The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-07
Show Girl and Chum
Not Perturbed by Mil
lionaire S Evidence.
HIS LETTERS
MADE PUBLIC
Wanted to Be Just Good
Friends" With Miss Graham.
Too Old and Ugly to Marry
Rich Widow-Gives Her
Good Advice About Life
on Stage.

New York, July "a package OF
eighteen letters. written in by-gone
years TO Miss Lillian Graham, the
show girl, was handed up to the Judges
bench this afternoon in the court
room where Miss Graham and her
chum, Ethel Conrad. We're arraigned on
charge of attempting to murder W.
4. q, stokes. the millionaire hotel
man. They had been found. said the
detective in whose keeping they had
been, in the young wonaer's rooms, and
constituted the prize to recover wntcn
Stokes declared he had risked his
life.
Stokes. pale and worn. told his own
story OF the shooting. He had reen
summoned to the apartments, he said,
by Miss Conrad. who told him that
Miss Graham had left for Europe. He
was angry, he said. when he saw he
had been deceived. and declined. to
sign an alleged statement setting
forth that he had DETAINED Miss
Graham and her relatives. He hud
also declined to pay $4,000 under
threat OF death. he added, and there
upon Miss Graham began to shoot AS
he gave his evidence the young NO.
men laughed and chatted gaily.
Girls Not Dnunted.
Stokes said that he told the girls
that blackmail was a prison onense,
and that Miss Graham said: I'll say
I'm crazy" while Mss Conrad declared,
according to Stokes: Well say he
came to our apartments and attacked
us and we killed him in seif-defense.
We have three witnesses listening TO
all this who would never let him out
alive"
When Stokes disarmed MISS Graham.
after sustaining two wounds. Miss
Conrad. he said. was in the parlor. and
as some one began firing then ho as
sumed it was she. He was shot again
in the calf of the leg. There wers
four more shots. but they all went
wild, he said.
Stokes started for the hall then
There. he SAID, first the two girls and
later three japanese grabbed him and
throttled him, while short, stout
man aided them. The police finally
rescued him. and, he said. he handed
patrolman the revolver he had taken
from Miss Graham.
On Decentralization. opposing
counsel attempted to have Stokes tell
or his attentions to Miss Graham DUR
ing the four years he had known her,
but he proved an unwilling witness,
and the lawyer met with constant OBJ
iections.
stokes met Miss Graham at a dinner
in Lexington. Ky. he said. He had
taken her out automobile riding, had
written her while she was at Memphis,
Chicago and other points. and had
also entertained her at his Lexington
farm. She Lad come from Memphis
TO Lexington at his telegraphic re-
quest. She left the next day" Stokes
said The trst cash present he had
given her was $3.50 or S3o0-he did
not remember which--on the occasion
of one of her visits to Lexington, he
declared
The bundle OF letters that drew
Stokes to the girls apartment was
made public by the cour,. They all
began with the salutation. My dear
Miss Graham" or "My dear Miss Lii
han." and most OF them concluded with
Yours sincerely" or Yours truly"
There was brisk encounter be-
tween opposing counsel to what ,Ir.
Stokes should be made to testify 10
regarding the visit nc said Miss
Graham made to his Lexington farm
stokes admitted that ii was tele-
Gra.n from him TO Miss Graham that
caused her TO 80 to Lexington, nut
he declined TO identify particular
telegram that Miss Ciraham's counsel
produced. When he was asked as 10
the length OF time he had invited Miss
Graham 10 remain as his guest at Lex
ington here WAS objection by S:okess
counsel The young woman'S attorney
insisted that the matter had az i'm
portant bearing on the shooting
ASSUMING" said the attorney. that
he inVeiSled her to the farm and that
she went believing that She would
meet large number OF people there,
and as soon as she found there was
no one there she went away. would
not tina; have bearing on the mo-
tive
II was then that Mr. Stokes testified
that Miss Graham had lett his place
At Lexington the next day"
In the letters from stokes to Miss
Graham. given out Tonight. there werd
many bits OF advice for the young
woman. one sent to Miss Graham
early in December. 1909. warned her
that the stage held but "a heartless
social life" and advised her instead
TO marry some rich young fellow
whose companionship would be worth
more than all the worthless admiration
OF a cheap stage" In another thu
writer said ~
Il am cross. grabbed and ugly old
coye. and such a nice letter from such
pretty girl has turned my head. In
the hrs, place. You know. ( AN
divorced man. forbidden to marry; gee
ond. any man who has rallied to re-
tain the love OF woman who was
desperately in love With MN would
count IL a crime 10 try matrimOny on
girl for the second time. In the
third place. | am TOO old. so ali J can
do is 10 wait for a widow. or di-
vorcee who has had all the matri-
monial experiences she wants for lilo.
and so we Will Just be good friends,
We will so travelling and aute-