Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-01-19
From the New York WoHLD.j

This being the state of the duel, on
Saturday afternoon about Ais O'Clock
Fisk called at the Grand Central Ho-
tel and inquired for lady by name
Mrs Morse. The bell-boy asked him
to walk up stairs, and he had just be-
gun to do so when his enemy suddenly
appeared at the head of the stairway,
and calling out loudly ~ have got you
now" levelleda four-barrelled Sharp's
pistol at the Dortly form before him
and fired. The first shot missed
Two Others followed with more effect,
one inf1icting wound in the abdo-
men, of which Fisk eventually died,
and The other flesh wound in the arm
The wounded man, who from the
moment of the first shot had never
ceased to cry out for help, was carried
up stairs to a private room at once.
and no fewer than five physicians
were quickly in attendance. Whether
Stokes did or did not mean to at
tempt an escape seems uncertain. At
all events he gave up the attempt, if
he had so much as dreamt of it, and
surrendered himself toofficer McGaden
and Captain Byrne, of the Fifteenth
Precinct, a few moments after the Oc-
currence. BY these officers he was
led up stairs and confronted with Fisk
by whom he was at once identified as
the person who had wounded him.
Not long afterwards, in the presence
of n rapidly empanelled coroner's jul
ny, Fisk made the following deliber-
ate antc-mortem statement:
This afternoon about 4:30 o'clock l
rode up to the Grand Central Hotel -
| entered by the private entrance.
When L entered the first door | met
the boy of whom / asked if Mrs.
Morse was within. He told me that
Mrs. Morse and the youngest daugh-
ter had gone out, but he thought the
other daughter was in rgrandmOth-
ers room. | asked him to go up and
tell the daughter that [ was there.
came through the outer door and was
going up stairs, and had gone about
two steps when, looking up, saw Ed
ward $. Stokes at the head of the
stairs. AS soon as / saw him l no.
ticed that he had something in his
hand, and in second afterwards |
saw the flash, heard the report of a
pistol, and felt the ball enter my a5do-
men on the right side. The second
shot was fired a moment afterwards,
which entered my left arm. When l
received the first shot | staggered and
ran towards the door, but, noticing a
crowd gathering in front, | ran back
on the stairs again. | was then
brought up stairs III the hotel. l saw
nothing more of Stokes until he was
brought before me by an officer for |
indenhficatiOn. l fully indemnity Ed |
war S. Stokes as the person who shot |
me.
(Signed{ JAMES FISK, JR.
The signature of Mr.. Fisk was afffX-
ed to the document in a steady, regu- |
lar hand, and showed no change from |
his usual autograph. When asked !
the formal question, do you believe
that you are about to die?' he an
swcrcd, Il believe that l am il a crit
ical condition ;" and in reply to the
question, "Have you any nope of re-
covery ?n he answered, II hope So"
1t is curiously characteristic of the
man that his sanguine indispcsition |
ever TO believe himself beaten, wheth-
er by human law or the law of nature, |
should have led him by making those |
reservations as to the expectation of
his immediate death totally TO inval- |
idate his ante-mOrtem statement as |
demnatory evidence against his assas-
sin.