The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-03-11
STOKES KEPT
TABS ON WIFE
"Old Boy Is on to Me-" Witness
Testified Correspondent Re-
marked to Defendant.

NEW YORK, March 11.-Today's
session Of the trial of the divorce
suit of w. K. d. Stokes against Helen
Elwood Stokes is expected to bring
out testimony relating to a Co
respondent not hitherto mentioned
during the trial.
Mrs. Julia Strube testified at yes
terday afternoons session that she
had seen Hal C. Billig, Mrs. Stokes
cousin, in the defendants bedroom
almost every day during a part of
the time she was employed in the
Now York home of the couple.
PHOTOGRAPH FIGURES.
She asserted furthermore, that Mrs.
Stokes had kept photograph of
Btllig, who Is her cousin, in her bed
room The picture showed Billig in
his army uniform.
One occasion when Billig visited
the home during Stokes absence. the
witness said she heard him say:
The old boy is on to me"
Mrs. Stokes answer. to this sally,
the witness said, was a smile.
On another occasion the witness
said she overheard Billig boast that
he had gotten "ahead of the old boy"
Interrogation developed that Stokes
had employed detectives to watch GER
tain hotels. and IL possible to obtain
the registers.
RACY TESTIMONY OFFERED.
Evidence of the raciest nature re-
garding the alleged conduct by the
defendant was introduced earlier in
the session.
Her return home at 3 a. m. on a
morning in December, 1918, with
tail, dark man about thirty seven"
while Mr.. Stokes was away at Lake
wood, N. j., was described infinitely
by one more of the maids In the
Stokes household, with the tale of the
subsequent hospitality offered this
mysterious stranger by Mrs. Stokes.
This maid. Anna Brennan, who was
in the employ Of Mrs. Stokes for some
time after June Z. 1918, told of the
strangers having gone into Mrs.
Stokes room with her and also told
OF what gave her cause for thought
the next morning when she straight
ened up the bedroom.
BATTLE OVER MAID.
Miss Brennan was questioned by
Francis l.. Wellman, counsel for Mr..
Stokes, but he did not succeed in get
ting all her replies into the record.
Martin w. Littieton strenuously OBJ
pected to most of the girls answers
and some of them were stricken out,
either on the ground that what the
maid said was a conclusion from what
she had seen or that she was not
qualified to testify as An expert upon
some Of the things she said she saw.
Miss Brennan said that on the mo-
mentous morning when Mrs. Stokes
appeared with her mysterious, stran-
ger, she was awakened at a m. by |
the other maid. They occupied the |
same room. THIS maid told Miss Bren- |
nan that the doorbell had rung. Miss |
Brennan went to answer it and con-
fronted Mrs, Stokes and the man.
why, ANIMAL" said Mrs. Stokes.
Miss Brennan explained that she |
had heard the doorbell ring and this !
ended the incident for the moment.
Mrs. Stokes going upstairs with her /
visitor. the maid said.
On December 81, 1918 she said. Mrs.
Stokes told her to have two extra
beds made UP, one in the library and
one downstairs.
CAREFUL ABOUT ROOM.
Miss Brennan explained that her
mistress had told her to be particu-
larly careful about Arranging her
room.
After Mrs. Stokes and Hal BilIig
left the house for the theater that
night, she. testified, she went down to
the kitchen for a time, and then went
back to Mrs. Stokes rooms to see that
everything was all right. At about
2 o'clock in the morning she went
up to the fifth floor, two flights
above Mrs. Stokes room, to her own
room and went to sleep. Mrs. Stokes
had not returned by that time. So
the witness testified.
did you hear anything at all after
you went to sleep?" asked Mr.. Well
man.
mo. I did not. but the next morn