The New York herald., 1921-07-08
CHARGED
In STOKES BRIEFS
Littleton Asks Court Action
Against Witnesses Who
Attacked the Wife.

William E. d. Stokes Is accused OF
procuring an array of disreputable wit
nesses to give false testimony against
his wife" in the final brief OF Martin
w. Littleton, chief counsel for Mrs.
Helen Elwood Stokes in her defence OF
the divorce action begun by Stokes
The lawyer hopes 1.-The facts will be re-
ferred to the proper authorities for such
further action as justice may require"
This brief. replying to the plaintiffs
brief. the main brief of the defendant
and both briefs of Francis l.. Wellman
counsel. were filed yesterday with SUI
preme Court Justice Finch. thus wind
ing UP the presentation Of testimony in
the case. Justice Finch's decision is not
expected within a month.
'As to every one of Mr.. Stokes's wit
nesses. the ancient maxim falsus in uno,
falsus in omnibus applies" the defend.
ants brief declares. And since every
one Of them is his offspring and protege.
part and parcel Of the same conspiracy.
II any one Of his witnesses has know
ingly testified falsely as to any material
fact the perjury Of that one is deemed to
be the perjury Of the rest and Of their
principal as we'll.
Whatever Mr.. Stokes may have to
say without the sancity of an oath In
his reply brief with respect to his wife's
coLnterclaim. he has said nothing under
oath on the trial. nor has he called a
single witness to contradict or impeach
in any material particular, however
minor. the testimony introduced by her.
SO that the same stands wholly uncon-
tradicted.
while we were writing this brief the
public press recorded the indignant pro-
test of judge Of this court, sitting
in an adjoining county. against the
prevalence of corrupt practices In
divorce cases. There are detective agen-
cies throughout the country says this
judge. supplying professional perjurers
for the divorce courts. and we judges
are powerless against their scheming
systems
"Here Mr.. Stokes had a special private
detective agency Of his own. with its
appropriate racial departments and be-
cause he has succeeded by the lavish
use of money and possibly more effec-
tive method Of uninterrupted vilifica-
ton and abuse. in procuring an array
of disreputable witnesses which Is after
all formidable alone by reason OF its
number to give false witness against his
wife. he has the hardihood to stand be-
fore the court and continue the cynical
taunt which was thrown at his wife
from the start to the finish Of the trial {:
oh. of course. all the witnesses are
lying. You alone are telling the truth "
The Littleton brief goes into detail
in attacking the character of the Stokes
witnesses and points out conflicting de-
tails in their testimony.
In the plaintiffs briefs criticism is
made of the comments OF Mrs. Stokes's
counsel during the trial. The direct
testimony offered by Mr.. Stokes's wit
nesses is characterized as convincing
and sufficiently cumulative to be ac-
cepted as ground for granting a decree
to the plaintiff.
Reference Is made to the non-appear-
ance at the trial of several persons
whose names were mentioned and who.
it is claimed. would have made good
witnesses for the defence IL the defence
had not some reason for not calling
them. On the other hand. nine of the
Stokes's witnesses are extolled as white
and disinterested."