Evening star., 1925-10-18
STOKES IS GRANTED
DECREE Of DIVORCE
Romance of Millionaire and
"Rose of Tenements"
ERds Abruptly.
BY the Associated Press

nN IN" Associated fFrsn
NYACK, y y. October 17.-The
romance OF RoA@ Pastor stokes and
James Graham Phelps Stokes, mil
Nonaire philantlhopist, came 10 an
abrupt and une Spected end today
when Stokes Was granted an inter
lOcutOry decree Of divorce BY Justice
Arthur :. Tompkins
Mrs. Stokes waH Ik@t present at the
hearing, which lasted only 80 min
uLes.
\ few minutes afterathe decree was
granted. a lawyer. whH1 said he rep
resented her. appeared in the court
room and. Vainly attenIA,ted TO have
the case rcOpeued. Justice Tompkius
declined to hear his arpaInent, and
the decree viii be inade III. al ia three
months.
Action is Unexpected.
Prior TO today's action there had
been no public knowledge OF discOrd
between Mrs. Stokes and her husband.
The testimony, in which Mrs. Stokes
was accused of misconduct with "A
horel manager named Grossmans was
briefly presented. and the decree was
Immediately granted.
Mrs. Stokes was born in Sulvolk.
Russia. July l8. 1879 After child
this country and toi!ed as a cigar
maker In Cleveland and New York.
| In the workroums she gathered ma
terial which she later used In news
paper and magazine articles on labor
conditions. This work carried her
into councils of the Socialist party.
Her husband. the son Of wealthy
! parents, received an education at
the Sheffield Scientific School Of Yale
II, trz
the world completed his education at
Columbia University. he became in-
terested in social welfare and the So
| ciaiist movement and joined the So
| cialist party where he met Rose Of
| the Tenements," as his future wife
| Was known. They We're married
| July IS, 1905.
| In the years Immediately following
! their marriage they devoted them
| selves to improving conditions in the
/ homes Of workers, this being made
| possible through the millions in
! herited by Stokes.
The first rift in their r%mance came
at the beginning Of the war when
| Mrs. Stokes Joined the more "a dtCal
| groups in his country. Her husband
! evidenced his disa greement with her
| activities by enlisting in the Army.
! On June /, 1918. the Government laid
| its hand upon Mrs. Stokes and she
| was convicted Of violating the Federal
| espionage act.
I She was sentenced Ia 10 wears in
/ the Missouri state penitenriary, hut
/ he conviction was later reversed IN
! the United States Circuit Court.
She was arrested on other occa sions
( but never was convicted.
! In today's hearing Mrs. Mary Graft
who said she Was hotel housekeeper
testified that Mrs. Stokes appeared at
! a hotel in Sharon Springs. y. Y. 10
! do advertising ami publicity work
| She occupied room adjoining that
( of the manager, I Mr.. GrOssman. the
! hoUSekeeper said.
George II. Gilman of Norwich.
Conn. who represented MI Stokes.
/ testified that he had visited Mrs
| Stokes at a house in New York and
that she had admitted her fondneS$
for Mr.. Grossman. lie also said that
Mrs. Stokes told him she would marry
Grossman if her husband divorced
her.
Turner Branch. janitor in the house
/ in New York where Mrs. Stokes was
! living. said that she was frequently
/ visited by a man who wat not her
. husband.
/ Mr.. Stokes testified that he had NOT
! lived with his wife for two wears. and
/ that there was no colluSion in the
i case.