Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-01-16
The Murder OF Fisk.

OF Jumeb L lsk, IT., NJ inc NeW Ork
Central Hotel Saturday Afternoon will
create an excitement and feeling of
ind gnation drought Europe and
America. New York has had scores of
nnries and some fendish assassinations
within the past few years, but for a
deliberate and cold-bloded crime, the
shooting down of Fisk beats anything
recorded for decade. The dispatch
cs published give full particulars,
and tho reader can only form
one opinion - that the murderer,
Stokes, being baflled in his attempts to
further blaek-mail the man, cody
planned and as cody executed his death.
There was not even the excitement of
words or passion to mitigate the action.
Nor can it be shown that the murderer
WIS himself laboring under further
excitement than that brought about by
the information given him half an hour
before the deed that the courts had
forbid his movements to further black
mail Fisk, and that he had been irdict-
cd for previous offensc Of the kind.
No matter what Fisk's ambitions
were, what his record, what his private
life-every deed and action will not
be weighed, or else will be forgiven in
the desire that the criminal be speedy
tried and punished. If Fisk had his
faults, and all know that he had, his
good traits, being liberal to fault, an
enterprising citizen, and an energetic
Official. That being led into the tolls
of an INSCRIPTIONS ring of rascals by
the handsome face of a woman is the
indirect cause of his death, cannot be
denied, but as to an excuse for his
murder, there is none at all. The
suit against him by Mansfield and her
allies was thought blind, or furth-
CIR excuse for demanding hush money,
and when Stokes was given to under
stand that reaction had taken place,
and that he was to be punished for
his course, he appears to have deliber
ately walked over to the hotel, taken
his station at the head of the stairs,
rested his revolver on the banister,
and fired into his unsuspecting victim.
There is but little doubt that Stokes
viii set up the plea of insanity, frcn-
zy, or some such thing often adopted
BY similar criminals to shield them
selves from the penalties of Justice,
but there is great doubt if such
course will shield him from the gal
lows. Fisk's money aud position 60
for nothing in the administration of
justice, but it is bound to punish MUIR
der in all instances, and if Stokes is
not punished for his cowardly deed,
then law in New York is a mockery.
In this case there is no escape of the
murderer to call for delay, and to aid
in defeating Justice he was seized at
once, conveyed to a cell, and there re-
mains, being "sane' enough "to ex-
press regret" when be heard that the
wounds he had inflicted had proven
fatal.
Fisk's display, his gaiety, his ez-
travagancc and his immortality have
naturally, heretofore, attracted the
greatest amount of public attention.
1t has not been pretended that he was
worse in these matters than many of
the wealthy and fashionable young
men in the metropolis. But his means
were far greater, and he was less hyp-
ocritical, and less sensitive to expos
ure. We venture the prediction that
hereafter the other side of his char
acter will be more prominent in mem
DRY. His enterprise, his charity, his
business qualifications, his nerve, and
above all his foresight and his
knowledge of human nature in all its
phases, will be held up for the benefits
they conferred, and for the character
they demonstrated, rather than as The
source of the means from which he
derived what was necessary to his ex
travagance and profigacy. Living
his example was of the very wors
and most corrupting character to thu
community in which he lived. Hi
private influence was bad, and for bad
alone. Nothing more demoralizins
could be placed upon record than hi
social career.-Fre Press, Jan 0.