The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-07-06
SAYS GIRLS DEMANDED NONE
Stokes Tells Of Struggle In Room
When He Refused to Give SIS,


NEW YORK, July 6.-Facing
Lillian Graham and Ethel Conrad,
the two girls charged with an al
legged attempt to murder him, w.
Il. d. Stokes, New York million
aire, in Police Magistrate Fres-
chi's court today, told his full
story of how he was shot In Miss
Conrad's flat after resisting an
alleged attempt at blackmail
Daintily garbed, the two girls,
both young and pretty, watched
Stokes closely as the millionaire
testified to what had occurred In
the apartment at 220 West Eighth
street on the night Of June I.
when he received two bullets, he
said, from their revolvers.
That afternoon" said Stokes,
when he took the stand before a
court room jammed to the doors,
II received telephone message
from Ethel Conrad. She told me
that Lillian Graham had sailed
for Europe on the steamer Baltic
and had left a package of letters
| had written to be given to me.
She asked whether | would come
for the letters or she should send
them. I told her would como
for them at o'clock.
Demanded Retraction.
Just at the hour set reached
Miss Conrads apartment and the
elevator boy told me to walk in.
Inside the door Miss Conrad was
standing. She told me 20 sit
down. Then l heard her talking
to someone In another room.
"A moment later l was sur
prised to see Lillian Graham COM
ing down the hall. She had a re-
volver I'm her hand. AS she jump
ed through the door. she shout
ed: I have you where I want
you now. You have told all over
New York that my mother ran
an assignation house In Seattle;
that my sister was an inmate of
another one in Cincinnati; that
my sister, Mrs. Singleton, ran an
other in Los Angeles. and that I
was common prostitute here.
Over there Is a desk, pen. paper
and ink. You get over there and
sign a retraction. II you move
I'll kill you
II looked at her in amaze
ment," said Stokes, "as I had not
said anything like that TO anyone.
Then the Conrad female broke In:
You do as we tell you. Other
wise you will be killed
"I told them was not afraid
of their pistols and then the Con-
ran girl said:
We'll, we'll make you afraid.
You will not be the first man KILL
ed in a New York flat
II said l would do nothing as
never made the absurd state
ments with which they accused
me.
Demanded S25. 900.
"'Yes you WILL said the Con-
rad girl, and you will sit down
there and draw a check for $685.
600. Get a gait on you
81 told her l preferred being
killed to giving up money In that
way, and | warned them I would
have them arrested IL they per-
sisted. At that the Conrad girl
yelled: oh. no you won't. We
have it all fixed up. If you don't
give up the money Wen Just kill
you. Then I'll swear you tried
to rape me and killed you.
guess there won't be any twelve
men who would blame me If I
did,
II told them, 4 won't give you
a damned cent. l would sooner
be killed
Girl Yelled For Police.
"Then the Graham girl stepped
back and began swapping her re-
volver. The first two times it
did not explode. Then / saw
flash and felt pain in my leg.
AS she shot again I grabbed her
and we fought across the room to
the floor, she screaming: Ethel,
get your gun. You said If |
didn't kill him you would
"The Conrad girl then opened
a cabinet and got a gun. She
fired and hit me in the ankle.
Then l pulled the Graham woman
around in front of me and the
Canrad girl at once opened the
window and began Yelling Fire!
Police! Murderl'
"She stopped yelling and came
back at me just as managed to
open the door into the hall. We
rolled through the door, both
women fighting me and then the
door snapped and pulled myself
free from them. A bunch OF Jap
anese from an adjoining apart
ment ran out and began to beat
me, and just then the police ar
rived"