Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-01-15
FISK sroKEs and MANSFIELD
Tbs Suppressed GoTrsspShsebcs-A Riea
sad Racy HsrssI Of Scandal.
How Fiss wss kept in tie Heshes and Tolls
Of the FralI IVsie and Sup
plsnisd by Stskes.

NEW YORK, January l4,-Ihe her
aid publishes the Fisk. Mansfield
correspOndenee. 1t says that Fisk
and Stokes first met in the summer OF
1869. The latter was comparatively
DOOR. Before Fisk was introduced
TO Miss Mansfield, at her own request,
at the residence Of Juno Wood, Ghir-
ty-fcurth street, she was poor and
told Miss Wood she had not q decent
article Of clothing. Fisk took fancy
20 her and she became his mis-
tress. The intimacy ripened into
strong affection on his side.
At this juncture, Fisk and Stokes
became intimate. The oil refinery,
belonging to the latter's mother, was
put in working order at Mr.. FIsk's
expense, and a company formed.
Stokes was at first made treasurer Of
the company; bat, having drawn out
over thirty thousand dollars in the
course OF q few months, the company
was reOrgsniEed, and he was appoint
ed secretary OF the new corporation.
From the new company he drew out
over thirty-seven thousand dollars In
the course of six months, and on Janu-
sry 6, 1871. he collected tWenty-seven
money, no part Of which, Fisk
claimed, was due 70 him. he put 1t
IN his pocket, telling some of his
friends that he had got twenty seven
thousand dollars OF Fisk'S money, and
that he meant to keep il. For this he
WIS arrested in the manner heretofore
stated. But on his discharge from ar
rest a compromise was entered into,
by which he was allowed TO keep
what money was in his possession, ,and
was paid Ifbsen thousand dollars more
Tor b nselfknd six thousand dollars
for his mother in order to induce him
sell out his Interest and retire from
the company. In one way or another
Stokes managed TO leave the company
with Sl3O. coo more than he had when
he went into il in the fall, all of which
ne derived directly from his relations
with Fisk, Stokes in the meantime
had been introduced to Miss Mans
field, at whose house he spent days
and nights. Fisk grew jealous, and
Stokes sWore he had no cause, but
Fisk vss not satisfied and sought to |
break up his connection with the WO.
man, even though he did love her. |
He wrote farewell letters to Josie, and |
then she would write sweet reply,
when Fisk world repent and send her |
q present, and often sums Of money
While she was thick with Stokes, Fisk |
was sending her money. Soon after /
Fisk wrote q parting letter TO Josie
and told her that she must look 20 !
Stokes for her support. This made /
Josie mad, and she showed all OF
Eisk's letters to Stokes. Stokes at /
once saw that these letters were not /
letters that q married man should /
write TO a woman other than his wife.
BE saw that there were personal mat
ters that a man would write only to q
woman whom he loves. He saw in
them an opportunity to hold Fisk in
his power. Stokes now gathered to-
getheF all the notes, telegrams, scraps
on cards, and every word which Fisk
had written to Josephine Mansfield.
BE even gathered scraps on cards
which Fisk had written to this woman
while sitting in the parlOr waiting Tor
her. Stokes then made out
clsim for two hundred thousand dol
lars against Fisk. With this claim
be sent copies Of Fisk's letters to 10.
yie. and said that unless his claim was
paid, the letters would be published
10 the world. His demand for this
money was made through his at
torney, Mr.. Ira Shaffer, Mr.. Beach
declining TO have anything to do with
he matter. These are the letters
which caused Fisk 10 get out an in
anctiOn to prevent their publication.
they are extraordinary letters, but
;uch letters as a man would write to
woman he loved, and whose infatua-
Ion he had resolved to cast of. No
revelations about Erie or Tammany
appear in those published by the Her
I'D, which are said to be all the corre-
now In existence. The
GLOWING is the only letter which has
my sllusion TO parties connected with
he Erie Or Tammany rings:
No. ll8 WEST STREET,
Tuesday, October IS, 1868.
M Dear JOsie-James mcHenry,
,Rrtner Of Sir Morton Peto, the largest
ailWay builder in the world, Mr..
Tweed and Mr.. Lane will dine with
Is at half-past six O'Clock. / want you
o provide as nice dinner as possible.
Everything went of elegantly; we
re ali safe. viii see you at six
fciOck.
On the 18th Of January, 1870, Josie |
oade a big row. She declared that
he would leave Fisk If he did moi :
make over to her a competency for 9
lie. Fisk refused, snd the next day
he wrote him q threatening letter,
aying their relations were ended.
On October 1st, 1870. Fisk In long
etter 20 Mrs. Mansfield, says:
"But what think you of q woman 8
yho would vail my eyes first by a /
entle kiss, and afterWard, night and s
av. for weeks, LlOnths and years, by
eceit and fraud, lead me through
he dark valley Of trouble when she
ould have made my pathway one Of
oses, committing a crime which +
evil incarnate would shrink from, :
vhile all this time ] showed to her, as
4 YOU, nothing but kindness, both in :
vords and actions, laying at your feet
soul. a heart, q fortune, and
reputation which had cost, by night Z
nd day, twenty-five years OF strug-
he. and which, but for the black blot
4 having, in an evil hour, linked
taelf with YOU, would stand out to-day
richter than any aver seen upon
srfb. But the mist has fallens and
ou appear In your true light. l
orrove your own words to describe !
m: "a snake In the grass and,
erily. / have found thee out. You
ave the audaeity to call upon your
ainted mother to witness your advice
) me: "A dog that bites, etc. How
worship the night ! said, Get thee
ehind me, Satan The few weeks I
hat have elapsed since that blessed t
Our-boW bless them for the peace =
I mind that they have brought s
ae. Again the world looks bright. J
have q being. You imagined l ]
you'd pursue you again, and you q
houghf / would endeavOr to tear
be brown castle down which you had
btained by robbery. God knows
hat II / am an element so lost to ev- !
~ feeling Of deeency as to be willing
3 link itself with you, viii assist \
nd foster il so that II viii keep you 9
ON crawling toward nae and prevent !
as from looking on you IS q snake,
8 you ara acd nom raising hand n
No. ! case, oY
1. Al 90 ol1aa, 81 luIN