Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-01-12
Death of Col. Jim. Fisk.

Death of Col. Jim. FISK.
The notorious JAMES FISK, Jr the railroad
monop1s and briber Of courts, is no more. He
was shot by EDWARD STOKES at 4l5P. NJ, on
Saturday last while passing through the Grand
Central Hotel to his rooms, and died few min
ute before IL A. NJ. on Sunday.
The affair grew out of the FISK MANsFIEID libe
suit in which II is alleged that SroKEs was as
sistiug Miss MANSFIELD, the former pHramour
of FISK, to levy blackma on him. Fisk had
been supers eded by Stokes in The affections OF
this lady, which made them very bitter
enemies. The progress Of the trial on Saturday
was unfavorabe to SroKSs, and is reported as
the cause of the fatal results.
Tie morale to this affair. in the editorial re-
marks Of the Cincinnati Gnxene, are so strictly to
the point, that we give them in full below:
Jane Fisk, ,jr., the notprisus Erie Railroad
robbcr, was fatally shot on Saturday afternoon,
by Edward S. Stokes, a crl of a lower order,
VINO had been tool Of Fisk, and who seems to
have been worked up to the murder point by de-
feat in an attempt to blackmail Fisk through his
intimacy with the motor ious Mrs. Mansfield, by
means of Fisk g letters to her. The act had all
the features OF cowardly assassination. Fisk's
taking of is not thing for society to lament,
however its seasibities mly be shocked and its
pity touched BY the murder. In his life he set
at defiance all law, morality and public decency.
and it WAS not uniting that his end should be
tragi,al Stokes had no cause to make him the
execu.oner, or to change the character of the act
fro n that of vile assassination. If he shall
spe,lily adorn gbbet, it will be befi,tng end
for him, and the world will BE- relieved frou two
unwholsome characters.
This is an occasion for reflection on the condi-
tons that make pos siole the existence of such
a min as Fisk. He and his partner, Gould grad
ually gathered into their possession the Erie
Railroad by the most unscrupuious use of its
funds to bribe their tools. This property alsne
was great power n the land, Its monthly re-
ceipts were over million. They alss assumed
| power to Issue without Ii nit stock convertible
into mortgage bonds, and upon their own occa-
sion, TO buy up ami cancel the stock. by this
means they entered upon.igigantic speculations
| in the stock ofthe road issui ng and contracting
| it to suit their games. This power TO issue stock
| gave them control Of n vast sumof money, which
they used to buy Legislatures and courts, and
all other agencies that could serve them They
procured legis lation to fasten their ring in the
control of the road in defiance of the stockholders
BY means oftheir power to issue stock they pre-
Viously had made the elections to suit themselves
TLey bought up the courts, and made the tribu-
mas Of justice. a meaas Of robbery.
When an agent of English stockholders placed
large amount of $50 ok IN the hands Of the prop
er officer of the road in order to have it transfer
70 according to the rule, and so that they might
vote upon it in the election Of officers, Gould and
Fisk laid their hands on it, and by means ofiheir
bribed judges kept it and voted it for their ring
The Legislature of the State Of New York, GER
tain courts Of New York city, aud the Legislature
and courts of New jersey, secmel to be their
supple tools. Their rObberies were on so gigan.
tic a scale, and their control of money gave them
such power, thatthey escaped that judgment
which society pronounces on lesser villains, and
gained kind Of admiration by their audacity
and success.
They maintained also kind of social reoog
milton by their power in railroad, monetary, md
political atr,irs, and they thrust themselves and
their prodigIl hlspitalities upon public man,
and obtained from them a recognition. This was
the more remarkable because Fisk, vulgar
nun by nature, abandoned all regard for pub
lie manners, and delighted to exhibit himself
as prohigate and rake in his pleasures. They
had the audacity to attempt to invege tn. Pres
iient of the United States into aiding their gi-
gantic gold speculation by persuading him to
write a letter to Secretary Boutwell, advising
him not to make any change in his sales Of gold
With all their successful audaclty in suborning
Legislatures and courts, aud in procuring the
recognition of men high in public life, respecta.
J bic society come to speak Of him rather as a
phenomenon than aspne whose name was un.
cleanness.
Latterly there have been signs that the reign
of Gould and Fisk was drawing to a close. The
bursting Of tile Tam many ring of robbers has
also broken in upon corruption IN the courts,
and has aroused power of public opinion. The
English stockholders combined with some
American, have entered upon determined
contest to oust Gould and Fisk from the control
Of the Erie road. They have obtained an order
Of court restoring tn them the greater part OF the
b stuck which they were robbed of, and there is a
0 promise that Fisk and Gould shall be brought ia
q account for their railroad administrations.
Their gigantic speculations seem to have been
. disastrous. and it is probable that as soon as
they had been turped out Of the control OF the
3 road, they would sink tO insignifcance.
r.. The brilliant part Of Fisk's career was over.
Had he lived he would have found his noterlety
Q sinking to infamy. aud that his audacity, when
$ it had lost the command of money, would only
h expose him to the feon's cell. His career shows
that when the canker Of corruption has taken
: hold Of public affairs, it will inevitably eat into
all society. ltis an illustration also Of the I'M
Il menso evil power, political, monetary, social aud
moral that has bcen created by railroads. The
tragic death Of Fisk is no occasion for mourning
nor for CLOSING over his character but i ID au
u occasion for a retrospect Of our social and pub
lie morals to see il the tone of these hiss moi
been let down by the liberation Of such charac-
ter, and to realize tho damage that has been in
dicied on the national fame by the TACT that such
a career was possible.