Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-01-18
MURDER OF COL. JAS. FISK, JR.

| MUhDEh OE COLs JAS. FISH, j lie
Detailed Account of the Assassination
Origin OF the Difficulty between the MUIR
derer and his Vietim-PrOvisions of Fisk's
VIII, etc.
THE SHOOTING.
James Fisk, Jr., was shot twice, by
Edward Stokes, at the Grand Central
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, un6ottoned his
coat, drew a revolver and rapidly dis
charged three shots. The first lodged
in Fisk's shoulder, the second whistled
close by his head, the third, with more
fatal direction, took effect in the abdo-
men, inficting a mortal wound. Fisk
evidently recognized his assailant before
falling, but made no remark. Imme-
| diately after the shots were fred the
| hotel employees rushed to the scene.
| While some cared for the wound ed 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
unremitting medical skill and attention
could do was done, but without avail
| He fingered until few minutes before
IL 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
Lo4 L ,e I, L
upon his character were in 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 Fisk's residence, the general
public were admitted.
THE FUNERAL
took place at Brattleboro, VT, on Tues
day, at l o'clock p. m. The brigade to
which the Ninth Regiment is attached
as a special funeral escort. The officers
of the brigade will wear the usual
| badge of mourning thirty days. ~
PROVISIONS OF FIsK's WILL.
Mrs. Hooker, his sister, receives
100000 in Narragansett Steamship
Company shares. His father and mother
receive $1,000 year each. To each of
the two Misses Morse, his sisters-in-law,
he bequeathed $4,000 a year. To the
Ninth Regiment, $11, 900. 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 entrusted to
him the labor of love, as it is called in
the will, of carrying out all his Mr..
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 intereste d in an oil company which
furnished all the oil used by the Erie
Railroad Company. Fisk and Stokes
became intimate friends. Stokes seem
ed smart, energetic young man, and
grew rapidly in Fisk's favor. The profits
of the oil business became very great.
Stokes became frequent visitor at Col.
Fisk's rooms in the Grand Opera Heuse.
They were continually together. So in
innate 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 acci-
dentally when she was in want, clothed
her in silks and satins, sprinkled her
with diamonds and other gems, gave
her a rich mansion with a 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
tions of his friends. He laughed at the
newspaper exposures of his shame, and
was finally debarred from fashionable
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.
is about five feet nine inches in height
His body is well knit his head is GOV.
cred with glossy curls his complexion
is clear; his features regular, and his
eyes da1 k-blue. His forehead is wide
but not high. He dresses in the height
of fashion, with a tendency to gaudi
ness, and generally wears large dia
| AAC 40 d hOSAU Get1ACIf d11S1 Ii
very quick of motion. He speaks rap
idly, and uses many gestures. Col
Fisk seems to have confided entirely tt
Stokes's sense of honor, and to Mrs
Mansield's sense of gratitude. Appar
emily he had not the least notion thai
Stokes would endeavor to supplant hin
in her affections. Stokes, however, ap
pears to have fallen in love with Mrs
Mansfield at first sight. His attach
ment was apparently reciprocated, anc
the readiness with which she transferred
!, her affections from Col. Fisk to his as
sassin gives an air of strong probabilit,
! to the rumor that she had deliberatel,
, trapped Col. Fisk for his money. Th'
, attachment between Stokes and Mrs
: Mansfield was not discovered by Col
Fisk until weeks had elapsed. Mean
, while the Colonel was paying for tn
: very dinners at Mrs. Mansfeld's hous
J to which she had invited her frien,
Stokes. Though warned by hi
friends of whatwas occurring, herefuse'
to believe it, and it was not until he ha
assured himself from conversations wit
t Mrs. M. that the reports were true, tina