Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-01-19

next movement was q startling one
Stokes was arrested. one Saturday
night on charge of embezZling the OF
company's funds He was kept il
prison until Monday. When released
Oh bail he retaliated, and Fisk was ar
rested on an accusation of conspiracy
and false Imprisonment. The fight
was a bitter one. 1t benefited no one
but the lawyers. Fisk then recirGed
the verbal contracts by which the oil
company supplied Erie with oil. Oh
course this forced the stock of the on
company down, and Fisk, it is under
stood. bought in Stokes's- interest for
100000. Fisk and Stokes also had q
meeting at Delmonico's, and endeavor-
ed to settle their difficulty, but in vain.
THE SECOND MOVE.
Mrs. Mansfield now Joined her ener-
gies to those of Stokes. She claimed
that Fisk owed her some $4,000 and
in proof of this claim put in copies OF
a batch of love-letters written to her
by Col. Fisk, which were said to eX-
pose all the secret operations of the
Erie and the Tammany Rings. Fisk
secured an injunction from Judge
Pratt forbidding the publication Of the
letters, as they were ruled to be scan
dalous and Irrelevant.
During the pending of certain suits
between Mr.. Stokes and Col. Fisk.
Mrs. Mansfield gave the original let
tiers to Stokes, who Immediately made
use of them. He held them over
Fisk's head and threatened their pub
- Il inl
He subDitted a proposition to Mr..
Stokes for arbitration. Stokes against
the advice ofhis counsel, accepted Mr.
Clarence Seward, one of Fisk's cCun-
sci, as an arbitrato~. The letters were
placed in Mr.. Peter B. Sweeney's
hands for safe keeping. Mr.. Seward
found against Stokes on all points but
one, awarding him $40, 600 as the price
of the letters. Stokes complained that
he had been swindled. Nevertheless
he accepted the $4,000 and never paid
it back. One of the main points of
Col. Fisk's request for an Injunction
against the publication of the letters
was that they had been made the
basis of new affidavits in Mansfield's
complaint, after Stokes had received
the $4,000, and agreed that the letters
should be suppressed. At the eXpira-
ton Of the time for which Judge
Pratt's injunction had been granted.
Col. Fisk's counsel made a motion be-
fore Judge John r. Brady for con-
tinuance of the injunction.
THE THIRD MOVE.
In an attempt to show that Stokes
and Mrs. Mansfield were endeavOTing
to blaickmail him, Col. Fisk used an
affidavit of Richard e. King, q color
ed boy in Mrs. Mansfield's service,
This affidavit purpOrted to detail a
conversation overheard between
Stokes and Mrs. Mansfield relative to
Fisk's letter which Mrs. Mansfield
had placed in Stokes's possession. The
conversation, if true, proved that
there was a deliberate attempt to
blackmail the Colonel out of all the
money possible. StOkes's next move
was to prefer a charge against Fisk in
a police court for subOrdinatiOn of per-
jury, in inducing King to swear to his
affidavit. This is the case which has
been dragging along its weary length
in Justice BiXby's Court during the
past few weeks.
THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE AS
SASSINATioN.
On Friday Judge Brady rendered
his decision continuing his Injunction
against the publication of the letters.
This was bitter blow to Stokes. On
the following day Mrs. Mansfield's
charge of subordinatiOn of perjury was
continued in the Yorkville Police
NT,,.G,1l
were both present. Mrs. Mansfield
was placed on the stand. Her cross
examination was very severe. Mr..
Fisk's lawyers endeavored to draw out
of her an acknowledgment that the
Colonel had picked her up when she
had but one dress in the world, and
not enough money to pay her rent.
They asked her whether she did not
engage the notorious Miss Woods to
procure for her an introduction to Col.
Fisk. They endeavOred to show that
she was deliberately bleeding Col.
Fisk, and that she afterward said TO
Miss Woods that Mr.. Fisk bad taken
a great fancy to her Mrs. Manstield)
and that in proof of her assertion she
Miss Woods some costly dia-
monds and silk dresses which she said
Fisk had given her. They endeavOr-
ed to prove that Miss Woods told Mrs.
Mansfield that she had been with Fisk
long enough to have got more than
that if she was smart, and that Mrs.
Manifold replied that she didn't mean
to beat him too fast. They endeavOr-
ed to make Mrs. Manifold admit that
she told Miss Woods that she did not
NJ l. hi 10
money; that he was not the style of
man she liked; that she would get all
the money she could from him and
then let him go. Fisk's lawyers
further endeavored TO show that in
conversation with Miss Nully Peiris.
Mrs. Mansfield said that she intended
to blaickmail Fisk out of all the mon
ey she could, and that if Miss Peiris
would assist her she would have her
share. During this terrible cToss-eX-
animation Mrs. Mansfield, for the first
time in her life, became intensely agi-
tated, and finally broke down in a
food of tears. Stokes was fearfully
enraged. Judge Brady's decision and
Mrs. Mansfield's cross-eXamination
excited him to a terrible pitch.
THE LAST FEATHER.
After the adjournment of the Court
Stokes entered a carriage with Col.
John II. Fellows and the Hon. John
McKeon, the prosecuting attorneys in
the case. On his way down he asked
whether it was possible that there was
no way left for him to get the better
of Fisk. He drove TO DelmGnico's
and there the party separated.
Meanwhile the District Attorney
had brought the attempt to blackmail
Col. Fisk to the attention of the Grand
Jury. On Saturday, it is said, the
Grand Jury brought in an indictment
against both Stokes and Mrs. Mans
field. 1t was reported during the af
ternoon that bench warrant was out
for the arrest of Stokes and Mansfield,
and sent to the Sheriff Office for ser
vice.
A WARNING.
One of Stokes's friends entered and
announced that the Grand Jury had
found an Indictment; that a warrant
moe - tho hands of Dapllfy Sheriff