The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-09

THE PRINCE OF ERIE.
The Man and His Career,

INC story Cun De IOIu without tnc use
of much space. When Fisk came into
possession OF immense sums Of money
having, as is popularity stated, stolen d
railroad, he wanted mistress. Men with
suddenly and ill.goltGn fortunes are prone
TO this peculiarly. D Is'.t4 .5f
The woman latterlY notorious In law.
suits with Fisk as "JOsie"-hcr other
names as Mansfield and Lawler and
Stokes-captivated the amorous and fat
knight. She shared the spoils of Erie.
She had splendid house and carriage
and liveried servants.
And she had q particular friend
Stokes. 1t may be said, without exaggera.
ton, that Fisk was not fond of Stokes.
He demonstrated with Josie without avail.
Stokes had given up charming wife for
the society OF Josie, and she could not
give him up.
a The next thing was the quarrel be-
tween Jim and Josie, In which the former
pathetlcally stated to q sympathizing
friend: "She will not allow my gum
shoes to stay in the house."
Afler O time we heard that Stokes and
this woman were using letters which Fisk
had written her, 10 raise money. He had
written great many letters, and the
wantOn and her friend thought them sufFl-
cient to insure their luxurious living.
Fisk obtained an injunction restraining
the publication Of tue letters, and il has
been rumored that he had managed to oh.
tain possession Of the letters themselves.
Ills subtle stategy and INSCRIPTIONS use
Of money, were, perhaps, equal TO such an
achievement.
1t has been stated, too, that lie was
about prosecuting Stokes and the woman,
for attempting to blaCkmail him. At any
rate he hal bailled the attempt 10 make
his love letters source OF revenue, and
was the prosecutor rather than the perse.
Cuted.
Then the shooting. Stokes has proba.
bly, assumed that, according to the New
York preccdCnts, lftwo men have quar-
rel about q woman and one shoots the
other, he may depend upon public sympa-
thy and the delicate discrimination in
matters Of murder OF an intelligent jury OF
his Countrymcn.
Perhaps MIR Stokes has made miscal-
culation,. He is not entitled to play In
inriated husband" after the manner Of
Mcfarland, and the rights Of man to
property in woman, and the shedding OF
blood on her account, and not so defined
as To cover his case Laura Fair, it may
be remembered, though unllung us yet,
was not justified by u Jury In killing u
man she loved for kissing his wife.
HiSly hnu hnnt, pn1InJ Dns,,nn ~
and he was fond Of tic title. The sen
salion in New York over his assassina-
tion will probably exceed that in London
when the Prince OF Wales was danger
0Ilsly i'll. An adventurous writer might
draw q, parallel between the Prince OF
Erie and the Prince of Wales One point
OF resemblance would be the reputation
Tor gallantly that both gentlemen enjoy /;
while their common tendency 10 Gatness,
and the likeness Of their military teats
would serve to draw out case OF CORES. i.
pOndencc. r..r.. .sl.,.-
In fine clothes, however, Fisk was the
superior OF Wales. The beautiful velvet
coats of Fisk were his specially. They
even eclipscd his magnificent ndmiral's
uniforms, which were the most stunning
in this country, with the exception Of
those of Admiral Porter.
Theperson OF Fisk was SO pOrtly that it
made room for the display OF his fine
clothes. His breadth Of chest furnished
scope for a vast and elaborate shirt front,
in the center OF which glittercd diamond
OF startling proportions. This sparkler
was not recently so frequently on exhibi-
tion as formerly, Tor TWecd's big diamond
breast-pin surpassed it in splendOr. The
legs Of the Prince Of Erie were short aud
hisabdonen spacious. II is not surprising
that Stokes hit him in that quartef.s His
military career eliminated with his seal
ing fence during riots attending the pro-
ccssion Of the Orangemen. Before that,
he frequently had his regiment, the Ninth,
parading on Broadway, and IL was his am
billion and delight to display his squat
figure on horseback, inimllitary clothes,
before staring multitudes. He had the
most superb Colonels uniform ever seen
in this proud and happy land
Ills band of music is celebrated. 1t
numbers one hundred performers, and
when lie serenaded the Grand Duke
Alexis at the Clarendon Hotel, his In
perial Highness invited him in, and he
made the young and royal Russian happy
by giving him the freedom OF everything
he possessed on the continent li},ii1
The latest news OF Fisk's band, chron-
icled in the newspapers, was in seIenading
Tom Murphy, patriot who recently re-
signed his situation in the Custom House
and received the gushing appreciation OF
his superior officer.
Flsk's career has been high comedy,
and his end, II he dies now, Is low tragedy.
Like the Prince OF Wales, he was not only
lond OF the leg drama, but was capable Of
kindness, and, even in n rude way, OF
generosity. Unlike the Prince of Wales,
there was fun in his speech. Some Of his
sayings, which had immense currency In
New York, were highly humorous and
almost witty, and he has probably said ol
himself, in connection with the voyage
he seems about 70 10 making, that ,he is
going where thewoOdbine lwinetti." =
A combination curious and rare of Gun.
ning-atd recklessneSs characterized Fisk,
and the TACT that he ilourished In New
York, profigate as the Prodigal Son. and
yetarrayed in purple and fine linen, and
tairing sumptuOusly every day-thNt he
was conspicuous for the lack OF moral
principles and all the qualities that make
up a good citizen, and yet was enabled 70
advertise an immense, prospcrity-that
though recognized as the consumer orthC
earnings Of others, q man who had wrong.
ed thousands, and diverted TO his own
base uses millions Of dollars to which he
had no honest title7-and that, notwlth.
standing he was, II not respectable, court.
ed and .tstei, and tlattered, and iawned
upon, and laughed Al, and talked about
and run aIter-all these things had n lie,
moralizing influence, and the tragedy oI
yesterday may serve 10 correct injurious
imDreSsiOns y Win lOan doubt that N