Norwich bulletin., 1911-07-07
Stokes Letters
To Miss Graham
A PACKAGE OF EIGHTEEN PRO.
DUcED IN COURT.
FOUND In THE GIRLS ROOM
Victim of Recent Shooting Testifies to
the Circumstanees-Says That $685.
600 Was Demanded of Him.

VICTIM or Recent Snootfn9 eStifleS to
the Circumstances-Says That $685.
900 Was Demanded Of Him.
New York, July "a package of
eighteen letters, written in bygone
show girl, and neatly tied with
scented red ribbon, was handed up to
the judges bench today in the court
room where Miss Graham and her
chnm, Ethel Conrad, were arraigned
on a charge of attempting to murder
W. E. D. Stokes, the millionaire hotel
man.
Found in Miss Graham's Rooms.
They were found a detective said,
constituted the object to recover
which Stokes declared he risked his
life.
Stokes Story of Shooting.
Stokes, pale and worn, told the story
of the Shooting. He was summoned to
rad, who told him that Miss Graham
had left for Europe He was angry,
he said. when he saw he had been de-
ceived, and declined to sign an alleged
statement setting forth that he had
DETAINED Miss Graham and her rela-
tives.
Declined to Pay $4,000.
He also declined to pay $4,000 un-
der threat of death, he added, and
thereupon Miss Graham began to
shoot. AS he gave his evidence, the
young women laughed and chatted
gai1y.
Said BIackmaiI Was Prison Ofense.
Stokes testified that he told the
girls that blacknail was prison Of
fense, and that Miss Graham replied:
It'll say I'm crazy While Miss Conrad
said: We'll say he came to our
apartments and attacked Us and we
killed him in self-defence. We have
three witnesses listening to all this
who never would let him out alive"
Saw Miss Conrad in ParIor.
Stokes said that when he disarmed
Miss Graham after having sustained
two wounds, he recolIected the Conrad
girl and looked around for her. She
was in the parlor of the apartment, he
said, and as someone began firing then
he assumed it was she. He was shot
in the calf of the leg. but swung Miss
Graham between him and Miss Con-
rad.
Miss Conrad Smiled SweetIy.
He said Miss Conrad called him on
the telephone and told him Miss era
ham had gone to Europe and asked
him to call and get letters Miss era
ham had left for him Miss Conrad
Smiled sweetly," continued the wit
apartment, and left him alone a mo-
ment, saying she would go for the
letters.
Girl BoIted the Door.
When she returned, said Stokes she
bolted the door behind her and ap-
preached with her hands behind her
back.
Miss Graham crept Toward Him.
eat the same time through the door
into the hall I saw Miss Graham
creeping toward me with a revolver
leveled at me. Stepping in front of
me, she said, Now 1 have got you!
Threatened to Kill Him.
Then continued Stokes, Miss Gra-
ham told him he must pay her for
doing great moral damage" defaming
her mother end her sister. They told
him, he said. that unless he complied
with their demands they would kill
him and would have no difficulty get
ting rid of his body.
Dsath or $25,oo0.
Stokes said he refused to sign
statement that he had DETAINED Miss
Graham. Thereupon the girl demand
ed money Its death or s25,000i" said
Miss Graham. according to the wit
ness.
IOlQ LH6nl. Sdld lOkGo5 GndI IL
it We're a case of death or a cent I'd
choose DEATH
Graham Girl Began Firing.
1.-THE Graham girl" he went on,
said to me, You will. you WILL and
she began firing.
Stokes wrested the revolver from
Miss Graham after receiving two
wounds.
The Second Shot.
Then, he said. the girl called:
Ethel. you agreed if I didn't kill
him, YOU would!"
Then Stokes heard another shot and
bullet hit him in the leg.
Four Shots Went Wild.
There were four more shots. but
they all went wild, he said. There
was a lulI. apparently when the cart
rides had been exhausted, he testified,
broken by Miss Conrad's throwing up
shouting t.Helpt Murderl Police!"
ThrottIed in Hall.
Stokes started for the hall then. Out
there he said, first the two girls and
then three japanese grabbed him and
throttied him. Between time, he said,
a short, stout man also throttled him.
A policeman finally rescued him, and
he handed him the revolver he had
taken from Miss Graham.
Enraged for Two Weeks.
That was about all there was to the
shooting incident, Stokes testified, al
though for two weeks prior to that
he was "enraged'' several times when
Miss Graham called him on the tele-
phone and told him things he didn't
like.
His Attentions to Miss Graham.
On cross examination, opposing
counsel tried to have Stokes tell
about his attentions to Miss Graham
during the four years he had known
her, but he proved an unwilling wit
ness and the lawyer met with con-
slant objections.
Met Her at Dinner.s
Stokes met Miss Graham at dinner
in Lexington, Kentucky. He took
her out automobiIing, wrote to her
while she was at Memphis, Chicago,
and other places, and entertained her
at his Lexington farm. Once, he said,
she came from Memphis to Lexing-
ton at his telegraphic request She
left ''the next day." Stokes said.
Gave Her Cash Presents.
The first cash present he gave her
was $3.50 or s300-he didn't remember
which-on one of her visits to Lex
ington, he said He concluded his tes-
timony shortly before adjournment.
The case will be continued tomorrow.
Letters Made Public.
The bundle Of letters that drew