New-York tribune., 1911-12-09
LILLIAN GRAHAM TELLS
STORY BETWEEN SOBS
w. &. D. Stokes Shot in Defence,
She Says, Contradictlng His
Testimony at All Points.
SAYS He HELD HER WEAPON
He Had Started Toward Ethel
When the Trouble Began, and
She Ordered Him Out
AL Adams Death Recalled.

Between sobs. and with an ever recur-
vent show OF ungovernable emotion LII
Ian Ora ham, who is on trial with her
,ooronaie. Ethel Conrad, for shooting
" = d. stokes. told her version OF the
AFFAIR on the witness stand yesterday
hefore Justice Marcus, In the Criminal
branch Of the Supreme Court Shortly
after she had taken the witness stand
and her counsel. Clark L. Jordan, was
leading her tenderly through the details
~ her disastrous acquaintance with Mr..
stoLAs as she testified. she broke down
completely and wept aloud. Justice
Marcus promptly adjourned court for ten
minutes al this point, and the jury tled
ont NJ the courtroom until she could
regain her composure.
The girls story for the most part was
decidedly contradictory TO that already
told hv the complainant in court 1t was
replete. as she told it, with the misplaced
trust Of an inexperienced young girl IN
the overtures and promises Of man Of
The world She accused Stokes of Turing
her 10 his stock farm near Lexington.
Kv. in the summer Of 1907. under false
nreteDces. and accomplishing her ruin.
She had expected to join house party
there. and found herself the only guest
she said. She swore that the note, al
ready In evidence, in which she admitted
sbe was an experienced girl In worldly
matters and Stokes need not fear any
trouble from her for that reason, was
written and signed by her at the Lexing-
ton farm because Stokes threatened 10
eypose her TO her relatives unless she
rrota II. The complainant testified she
wrote the note to him after she left the
farm.
Miss Grahar's Age in Dispute.
Assistant District Attorney Buckner
had begun the cross-examination Of Miss
Graham before court adjourned until
Monday. He first attacked the credibil-
itv Of the witness on her statement that
shs was al present twenty-three years
old. and was only eighteen when she
frst met Stokes. in 1906. She admitted
in answer TO questions along this line
that z legacy from her mothers estate
Vas turned over 10 her without the for
nal proceeding Of appointing a legal
guardian in 1905. She would have been
,rly seventeen years old at that time,
according TO her own testimony, and the
prosecutor sought TO show that if that
uere true the necessity Of appointing a
guardian ad litem would have devolved
lpon the court, as she would have been
minor
The prosecution contended Miss Gra-
ham was tWenty-seven or twenty-eight
years CID, and was not young girl JUS
lnder eighteen, with her dresses 10 her
shoe tops, when she first met Stokes. as
pJtuesses for the defence had testified
large photograph Of Miss Graham,
which was supposed 10 have been taken
N her nineteenth birthday in June,
1907, and which she sent to Mr.. Stokes,
oas introduced in evidence and handed
20 the jurymen for their inspection by
he Assistant District Attorney. II was
striking picture. but may not have
.ceen convincing as indicative of her age
81 that time
The witness bore up much better un-
1s- cross examination than when her
'rn counsel was questioning her. Her
hanged daneanor appeared TO surprise
'he Assistant District Attorney some
what, for he asked her:
We're your Tears to-day those ~ real
shame or only Of self -pity?"
M Jordan ana Mr Moore, counsel for
the defendants, were both on their feet
Immediately with objections TO this
question Justce Marcus ruled that the
witness need not characterize the tears
sac had she'd and the question went
UNANSWERED.
Tells Her Story OF Shooting.
There was one period Of Miss Gra-
hams dirsc, testimony when she kept
her nerve and controlled her feelings
with better success. IT was when her
counsel had brought her down TO the
time OF the shooting in the Varuna
t.art,nent occupied by the two defend
That happened on that occasion. She re-
lated the Incidents automatically and
ih "a stronger voice. though she resorted
10 her handkerchief and had another
little cry at The end Of 1t all. She pro-
ceeded 20 blow up the testimony Of Mr..
Stokes IN true Mcnamara fashion in
feeard 20 what happened at that time,
~ words could DO that sort Of thing.
tacing ier counsel rather than the jury.
'he nervously hurried through the re-
,ital She said:
When the tell rang, Ethel opened the
'oor and ! heard her say, Why. Mr..
stokes and she kind Of fell back, and
NJ burst himself into the doorway and
walked into the little sitting room. And
she backed in, she was dumfounded,