
home. was one OF the show places OF
California aud by far the mos: beautl-
f1 ;,.o,o ro-I- -, ,bo e,o,. -Thnr.