The Washington times., 1921-04-29
MRS. STOKES
|CLAWEDHUBBY
Wife of Millionaire Hotel Man
At Divorce Trial Admits She
ChaStised Him.

terday the figure of Mrs. Phil Ly-
dig, the first wife of the millionaire
clubman, fitted frequently.
From the witness stand. Mrs. Hell
en- Elwood Stokes, confronted by
Herbert c. Smyth, her husbands at
torney, more than once struck over
his shoulder at the woman she
feared.
ADMITS WRITING LETTER.
For there was obvious evidence of
fear in the young wifes heart that
the affections Of william Earl Dodge
Stokes. now suing her for divorce.
were swinging back toward her pred
ecessor. She admitted writing this
letter to him in August. 1915:
Dear Will--Your letter telling
about your wives was partly sad and
partly amusing. Money 10 the goal
apparently. but not with me. Still,
would be fool II did not protect
my own children.
Are you sure that your divorce
was got so that II left no chance for
any one to get your estate! am
not so sure. You'd better look into
1t. There are tricks In all trades. you
know.
You gave her an Apartment house
N"No AS' "Ceoih6 piSsChe. h0No
given you two children, and / feel
hurt that you have given me nothing
to show your appreciation of me. I
think as much Of w. K. D., jr., as
any one. but / don't believe, like the
English, that the second son should
fish for living.
II am uneasy only about Mrs.
Lydig, She hates you, I know. You
will waken to the sad reality in time
and cast away her letters"
When Smyth asked II she was
Jealous. Mrs. Stokes smiled and an j
swered:
mot more than any other
womanw
GAVE HIM A CHANCE.
But the brown-fringed lids dropped
till the green eyes beneath shone
through an aperture narrow as
knife edge. Smyth, apparently, in an
attempt to goad her to anger. asked:
Did you not go to Colorado in 1917
and try to get your husband there SO
you could divorce him in that Slater"
Without anger and without hesita-
ton. the answer came:
"As / told you. / went so that he
might choose between me and Mrs.
Lydig-and I stayed there until he
sent a telegram telling me to return
to New York with my babies.'
Smyth asked IL she had ever called
her husband a dear, sweet thing, and
she conceded IL possible, adding:
II may have written IL. You see.
loved him so much mere than he
loved me. though / do not love him
now"
WOULD SPANK HIM.
CHANGING at her as he read. the
lawyer put this note into the record
under date of October 26. 1915:
Dear Will-If you were here I
would do to you like q child-give
you a spank and put you to bed.
Bye. bye. Don't stew. Remember
that in spite OF your faults you are
a dear, sweet thing.
Don't listen to the Lydigs. They
have a meaning for everything they
say"
Yes, Mrs. Stokes nodded, that
sounded very much like a letter from
her at a time when she was trying to
make the best Of things. Speaking
of spanking, Smyth inquired II she
had ever spanked her baby for re-
fusing to kiss her. The mothers
eyes famed as abe answered:
THAT Is another. lie. Everyone
knows that my babies Just hang on
me-"
VICTIM OF FRAUD.
She had previously testified that the
late Thomas Stokes. her brother-in-
Iva, repeatedly tainted her with the
statement that Mrs. Lydig was her
husbands first and only love. Smyth
asked IL the financial phase of her
marriage was troubling her then. She |
replied:
mo, not until I heard that was
being defrauded"
The verbal duel between the woms !
and the lawyer was worth listening
to every rninu:e. w. r. l.. Stokes. the |
aged plaintiff, fell victim to a heavy
cold yesterday, and die not appear In |
court All week he had been cough
ing and taking mediciao frequently, |
and on Wednesday appeared extreme
ly weak.
But. Mrs. Stokes seemed TO thrive on |
her four days examination. she met
every question, adroitiy, at times ad- |
monishing the tall. pa;e, intellectual
attorney facing her: at times laugh
ing at him, and often in sis.ing on cor
recting the form OF his questions. He
succeeded in rousing her resentment. |
but he did not succeed In making her
mans wit against the skill of a spe- |
cialist in cross-eXamination and after |
four hours she left the stand smiling. |
MERELY SHOOK NURSE.
when Smyth asserted that she had |
a well-developed temper, she shook |
her red head and said only the sort OF |
temper any woman might reveal in |
given circumstances. Did she ever fly |
at her husband? Oh, no; never! Did |
she ever beat up nurse? Not at all, |
she had merely shaken her. Did she
ever go into tantrum7 Not a one
Then Smyth thrust this Interrogation:
"Oh, but did you not attack your
husband in 1915 so that he was laid
Ut for five days, and still bears the
scars of conflict"
Mrs. Stokes shook her head again
and laughed lightly as she saidi
What nonsense! l only defended |
myself I scratched him when he
,hoked me-"