Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-13
MISS GRAHAM IS
BACKED BY CRUM
Ethel Conrad Denies That
Chorus Girls Enter Plot
to Get Money.
STOKES UNDER THE KNIFE
Witness Refuses to Take Her Posi-
ton Seriously and SCOTS at
Prosecutor.
STOKES UNDER THE KNIFE

New York, Dec 13.-Wh1le w. +.
D. Stokes was under surgeons knife
during an operation, which is expected
to restore him to health, Ethel Con-
rad, who with Lillian Graham is
charged with attempting to murder
him last June, was on the witness
stand yesterday afternoon.
Miss Conrad corroborated every
feature of the testimony Of her chum
that they had shot the millionaire in
self defense.
Mr.. Stokes operation was for an
abscess .of the kidney and it is said
that it had been successful.
Miss Graham's ordeal had lasted
through two and half days of steady
examination. She had felt the strain
severely. However, she stuck to ev-
cry material point Of her story, and
denied every material charge that
Stokes had made against her.
MISS CONRAD SMILES.
Miss Conrad, on the other hand
was smiling much of the time and
caused laughter by several of her
sharp replies.
81 wish,'' she said, when her cross.
examination was reached, that Prose
cutor Buckner would stop making me
laugh. l don't want to laugh"
The girl explained her friendship
for Miss Graham by saying that the
latter had nursed her SO devoted!
during an illness last April that shs
decided never to leave her.
Buckner questioned the witness
closely as to her past life, particularly
as to a visit she made in 1910 tt
Plattsburg, N. Y, where she occupied
she said, the house Of friend, "Mr
Farley" who was away for the sum
mer While there she admitted tha
she had drawn revolver upon a mai
named Louis Miller while on an auto
mobile ride with him.
FORCED A STATEMENT.
y She forced him to write state
D ment, she said, of what took place o
l. the automobile trip and then told ;
" sheriff that she had attempted to XII
e man and wanted to be arrested
l. This statement she promised to hav
e in court today If she could find 1t.
= Miss Graham denied that she an
e her chum had purchased revolvers a
the result of determination to il
y jure Stokes or because of an asse
e lon by Miss Conrad that a man coul
," be made to sign any kind of a stat,
le ment, If revolver were pointed 6
~ him.
- TELLS HER STORY OF SHOOTING.
,s The prosecutor tried to show ths
,r the two girls had decided to enact
70 scene similar to the Plattsburg inc
10 dent, with which Miss Conrad We
n credited. In describing the occu
l. rences of June Z, at the time of I'll
in shooting of Stokes, Miss Graham d
ht clared that Stokes had grabbed her b
ID the throat and pushed her down IL
Id hall and into her bedroom, and again
BIT a bureau. She said she reached I'M
8 an open drawer behind her and e
Id her revolver.
er when I got the pistol out" 81
I'd continued, "Mr. Stokes grabbed
Id still keeping one hand on my throa
rh We struggled out to the front do
le- again before he got the gun awi
re from me. I don't know just when
ng fred
is When Stokes got the revolver aw:
hit from her, she continued, he point
at it at Miss Conrad, who had attack
al him first with chair. Then Stok
Sc fired at Miss Conrad and then Mi
a Conrad began to shoot, she said.