The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-09
THE FISK MURDER.
The Trial Of Stokes.

Anu AIM VI oSuA0be -
NEW YoRK, Julys.-This was the mos
interesting day In the Stokes trial. ThI
presence Of Josephine Mansfield attracteI
many TO the court. The Judge ADMITTED
the testimony ot Mr.. Bailey as 10 thI
words used by Stokes Just before he en-
tered the Grand Central Hotel. Stoke
said he saw q lady whom he had met al
Saratoga, and wanted to see her. Thl
prisoner, Stokes, was then placed on thu
stand. he testified that he was 81 year
Of age; lived In Philadelphia 25 years
then came 10 New York; first became
acquainted with Fisk in July, 1860. The
defense then undertook to elicit from thC
witness what business transactions he haC
with Fisk, claiming in response TO tht
District Attorneys objections, that thil
evidence was admissible under the plea O
insanity. Excluded by court. McKeor
held that the prisoners mind was affected
by his losses with Fisk, and which he
could not regain, owing TO corrupt ju.
dietary.
Beach, for the prosecution, said there
had been no foundation laid for bringing
in plea Of insanity, and defended his
position as private counsel. he referred
to the good points Of the deceased.
After q heated denunciatory controyer,
sy between counsel, the Judge excluded
the testimony bearing on the hallucina,
ton theory.
Stokes then resumed his statement
Was q witness on the 9th Of January in
the case Of Mansfield against Fisk; left
court with Mansfield and her cousin;
went 10 Delmonico's, where they had
some oysters and ale. After lunch, wit.
ness went to a lawyep 70 ask about the
Indictment.
.Q-What did you ssyG Prosecution
objected.
McKeon then retorted on the District
Attorney, saying that II Stokes had been
tried six months ago he would have been
hanged In ten hours.
Witness-Was told there was no posi-.
bility Of an indictment against me; then
took q coupe from the City Hall and
drove to the Hoffman House.
Stokes then detailed his proceedings
during the afternoon substantially as al.
ready narrated, and SAID that after finding
the lady he visited at the hotel was out,
"a person he knew l started to go down
stairs, when I saw Fisk coming up
stains. He made rush, and when
he got to the platform he pulled out
his pistol. l could not by any means be
mistaken; ! saw 1t as plain as anything |
ever saw; 1t was q silver.mounted pistol.
l was on line with him, so l jumped
aside and said, "Don't fire." and pulled
out my own pistol and fired. I had it in
my outside coat pocket, or / wouldn't
have had time to draw. l leaned on
the rail, cooked with one hand and
fired; he held the pistol in both hands; as
l fired he cried "0h." He didn't stagger
much at the first shot and fired again.
Iknew he would shoot II didn't fire
was three or four steps down. He dropp.
ed his pistol on the stairs after the second
shot.
The examination was continued until
recess and resumed thereafter.
Stokes, in continuation Of his statement
concerning his visit to lawyer in refer,
ence TO the Indictment, said:
The lawyer advised me by all means to
go to Providence, as l had intended.
went TO sec Bixby on some point, and he
assured me the same thing. / took cab
OF three o'clock and went TO the Hoffman
House, and went to my room to get papers
about the Providence matter. l find that
my dispatch to Doty had not reached
him. ! went down and had some talk
with the clerk and Mr. Mclaughlin and
Mr.. Cotterell. He told me where tC
find Smith and Ferris. I found ]
had lett some of my papers in
West Seventy.Third street, at Miss
Mansheld's; l told the driver to drive
there. don't know whether looked
at the Opera House; when l got 10 359
saw that the house was shut up and ]
thought
District Attorney-I submit that is not
proper.
Tremaine-As proper as for those two
counsel TO sit winking and blinking at the
jury.
Witness resumed-I was reading pa.
per. / told the driver to go down Seventh
avenue, as 1t was smoother, to the Central
Hotel and Broadway. l wanted TO see
Smith s. Ferris. l went 10 Smith &
Chamberlain's to see Smith, and crossed
Broadway to see Ferris, where l met
Bailey. AS I passed the Grand Central
saw lady whom l thought had seen at
Saratoga; I took my hat of and asked
Bailey to go over; / walked little way
up with him and then crossed over; l had
to avoid q carriage and came above the
ladies' entrance. entered that entrance;
Redmond was cleaning windows; I look.
ed in parlor No. / and saw l had made a
mistake aud / started to go down stairs,
l think Redmond was there when / fred
first shot, but I saw the door open and
l am pretty sure he was outside. When
the second shot was fired Thomas Hart
was not there. l dropped the pistol in
the hall; met NJ. Hill, and he said there
Is man shot; went down and said get
doctor; there isa man shot; some one
halloed l was wanted, and turned right
round; l hardly remember anything
more; ! did not deny shooting Fisk; re.
member when 1 was taken before Fisk
he looked up inquiringly and said, "That
is Stokes" and dropped his eyes; he did
not accuse me of anything; l expected
him to exonerate me.
Q-Had you made up your mind that
II he charged you with the shooting you
would ask him If he did not draw pis.
toll? TQuestion excluded.
! did not go near the ladies parlor at
all nor throw my pistol on the sofa
The boy Hart was not near the shooting
at all Fisk did not say ooh, oh, oh, :" bul
"hold." l did not mean to kill Fisk.
believe his pistol was loaded or he would
not have drawn It.
Q.-For what purpose did you purchase
that pistolf [Question excluded
Witness-0n, | had that pistol y long
time. did not expect to meet Fisk a
the hotel. l did not see 6is carriage
coming. l had q cane in my hand and
very conspicuous overcoat for driving
on the road; also wore driving gloves
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