The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-07-07
those Love Notes to Girl Who Tried
to XIII Him, Prove to be Not
Even Mildly Exciting
To Hear.
GIRLS SAT sIMPER1NG
Threatened With Death Unless He
Signed Check For s25,ooo and
Replied That He Pre-
ferred Death.

NEW YORK, July 7.--Some of the
letters w. e. D. Stokes expected to
ret back the night he was shot by two
apartment house in this city, were in
troduced in evidence last evening at |
the close of the hearing before Mag
istrate Freschi, to determine wheth- !
er the markswomen, Lillian Graham
and Ethel Conrad, should be held for
tine grand jury for attempted MUIR
der Including a few kilograms,
there we're dozen messages from
the millionaire proprietor of the Hotel
Ansonia to Miss Graham, written
mostly in 1907
They were made part of the court
record at the close of an eight-hour
session in the Tombs police court, in
which Mr.. Stokes, holding down the
witness chair most of that time, told
with considerable dramatic effect his
own story of the things that happen
ed to him when he called on the
chorus girls on the night of June Z.
And all the while the two girls gig
gled and Uttered and simpered. When
Mr.. Stokes told the magistrate that
i Ethel Conrad threatened him with
death if he refused to sign check
for $4,000, and added that he replied,
"If it's choice between check for
cent and death. give me DEATH the
young women giggled with laughter.
Stokes looked ,sgrimly over their
heads and went on with his tale. He
declared that after he got into their
apartment the girls told him that
they had three men hidden behind a
wall, and then intimated that he
would never get out of the room alive.
and that, as he had come in slyly, no
cne would ever know what had be-
come of him.
Stokes also told of giving spending
money to both girls and said that
these sums and 5000 for steamship
tickets had been given on condition
that the eighteen letters were return
ed to him. With wealth of detail
Stokes described how, according te
him. he had been tricked into goinf
to the girls rooms. how demand
was made upon him there. first for {
signed retraction of alleged ISLANDERS
and then for $25.000 how he was
threatened with death; how revolvers
were pointed at his head and stomach
and how, finally, after defying thu
young women. he was twice wounded
as he struggled to get away from
them.
Stokes wrote breezily to Miss Gra
ham on a variety of topics. III
touched upon many things, from tn
undesirability of the stage to young an
shapely widows, slightly damaged.
He warned against drink as bad TO
the complexion, mused upon the pos
sibility of finding widow or d
vorcee who had had her fill Of matr
monial experiences and with whom
though not a marrying man, he coul
go travelling and automobiling an
be just good friends.
The letters all began with tn
salutation, MY dear Miss Graham
or My dear Miss Lillian and most
them concluded with Yours SINGER
ly." Or Yours truly"
One letter to Miss Graham, ser
early in December, 1908. warned NJ
that the stage held but "a heartles
social life and urged her instead
marry some rich young fellow, who's
conpanionship will be worth mo-
than all the worthless admiration
cheap stage" In another the VII
er said:
q am cross. grabbed and ugly 0
cove, and such nice letter fro
such a pretty girl has turned my hea
In the first place, you know ! am
divorced man, forbidden to MARI
second. any man who has failed
retain the love of the woman who WI
desperately in love with him wou
count 1t crime to try matrimony
girl for the second time. In e
third place, am too old. SO all c;
do is to wait for widow or divorc
who has had all the matrimonial
periences she wants for life. 80
will Just be good friends.
We will go travelling and autoi
together and have pleasant talks a
such things. There are several doz
widows and Divorces here inte
looking over very carefully before
return, but will make no selecti
before I have talked It over with W
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CONTINUED ON mage ~