The evening world., 1911-12-15

mai and nearly tragic act Of this sor
did drama When stokes said thess
things about Miss Graham and .heI
family to Miss Conrad. this young gun.
lady. fresh from her P1attsburg exploit
where she earned the value OF n CUR
as a dictator OF the English language,
was filled with q brilliant Idea. She
rushed back to her chum. She gigRied
and gigeled and giggled. just as she
giggled on the stand. and told LILLIAN
Graham what q clnch Stokes was, and
how she had schcmed out n great plan.
NEVER BOUGHT REvoLvERs TO
KILL STOKES.
II have no idea that when they
bought those revolvers at Wanamaker's
they intended to murder W. h. ID.
Stokes. ] ave no such thought. Why.
they never even thought they would
have to pull "A trigger. They bought
them for a couple OF '%dlctators.'
They even visited n lawyers office
after buying the guns. apparently to
IND out first what form of a retraction
they should MAKE Stokes write. Why.
II they didn't intend 20 use Stokes's
letters rs n bait TO draw him TO the
apartment where they could do come
debating. didn't they send him the
letters In an honorable vayF Because
they were a couple OF adventuresses-
they were bent on Turing the old codger.
the old cove to their den. to hold him
up at the point OF their nice. shining.
new revolvers and make him sign a re-
traction that could be used as q basis
for a suit for Islander or libel. or for
mere blackmaii.
Ethel Conrad knew the power Of .
gun for that purpose. She knew what
n signed ~retraction of that kind would
be worth. for by her own story she
had been offered 5000 for the retrac-
ton she forced out OF Miller at Platts-
burg
Mr.. Buckner brought up point after
point In phe evidence tending to sup
port his theory lie led checrfully up
to the day OF the shooting. firing broad
side after broadslde into the girls
story.
NO SHOOTING UNTIL STOKES
pEFiEp BlAckMAil.
Mr.. Buckner spent little time over tho
shooting itself. lie maintained hat the
evidence had borne out the outline of
the ARRAY given In his opening address.
He contended that It was not to shoot
Stokes that the girls drew their re-
volvers but to make him write a die
tated retraction. The shooting began.
nv NIltA 'tphNss f'Au"Aik "
acccde to the girls demands, started
for Miss Graham TO grapple with her
and take away the revolver.
They didn't intend to shoot Stokes"
he declared again. They threatened
his life unless he signed the re trac-
ton. but that was n blur-the Conrad
touch. Then. when the plan to get this
retraction failed they switched to n
demand for a check. which they could
use equally we'll. even II he stopped
payment on II. They could sue him on
the check n the whole thing would
some out. and NJ jury would believe
they got the check at the points OF two
rcvolvers.
THE critical point came when Stokes
refused 10 sign anything, declaring In
somewhat melodramatic fashion: If
II In 10 be one cent or death I hoose
DEATH lie thought they would drop
their guns then. but did they?
"Miss Lillian Graham stood there with
that gun In her hand n her brain
smiling with aibger n the effect OF the
whiskey she had taken to give her
courage for the hoid-up. Overcome by
anger and by the knowledge that their
plans had failed this weeping willow
you have seen In court became a tigress.'
Hell was let loose In Lillian Graham
and. with an exclamation: You will. will
your she opened fire on this big. repul.
sive man. who had figured 30 mach in
her ufe."