The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-01-19
MURDER OF COL. JAS. FISK, JR.
Detailed Account of the AssassinatiOn-
Origin of the DinicuIty between the MUIR
derer and his Victim-Provisions Of Fisk's
Will, etc.
THE SHOOTING.

THE SHOOTING.
James Fisk, Jr., was shot twice, by
Edward Stokes, at the Grand Ger trial
Hotel, New York, at 20 minutes past 4
on Saturday afternoon, the 9th inst.
Fisk had just alighted from his carriage
at the hotel entrance, and was ascend.
ing the stairs to his rooms, when Stokes
came out of an adjoining passage way,
unperceived by Fisk, unbuttoned his
coat, drew a revolver and rapidly dis
charged three shots. The first lodged
in Fisk's shoulder, the second whistled
close py his head, the third, with more
fatal direction, took effect in the abdo-
men, inhicting a mortal wound. Fisk
evidently recognized his assailant before
falling, but made no remark. Imme-
diately after the shots were fired the
hotel employees rushed to the scene.
While some cared for the wounded man,
others seized Stokes, who, seeing escape
was impossible, made no resistance. He
was promptly handed over TO the police.
Fisk was quickly conveyed TO his room,
where the surgeon of the hotel was soon
in attendance upon him, and all that
unrcmitting medical skill and attention
could do was done, but without avail.
He fingered until few minutes before
l o'clock on Sunday morning, when he
breathed his last.
THE PUBLIC FEELING.
The news of Fisk's death spread rap
idly, and everywhere produced pro-
found sensation of deep regret. All the
aspersions that his enemies had heaped
upon his character were in a moment
forgotten, and only his noble qualities
of head and heart were remembered
his frankness, his generosity and his
charity The scene in and around the
room where the body lay was touching
in the extreme. A very large number
of the friends of Fisk and guests of the
hotel viewed the body, and later in the
afternoon, prior to the removal OF the
corpse to Flsk's residence, the general
public was admitted.
THE FUNERAL
took place at Brattleboro. VT, on Tues
day, at | o'clock p. III. The brigade to
which the Ninth Regiment is attached
escorted the remains, the Ninth acting
as a special funeral escort. The officers
of the brigade will wear the usual
badge of mourning thirty days.
PROV lSlONS OF FISK ) WILL.
Mrs. Hooker, his sister, receives
100000 in Narragansett Steamship
Company shares. His father and mother
receive $4,000 year each. To each of
the two Misses Morse, his slsters-in. law,
he beqeathed $4,000 year. TO the
Ninth regiment, Sll 600 TO his wife
he bequeathed the balance of his prop.
erty OF all kinds. To Jay Gould, for
whom he entertained the warmest and
most disinterested friendship, he left
his personal effects, and intrusted to
him the labor of love, as it is called in
the will, of carrying out all his Mr..
Fisk's) projects in regard to public i'm.
provements. Mrs. Fisk inherits all her
deceased husbands shares in the Erie
railroad.
ORIGIN OF THE DIFFICULTY.
The origin of this difficulty dates
back nearly two years. Col. Fisk and
Stokes were interested in an oil com.
pany which furnished all the oil used by
the Erie Railroad Company. Fisk and
Stokes became intimate friends. Stokes
seemed a smart, energetic young man,
and grew rapidly in Fis<'s favor. The
profits Of the oil business became very
great. Stokes became a frequent visitor
at Col. Fisk's rooms in the Grand
Opera House. They were continually
together. So intimate were they that
Stokes repeatedly dined with Col. Fisk
at the house Of
MRS. JOSEPHINE MANSFIELD,
who was Col. Fisk's mistress. The Col
onel became acquainted with her acct
dentally when she was in want, clothed
her in silks and satins, sprinkled her
with diamonds and other gems, gave
her rich mansion with brown stone
front, furnished it sumptuously, and
placed carriages and servants at her dis
posal. So infatuated did he become
that he repeatedly appeared in public
with her, despite the earnest protesta-
tons of his friends. He laughed at
the newspaper exposures of his shame,
and was finally debarred from fashona.
bic society. Col. Fisk's friends were
deeply grieved, but they remained true
to him, for whatever may have been his
faults, he always stood to his friends to
the last.
STOKES
is about five feet nine inches in height. |
His body is we'll knit his head is COW
cred with glossy curls his complexion
is clear his features regular, and his
eyes dark-blue. His forehead is wide,
but not high. He dresses in the height
of fashion, with tendency to gaudi.
ness, and gederally wears large dia-
monds. He is fluent talker and is
very quick of motion. He speaks rap
idly, and uses many gestures. Col.
Fisk seems to have confded entirely to
Stokes's sense of honor, and to Mrs.
Mansfeld's sense of gratitude. Appar-
emily he had not the least notion that
Stokes would endeavor to supplant him
in her affections. Stokes, however, APP
pears to have fallen in love with Mrs.
Mansfield at first sight. His attach
ment was apparently reciprocated, and
the readiness with which she transferred
her affections from COL Fisk to his as
sassin gives an air of strong probability
to the rumor that she had deliberately
trapped Col. Fisk for his money. The