New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-12
DECLARES STOKES'S
LETTERS WERE STOLEN
Counsel for Hotel Owners AS
SaIlantS Throws Light
on Mystery.
TRUNK ROBBED, He SAYS
Also Tells How Miss Conrad
Made Plattsburg Man
Retract Insinua-
tons.

Robert NJ Moore. a lawyer. whom ooth
Miss Conrad and Miss Graham have re-
! tanned TO defend them on the charge OF
attempting TO murder w. L. d. stokes
on Wednesday night, threw the first real
light last night on the mystery OF the
missing Stokes letters. Friday morning
Mr.. Moore visited his clients at the
Tombs and pointed out TO Miss Graham
the importance of their keeping posses
sion Of the letters. Miss Graham told
him that Immediately after the shooting
she had put the bundle Of letters. twelve
in all, in her trunk, locked it and taken
the key.
She then gave him the key to her trunk
with a note to John Bloom. superin-
tendent of the building in which she
lived. Il went at once to her apart
ments.' said Mr.. Moore, land unlocked
the trunk. | found that it had been
opened before | got there; everything IN
1t had been thrown around. There were
nearly a hundred letters. ali Of which
showed signs Of having been hastily ex-
amined and thrown back, but there was
not a single letter there from Stokes
Since the night of the shooting Mr..
Pioom has refused to permit any one to
enter the young women's apartments,
and counsel for the defence say they are
certain that the only persons having ac-
cess TO their rooms were police and de-
tectives. The latter say they know moth
ing about the Stokes letters and have not
seen any.
Plattsburg Mans Waterloo.
Mr.. Moore was counsel for Miss Conrad
when she got in trouble in Plattsburg
through forcing a young merchant OF
that town to retract insulting remarks
she had heard he made against her. His
version of the affair follows:
Miss Conrad came to Plattsburg as the
guest Of Strike Breaker Farley's family.
In view of some insinuations that have
been made il may be well TO state that
MIR Farley was absent on business dur
inS the time OF her visit; she nad JusIi
left a convent, was barely eighteen ana
because Of her beauty and good spirits
soon became exceedingly popular with
members Of the younger set.
young merchant named Miller invited
her TO 80 out driving with him in his auto
mobile one evening. She accepted ana
they had some trouble during the drive.
Miss Conrad insisted upon getting out ana
| walking back. but Miller urged her to let
him take her home, which she hnauy con-
scented to- Several days later she went 10
New York. Miller said nothing about any
thing that occurred during the drive until
she had left and then he began circulat-
ing a story derogatOry 70 her honor.
\ friend Of hers wrote her OF this. She
got the letter one afternoon, read il, went
10 a department store purchased a revolt
yer, and took the next train for PlattSburg
Arriving there. she went 1T once 10 Millers
store. and opening q handbag. said to Mil
Ter: Il have a letter here for you She
pulled out the revolver instead of a letter.
and. covering him. told him what she had
heard and ordered him TO sit down and
write the true account Of what happened
Jn that drive from start 10 finish and TO
read It To her as he wrote 1t. II you lie
again. she exclaimed, Il VIII dow your
There were several women clerks in the
store ana they started TO back out, but
Miss Conrad ordered them 70 stay for wit
nesses. Miller began 10 write. but his hand
shook so that the writing was hardly in
tell gible. and Miss Conrad agreed TO let
him dictate his account to his brother,
which he did
Miller said in this way that they had
started on good terms: that when they
reached the first rOadhouse he proposed
getting ont and having q drink. Miss Con-
rad declined, saving that she did not drink.
but she would wait while he took one if
he wanted TO- Miller said he got out and
got a drink. When the next roadhouso
was reached he repeated his proposal and
gain Miss Conrad declined. then he said
ne offered her cigarette. This she de-
clined also About this time the Chief of
Police and Sheriff appeared In tho door
way, but Miss Conrad saw them, and. turn
ing her pistol on them. ordered them
ovaN They did not Interfere with tho
proceedings. Miller then resumed his die
tdtion and said that after passing the
second roadhouse he had made insulting
remarks 10 Miss Conrad. which led TO her
getting out OF the runabout and refusing
to drive further with him Finally he per-
suadCd her 20 let him drive her home.
When she got out at the Farley home she
told him that she felt too ashamed OF
y hat had happened 10 say anything about
the episode and left him
Revolver Taken from Her.
Whom tho dict alton v-ac o,-ey NJ.