The Washington times., 1919-12-14


had been down the station the day before expecting
Q.-Where did you go from the stationf
Ave drove to Mr.. Stokes s farm, about five miles
some time before luncheon.
Q-When You arrived at the house did you expect to
see other personsf
A.-Yes but there no one else asked him about
it. and he said there some other people, but they
out visiting and would be back late In the afternoon
Q.-When You arrived back at supper time did You
find any companyf
A.No. And noticed the table laid for two only
Later found thathere other guests the house
Q.-How long did you remain at the housef
A.--Two days and three nights.
Mr. Jordan submitted to Miss Graham the .seonfes-
sion" letter and another signed "Lian " which Mr.
Stokes witness produced In evidence from his pri-
vate les where he said there other letters. Miss
Graham admitted it was in her handwriting.
Q-Did you write that letter in New York Cityf
A-No.
Q-Who dictated these lettersf
A-Mr. Stokes
Q-What reason did Mr. Stokes give you for want
ing you to sign these lettersi
Ale said that he had enough trouble with women
and didn't want to have any more and that it would
make difference TO He said if didn't sign them
he would tell my sister and brothernaw that had gone
to Lexington.
Q-Dd you tell your sister brother-nlaw that you
had been at Lexingtonf
A-No.
Q.-When did You see Mr.. Stokes after your arrival
in New York;
A-The next morning When him he asked
me on his knees not to tell anybody that had been at his
farm. as it would hurt him and his little boy.
Q-What did you sayi
Al promised not to tell.
Lillian Graham's counsel made profound impression
the jury when he thus described the wrong she had
suffered at Stokess hands:
Lillian Graham, you pure girl until you were
lured by golden promises to visit the Stokes farm in Lex
ington Kentucky What are you nowi broken reed; /;
q life blasted by w. E. d. Stokes. Ethel Conrad, you
were saved You discovered the per6dy of this man be
fore it was too late
Gentlemen of the jury. beseech you to treat these
girls you would want to have your own daughter
treated if charged with shooting the who had
wronged her and slandered her dead mother and beg
of you these helpless almost frendless girls
kindly than did w E. D Stokesf'
Mrs Stokes read this in the newspaper reports Of the
trial She stunned by these revelations and humi
ated this notorey but determined to her hus
band and be loyal wife in his hour of disgrace and
trouble.
The full significance of the confession letter did
not strike the young bride at the time IL the old million
aire shrewd enough to procure such document Of
immunity from this young girl-would he be capable OF
slipping over something with great "sagacity" on his
own young wifei
Exactly that question will be very thoroughly threshed
out at the divorce trial 1t has already been raised in
uncertain words In Mrs Stokess affidavit she swears
that incident to the cruelty and nhuman
treatment and in the execution of his wicked designs and
purposes, plaintiff (Stokesl in violent rage with filthy
expressions and by force and duress compelled this de-
ponen mrs Stokes) on the 18th day Of May 1911 to
sign paper refusing to divuge to her the nature and
contents of the same, although requested so to do
Three months after the wedding the old millionaire
had already begun to victmize his own bride with his
acknowledged sagacity" according to her state
ment. If Mrs. Stokes is correct, it was remarkable
transaction.
At the stroke Of her pen the young bride signed awsy