Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18
The Fisk-Stokes.Mansf Cores
pondeHce.

"S comparatively poor.
Fisk was introduced to Mrs. Mansfield
at her own request, at the residence of
Anna Wood, on Thirty-fourth street
She was poor, and told Miss Wood she
hadn't decent article of clothing. Fisk
took fancy to her and she became his
mistress, and the intimacy ripened into
strong affection on his side. At this
juncture Fisk and Stokes became inti-
mate, the oil refinery, belonging to the
latter's mother, was put in working or
der at Fisk's expense, and company
was formed Stokes was first made
treasurer, but having drawn out over
$4,000 in four months, the company
was recognized and he was appointed
secretary. From the new company he
drew over S37, 900 in six months, and in
January, 1870, he collected in one day
$4,000 of the companY'a money, no
part Of which Fisk claimed was due him,
and put it in his pocket, telling some
friends that he had some $4,000 of
Fisk's money and meant to keep it. For
this he was arrested, but, upon his dis
charge from arrest, a compromise was
entered into by which he was allowed to
keep what money was in his possession,
and was paid $4,000 more for himself
and $4,000 for his mother in order to
induce him to sell his entire interest and
retire from the company. In one way
or other, Stokes managed to leave the
company with $3.50, 600 more money
than he had when he went into it
Stokes, in the meantime, had been in
troduced to Miss Mansfield, at whose
home he spent his days and nights.
Fisk grew jealous and Stokes swore he
had no cause; Fisk was not satisfied and
sought to break his connection with the
woman, even though he did love her
He wrote farewell letters to Josie, and
she would write sweet reply, when
Fisk would repent and sendherpresents,
and often money. While she was thick
with Stokes, Fisk was all the time send
ing her money. Soon Fisk wrote her a
parting letter and told her she must look
to Stokes for her support. This made
Josie mad, and she showed all of Fisk's
letters to Stokes. Stokes saw at once
that these letters were not letters a mar
ried man should write to a woman other
than his wife. He saw an opportunity
to hold Fisk in his power. Stokes gath
cred together all the notes, kilograms,
scraps, cards, and every word Fisk had
written to Miss Mansfield, and then
made out claim for 5000, 900 against
Fisk. He said that unless the claim was
paid the letters would be published
This demand for $200,000 was made
through his attorney, Ira Shaffer, Mr.
Beach declining to be connected with
the matter These were the letters
which caused Fisk to get out an injunc-
ton to prevent their publication. They
are extraordinary letters, but they are
such letters as a man would write to a
woman he would love and whose infatu-
alton he had resolved to cast of. Alb
solutely nothing about Erie or Tam
many in those published by the Herald,
which are said to be the whole cores
pondence now in existence.
On the 1st of October, 1870, Fisk, in
a long letter to Mansfield, says "But
what think you of woman who would
veil my eyes first by gentle kiss, and
thus seek night and day for weeks,
months and years, by deceit and fraud,
to lead me through the dark valley of
trouble, when she could have made my
pathway one of roses committing
crimes, which a devil incarnate would
shrink from, while all this time | show
ed to her, as to you, nothing but kind
ness both in words and in action, laying
at your feet a soul, a heart, a fortune
and reputation, which had cost me, by
night and by day, 25 years of perpetual
struggle, and which, but for the black
blot of having in an evil hour linked it
self with you, would stand out to-day
brighter than ever seen upon earth. But
the mist has fallen and you appear in
your true light. | borrow your own
words to describe you. A snake in the
grass, and verify have found thee out,
and you have the audacity to call upon
your sainted mother to witness your
advice to me. A dog that bites" etc.
You accuse her of leading you on and of
ever standing ready to make appoint
ments for you. The tone of your letter
is such that you seem willing to shoulder
the load Of guilt under which an ordin
are criminal would stagger | believe
you have arrived at that state when no
amount of guilt will disturb your seren-
ity or prevent your having sweet dreams
and we still shall see you crawl "a snake
in the grass How | worship the night
| said get thee behind me satan. The
few weeks that have elapsed since that
blessed hour how l bless them for the
peace of mind they have brought me-
Again the world looks bright and I have
being. You imagine that would pur-
sue you again and you thought that |
would endeavor to tear down the castle
you had obtained by robbery. God
knows have no element, so lost to
every feeling Of decency, as to be will
ing to link itself to you. l viii assist
and foster it so that it will keep you
from crawling towards me, and prevent
me from looking on you as a snake. as
you are, and from raising hand inp pity
your path. So have no fears that
will again come near you.
send you back ring, and were to
write anything about it, the words
would be only too decent for the same,
were they couched in the worst of
language, so [ only say take it back.
Its memory is indecent and it is the last
| have that reminds me of you.
/ lad few pictures of Won but they have