The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-01-13
Horrible Murders.


sephine Mansfield The shooting was
apparently a prcmeditated aud cold
-bleeded murder, but it was only the
legitimate result. Of the scandalous in.
'trigues 10 which both PARTIES were con
,cerue1. la the pending legal proceed
'ings Fisk seems to have been defeating
Miss Mansfield in the suit for libel
which she had brought against him, and
it is stated that she and Stokes had
been indicted by the Grand Jury for
attempting to blackmail the man who is
now dead. This result so exasperated
Stokes that he committed the murder.
The oyigin Of the tragedy goes back
to the days of Fisk's Grst acquaintance
with the woman whe seems to have been
the exciting canse Miss Helen Jose.
'phine Mansfield is an ex actress, about
twenty four or FIVE years of age, deserib'
cd as handsome brunette, aud of great
personal attractions. While ia profess
sional life she was married to Frank
Lawlor, the actor, but they were divorced
after living together u very few years.
About three years agosho became Fisk 5
mistress; to her he conilcd tho secrets
,of the disreputable transactions in the
New York Legislature aud in the Board
OF Directors, by means of which the
Erie ring, of whom Fisk, Jay Gould aud
WIN. NJ. Tweed we're the chiefs, obtain.
ed control of the Eric Railroad, princi,
pally by pirating the votes which be-
louged to the English stockholders. She
accompanied Fisk aud Could on their
famous fight into Jersey City with the
books of the road to avoid the legal
processes ia the New York State Courts.
Suits against the ring, which have been
SO involved in 4 legal maze that they
are almost incOmI rehensible, have been
in progress since that time for the re.
covery of the English stock by its
rightful owners la the State Courts
Fisk and Could constantly beat the
claimants, and it was not until the suits
were got into the United States District
Court at New York aud Judge Batch.
ford obtained control Of the cases that
there was prospect Of justice being
done. Within the past few mouths,
however, the proceedings have been
placed in such shape that the Eric
thieves have been compelled to make
restitution, aud there is at present Il
movement on foot, which will undoubt.
eddy succeed, for combination between
the English aud American stockholders
TO throw the Ring entirely out of power
and re.elcet a new President in place
of Gould aud a new Vice President in
place Of Fisk.
IL must be understood that il was
during the period when Fisk was buying
votes in the Legislature aud otherwise
pushing corrupt transactions for the
theft Of the railroad that he was on
terms Of the closest intimacy with Helen
Mansfield. His condolences to her were
in the shape of series Of letters which
are said to contain complete history
of the whole affair. These amatdry
epistles consist of an equal amount Of
love and business, expressed III very
bad photography and rich slang. For
some unknown reasons Fisk aud Miss
Mansfield quarrelcd during the past
summer, aud from pair Of confidential
lovers were transformed into enemies
The appearance of Edward S. Stokes, a
young curbstcne broker in New York,
upon the scene happened at about that
sime, aud he Immediately took Fisk's
vacant place in the affections of the
woman, aud has been associated with
her in the litigation which has since
ensued When the separation took
place it was expected that these letters
would have been surrendered by Miss
Mansfield for publication as a piece OF
revenge on Fisk, and they were eagerly
looked for as also valuable in the Erie
suits, Fisk evidently anticipated this,
and he procured from Judge Pratt an
anjunction against their publication
Judge Brady was applied to for disso
luton OF the injunction, but on Friday
he unexpectedly delivered a decision
sustaining it, which, however, was un.
necessary, as il is said that the letters
have disappeared
IL may readily be imagined that these
proceedings and the accusations OF fraud
and other rascalities which have been
banded about between Fisk on the one
side aud Stokes aud the woman on the
other have produced bad blood aud led
to the shooting affair. 10 the last six
weeks the quarrel deepened into libel
suit brought by Miss Mansfield against
Fisk, and the proceedings in Court on
Saturday were probably the cause Of the
attempted murder Fisk alleged that
she and Stokes had entered into con.
spiracy to blackmail him, and to support
his case he produced Richard Il. King,
a colored servant Of Miss Mausfeld's,
who sworc to having overheard the two
converse regarding such plot while he
was waiting upon them at diuner.
Stokes aud Miss Mansfield answered
that the servant committed perjury by
making such statement aud that he
was bribcd to do so by Fisk, and there.
upon they instituted the suit for libel.
u was commenced month ago in the
forkyille Police Court before Justice
Bixby, aud had been on trial for three
successive Saturdays without developing
anything important, aud it was rumored
last week that Fisk had compromised
by the payment Of $40, 900 for the abau.
doning Of the suit. This report now
seems to be untrue.
A horrible murder was perpetrated
IN Baltimore on Saturday evening. DIR.
Mcrrymap Cole, an aged gentleman,