The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-16
LillianG Graham and Ethel
Conrad AreP Pronounced
Guiltless.
JURORS ARE OUT
LESS THAN HOUR.
Since Last June They Had Been
Held for Shooting w. E, D. II
Stokes. Sportsman and Hotel
Man-crowd Cheers as
Girls Are Whirled
Away in Taxicab.

New York. December 15.-A verdict
of mot guilty" was returned late to-
day. freeing Lillian Graham and Ethel
Conrad of criminal charges on which
they had been held since last Juno for
shooting the millionaire sportsman and
hotel proprietor w. E. d. Stokes. The
jury reached Its verdict in slightly less
that an hours deliberation-fifty eight
utes. to be exact
The Shooting show girls were tried
on an Indictment OF three counts the
first charging an attempt to murder
Stokes or consideration OF this
count, however. the jurors were re-
heSed by Justice Marcus, at the res
quest of the district attorney. The
court restricted the jury to the second
and third counts which charged, re 9. g
specttvely, assault in the first degree,
with Intent to kill. and assault In the
second degree. with intent to do bodily
injury. l5ts
A Severe ORDEAL I5t
While tho Jury was celebrating tho
two defendants were held prisoners la,
an adjoining room. Waiting was OBJ
viously severe ordeal for both. When
summoned to hear the verdict. Miss
Graham appeared completely unstrung
and was assisted into the courtroom,
trembling In every limb. The more
spirited Miss Conrad came unassisted;
but she seemed highly nervous IL
When the foreman announced tile
words Not guilty" Miss Conrad cried
THANK God" and went into violent
hysteria. She sank to the counsel
table. then jumped up again. SHREK
an m bn,> hni-
ing her arms about wildly. 1t was a
surprise to the spectators, for Miss
Conrad had kent much tho better nerve
of the two defendants throughout tile
trial. On the other hand, Mlss Graham,
who continually wept during the trial.,
and sobbed the more when she heard
the verdict, recovered herself when che
SAW her companion SO affected. and
acted as tho comforter to her younger
friend.
1t was at first thought that Miss
Conrad had misunderstood the verdict,
and ner companion tried to assure her
that they were free "Oh. l know"
SHE said. Tell mother we are free.
Tell her we are coming home"
The girls hysteria continued for
fully ten minutes before friends sue
ceeded in quleting her. {&3
She recovered as suddenly as she
on her arm, issued from the court
room to be greeted with cheers by o
large crowd gathered outside. Many
persons stepped forward to shake their
hands. They stepped into taSicaiI
and were whirled away to dinner.
Tnke -Four ballots. RI
The jury arrived at It's verdict after.
taking four ballots. On three of them
the jurymen voted each time IL toll
. fpY al 4, "A
being in favor of a conviction of Sec
ond degree assault The spectators
who crowded the courtroom did not
appear to be greatly surprised. No
one was present representing Stokes
except his counsel. His young Wife,.
who had been in the courtroom most
OF the day, decided not to await tina
outcome. IT was said ut tho Hotel
Ansonia some hours later that the YER
diet had not been announced to Stokea5
up to that time. He was said to be
still dangerously i'll and in consider
able pain following the recent opera
ton for the removal of an ausccss on
his kidney.
The summing up argument which
Assistant District Attorney Buckner
made against the girls was a dramatic
feature of the late afternoon session
of the court He aourishcd the rcvoly-li
stokes and punctuated his recital os
the shooting and his scorching denun-
citation Of both Stokes and the girls
by frequent snaps of the trigger q
Law must be enforced 10 DO en-
noblcd, not be laughed at, giggled att
spat upon and danced upLn and sung
over on the vauderll!, stage. We're
some of Mr.. Buckncr's words. He re-
ferred to the contention of counsel for
- - .S.t-, ~. -
be punished and that the girls had
been punished enough. 'sz
stokea's Punishment.
perhaps il is no punishment" no
said "for n man With SIX months
bride and Il fourteen -ycar-old son TO
have such things hawlied about him
i'm every village and hamlet as have
been published in this state. And how
have these girls been punished?
While stokes was nursing his wounds
they hung his bloody trousers outside
theatre and asked the public, TO de-
post it's money in the box office" y
Judge Marcus. in his charge, eau.
toned the jury not to let their emo
lions overrun their reason simply be-
cause the defer dants We're women "
stokes was shot when hn called asE
the apartment OF the show girls on
the night of June z. He said he, had I
gone there at the invitation Of Mics; &
Conrad. with the expectation CT gst-
ting letters he had written to Miss
Graham and that wher he got thsrs Z
the girls laid before him demand for
money with flourish Of 1esnlvcrs eaIiti8
a threat TO shoot,
The girls declared that stokes at-.s4
tackled them. ana that he seized tlieirl
revolvers long enough to I'VE two IL
shots, and they shot also several bull va
-. HIaa. eAfact In Tho mil liunRt ra.Ns 9