The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-12-27
WHOLE NUMBER 6s2
From the New York World, Dec. Isl.
STOKES STORY.
What NE say. Assss za=,.,. s.s.s.-.

/ And then, referring 20 the past.
and TO the wretched vet faDiiar story
OF the taking of Of James Fisk, IT,.
Mr.. Stokes voice became more sub
dued and even solemn, snd he rocked
to and fro on his chair INCREASINGLY
as he referred to the events of that
fatsl Saturday afternoon-Fisk's last
Saturday on earth.
"Stokes, tell me the tcEe story OF
the murder-the killing--you know
what / mean. Tel it to me just as you
would if the words weie the last you
were to utter"
His friend spoke earnestly, for he
:elt the situation strongly. There, in
the center of the reception room Of
the gloomy prison, amid the gather
ing shadows OF the approaching
night, illumined only by the 'fashes
from the fitful fire light" OF the stove,
sat the man who had ended in a mo-
ment the career Of the most notorious
and erratic man OF the century, snd
it was the formers own story of the
bloody affair thai was ssked from his
own lips. Mr.. Stokes hesitated q
moment, reflected, and then said : 81
will tell yeu all you want to know"
Then drawing 6Is>chsir 6 hstle near
er 70 his friend, sill rocs1nS On il to
and fro, he spoke slowly and disflrc~.
ly, as follows:
"As God shall Judge me, / did not
expect to meet James Fisk that at
ternoon; / had no idea of coming
across him at all that day; had not
seen him before for some time, and /
had heard that he was still sick Of
the smallpox. i was st the Grand
Genital Hotel with some friends look
ing for other frieRds, and I was ramb-
ling to and fro about the hotel when
/ met him aceidentally--by merest
accident, so help me Ged.' (This
last sentence very solemnly) 81 had
been very seldom to the Grand Cen
tral Hotel; only three times in my
life, ! believe, and only once before
in the second story; so that ! knew
nothing about the interior of the ho- :
tel at all. While rambling around
met james Fisk, and he met me; we
met face to face, and the moment be
saw me he put his hand in his pocket.
He had his pistol ready. ! saw it
as plain, by Cd, as | see thst seal
skin cap of yours on your knee there.
More plainly, for the light was much
brighter and clearer than it is here.
l rsised my pistol; he fred and i
fired, and / knew no more, so great
was my excitement, until they brought
me into the presence of Mr.. Fisk.
Even then / did not know that he
was wounded. He seemed calm
enough, and was half sitting up on
sofa. He never said / shot him, or
killed him, or anything of the kind
He merely said to the officer who
asked him if be recognized me, .Yes,
know the man; it is Mr. Stokes.'
Nothing more. He even looked at
me somewhat IN his old fashion,
think--sadly, yet not aDgrily, almost
tenderlY. l ielt almost like making
friends with him then, but he waved
his hand, and they took me away, and
l never knew anything about that
wound in the abdomen they talked so
much about until the next day. I
thought all the time / had only
wounded him slightly, that it was all
a small matter, and 1 wanted to get
out on bail at once. | had not the
slightest idea of killing James Fisk,
and no man was more sorry to hear
of his death, for with all his faults
Jim had good stuff in him, and no
man knew it better than ], for /
knew both sides of him. But he was
armed that afternoon, and / shall
prove it this time, and shall prove
what was done with the pistol; prove
it to the satisfaction of the world
his time"