Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-17
SHOW GIRLS FREED BY JURY
Women Charged with Shooting W,
E. D. Stokes Acquitted.
DELIBERATE LESS THAN HOUR
Hotel that the Millionaire Hotel
Man Was shot in seIf-Defense
Prosecuting Attorney
Flags Both Sides.

NEW YORK. Dec. 18.-L4llian Graham
and Ethel Conrad, the show girls charged
with shooting w. e. d. Stokes, the mil
lionaire hotel man, were acquitted by the
Jury yesterday after fifty-eight minutes
elaboration.
The shooting show girls we're tried
on an indictment of three counts, the
first charging an attempt to murder
Stokes. OF consideration of this count
the Jurors were relieved by Justice Mar
Gus, at the request OF district attorney
The court restricted the jury to the
second and third counts, which charged,
respectively, assault in the fret degree
with intent TO kill, and assault In the
second degree with intent TO do bodily
injury.
While the jury was celebrating the two
defendants were held prisoners in an
adjoining room. Waiting was obviously
an ordeal for both, When summoned to
hear the verdict, Miss Graham appeared
unstrung and was assisted into the court
room trembling as with chill. The
more spirited Miss Conrad came unas-
sisted, but she seemed highly nervous
Miss Conrad HysteFicRl.
When the girls faced the foreman he
announced the words mot guilty" Miss
Conrad cried: THANK God" and went
into violent mysteries. She sank to the
counsel table, then jumped up again.
shrieking, tearing her hair and throwing
her arms about wildly. II was sur
prise to the spectators, for Miss Con-
rad had kept much the better nerve OF
the two defendants throughout the trial
On the other hand, Miss Graham, who
continually wept during the trial, and
sobbed the more when she heard the
verdict, recovered herself when she saw
her ccompanion so affected, and acted
as a comforter to her younger friend.
II was at first thought that Miss Con-
rad had Misunderstood the verdict and
her companion tried to assure her that
they were free
"oh, I know" she said. ''Tell mother
we are free. Tell her We are coming
home"
The girls hysteria continued fully ten
minutes before her friends succeeded in
quieting her.
She recovered as suddenly as she was
attacked and, with Miss Graham on her
arm, issued from the court room to be
| greeted with cheers by a large crowd
gathered outside. Many persons stepped
forward to shake their hands. They
stepped into taxicab and were whirled
away to dinner.
Four Ballots Taken.
The jury arrived at its verdict after
taking four ballots On three Of them
the iurymen voted each time IL to for
acuuittal, the one man dissenting being
| in favor Of conviction on second degree
assault
| The spectators who crowded the court
Eroom did not appear surprised. No one
was present representing Stokes except
counsel His young wife. who had been
\ in the court room most OF the day, de-
cided not TO await the outcome. 1t was
said some hours later that the verdict
had not been announced to Stokes up TO
that time. He was said TO be stil dan
gerously I'll and in considerable pain fol-
flowing the recent operation for the re-
moval OF an abscess on his kidney.
The summing up argument which As
sistant District Attorney Buckner made
against the girls was a dramatic feature
Of the late afternoon session OF the court.
He nourished the revovers with which
the girls had shot Stokes and punctuated
his recital OF the shooting and his scorch-
ing Pronunciation OF both Stokes and the
girls by frequent snaps Of the trigger.
Law must be enforced 10 be ennobled.
not TO be laughed at, giggied at, spat
upon and danced upon and sung over on
the vaudeville stage" were some OF Mr..
Buckners words.
lie referred to the contention Of coun-
sci for the defense that Mr.. Stokes could
not be punished and that the girls had
been punished enough. He said
perhaps It is no punishment for a man
with a six months bride and a 14-year-
old son to have such things hawled about
him in every village and hamlet as have
been published In this case And how
have these girls been punished? While
stokes was nursing his wounds they hung
his bloody trousers outside OF a theater