Evening star., 1926-05-19
WE. D. STOKES, IS,
DIES IN NEW YORK
FinanCier and Hotel Owner
Was Involved in Many
Litigations.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 19-W. E. D.
Stokes, flnancier and hotel owner, died
this morning in his home at 23S West
Seventy-third street.
Death was due to double pneumonia
He had been i'll for only a week.
Was i'm Court Often.
The history of William Earle Dodge
Stokes is chiefly the history OF his liti-
gation-both divorce and Civil-which
kept him almost constantly in the
courts and the limelight.
His marital career, consisting of Iwo
marriages, one divorce and an unSuc-
cessful attempt for five years to di-
Norce his second wife, Mrs. Helen Ell
wood Stokes. attracted wide attention
Stokes was born in New York in 1853
and inherited from his banker father,
James Stokes, property valued at SILL
100000. Figures revealed by his sec
Ond wife when she sued him for dover
rights showed that his net estate was
$7,23S,000
Finished Yale i'm 1874.
On his graduation from Yale Uni
Versity in 1874, Stokes showed a talent
for finance and became associated with
his father in business. On the latter S
death he built the AnSonia Hotel ana
conducted it until 1911, when he leased
1t for a long term for several million
dollars
His first marriage was in 1895 to
Rita Hernandez de Alba Acosta.
daughter of a wealthy Cuban landed
family, described by Paul Helleu, the
painter, as the most nearly perfectly
beautiful woman in the world" They
had one child, w. T.. d. Stokes, Jr.,
and in 1900 she divorced him secretly,
alleging infidelity.
Later she became the tiancee Of the
Rev. Percy Stickney Grant, former
rector of the Church of the Ascension,
who was forbidden by Bishop Man.
ming to marry her because she was
divorced
Again Wed i'm 1911.
In 1911 Stokes married Miss Helen
Elwood of Denver. She was % years
old. while the hotel man gave his
age as ''over As years old" Two
children were born to them.
Stokes in 1919 began divorce pro-
ceedings, alleging misconduct by his
wife with upward of 10 correspond
ents," Mrs. Stokes replied with a
cross bill charging ''cruel and in
human treatment" After two years
litigation the court ruled that Mrs.
Stokes had not been proved unfaith-
full, but that she did not deserve a
divorce because she had written en-
dearinS letters to her husband during
the period of the "crue5 treatment" !"
With difficulty StokeS obtained a
retrial of the case. But before 1t be-
gan District Attorney Pecora dis
closed that four witnesses had testi-
fed falsely in relation to Stokes
charges that his wife had been in
the apartment of Edgar T. Wallace,
wealthy California oil man.
Wife Sued Stepson.
AS a result the wife sued her step
son, W. f. d. Stokes, jr., for $1,000
900, charging that he tried to defame
her character, and had Stokes and
several witnesses indicted in Chicago
on the same allegation.
The civil suit was dropped, while
a jury acquitted Stokes Of the crimi-
nal charge. The second divorce case,
however, continued for nearly three
more years and again ended in the
defeat of Stokes.
Mrs. Stokes meanwhile had started
separation proceedings which resulted
in an agreement by which Stokes was
to have access at all times TO their
children, who were to remain in the
custody OF their mother. The settle.
ment was understood to- have called
for a $500, 600 trust fund.
Soon after Stokes was sued by his
counsel, Attorney Max Steuer entered
q suit Of $500 against him, charg-
ing that payment had been refused on
three of Stokes checks. The law firm
of Nugent & Nugent sued him for