Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-08
THE NEW YORK TRAGEDY.
AssAssINATION OF JAMES FISK, yr.
He f. Shot Fatally by Edw'd q. stokes.
bloody SsSssI to . Sssssffss TRIAL.


rumor of the shooting of James Fisk, Jr.
by Edward s. Stokes, in New York, rapidly
spread through this city on Saturday night, and
the particulars Of the affair, published in the
telegraphic columns of the Sunday papers, were
read with interest yesterday morning. Later in
the day IL was reported that the wounded man
had died of his injuries, and the kilograms in
the papers this morning confirmed the news.
Mrs. Mansfield, whose name has been SO fire.
quently before the public recently in connection
with those of the assassin and his victim, is well
remembered here as the wife of Frank Lawlor,
the actor, at the time he was a stock actor in
this city. She is a younger sister of Emily Jer-
dan, the actress, and is a beautiful woman in
face and form. The New York Herald of YES
terday, in commencing its account of the
tragedy, SAYS
Er. Fisk had the misfortune some time ago to
become
INFATUATED ABOUT MRS. JOSEPHINE MANS
FIELD.
peared as though, had he been a king instead OF
Prince" he would have declared to Mrs.
Mansfield, "Id crowns resign to call thee
he not only enriched her, but made her the con-
hdant of his remarkable schemes OF gigantic
speculation and, ii is said, of political manipu-
latlOns. The course of this nfatuation and pas
sion did not run smooth, and there was Ultimate
ly n disagree ment that resulted in arrangement,
and under hostile influences into something that
looked like vindictiveness and enmity. The
o.
was discarded. 1t is said that
"GREEN-EYED JEALOUSY"
brought this chilling and cooling" to an untimely
end, and that il Mr.. Fisk had not favored an
other lady with whom he became equally
enamOred, Mrs. Mansfield would have been his
"Tue love" to this day. She became acquainted
with Mr.. Stokes, and woman-like spited her old
lover by taking a new one. This irritated Fisk.
and by way of obtaining the sweetness of re-
venge, he became mixed up with Mr.. Stokes
mercantile concerns, and eventually the latter
N Tod for .l.nry0
menced the tug of war. From the gilded par
lors and bowers OF love in the Twenty-third
street mansion the fight was transferred to the
law courts, to determinations IN public prints
and TO the threatened publication of a comprO-
missing correspondence. In this encounter Mr.
Fisk seemed to be getting the best of it, when
cowardly hand of the enemy, who played most
efectually the role of an assassin"
The story Of the murder is thus told in the
New York World of yesterday;
The Murder.
carriage. the private conveyance of Col.
Fisk, drew up at the private or ladies' entrance
TO the Grand Central Hotel at Az O'Clock.
John Geoghegan, Colonel Fisk's coachman,
opened the carriage. door and the colonel
alighted. He opened the first door, behind
which was John Redmond, the hall boy, and
asked if Mrs. Morse was in. The boy said she
was not within, but that her oldest dau ghter was
Colonel Fisk, after asking the boy to tell the lady
he was there, proceeded to go up stairs and
had assembled two or three steps OF the stair
way when Stokes, who had been lying in
wait at the head of the stairs, made his APP
pearance, and, saying ~ have got you now -
levelled fOur-barrelled Sharp's repeating
pistol at Fisk and fired. The ball missed
Again Stokes fired, this time with effect, for the
ball entered Fisk's abdomen. Fisk here showed
that he was no coward for, staggering, he at
tempted to open the door, but seeing crowd
outside again turned and faced the stairs, to be
struck him in the arm and he fell. Stokes
fed. The crowd who had gathered around the
door burst in and carried the wounded man up
stairs to the parlOrs where he was laid upon the
lounge. From there he was taken to the pri-
vate reception room No. 2j1, and the house sur
geOn, DIR. Fisher, called in. Word was imme-
dately sent for other physicians. and Doctors
Wood, Steele, Shorter, Beach, and Folsom were
speedily i'll attendance.
TELLING OF THE DEED.
When he had accomplished his terrible act,
Stokes leisureIy descended the main stairs of the
hotel. and went into the bar-rOOm. He had
thrown the revolver On the sofa in the ladies'
rariOr as he passed by it. He sauntered to the
newsstand, and bending over the counter, said
10 Mr.. Davidson, the gentleman in charge ..
have been ihsulted; there's a man shot above
stairs; you had better send for doctor" He
was very pale, but did not show any agitation or
fear. He then lett the newsstand and walked
across to the bar as if to get drink, but appa-
rently changed his mind, for he sat down I'm a
chair. Mr.. Davidson imagined that Stokes w as
joking, and did not pay any attention to his re-
marks, but i'm a moment afterwards Redmond,
running over to the office said: g Oh! Mr.. Pow
eIs, Colonel Fisk has been shot by man up
stairs"
ARREST OF STOKES
Then the alarm was given and the police mott
fed. Stokes did not attempt to leave the hotel
Omeer mcCadden and Captain Byrnes, OF the
hfteenth precinct, came in and arrested Stokes
lie ssi d S nothing Captain Byrne said, "Your
name is Stokes?' and Stokes bowed aud said
Yes" The captain said, where is the pistoI?"
and Stokes told the captain where it was A
crowd had gathered around, and Stokes was
taken up stairs. The mob of men who had
rushed fIem all parts Of the hotel to see him at.
walters who had been placed at the foot Of the
main stairs. Another waiter stood guard in the
private entrance to the hotel and refused admis-
sion to all corners. The crowd in the main hall
gave murmur Of disappointment they saw
Stokes being taken away. Men were there in
their shirt sleeves fresh from the billiard room
with cues in their hands. LOungers from the
street, actors from their theaters, guests Of the
hotel, thieves from the eighth ward, and q
swarm OF detectives from police headquarters
were there.
IDENTIFIED BY Fisk
Captain Byrne, on taking Stokes up stairs
brought him to the room in which Fisk lay on a
lounge, and the two enemies, even to the death
were lace to face. Captain Byrne said, .. Colonel
Fisk you see this man; was Ii he who shot you?n
and r isk. raising himself on his elbow, said
. ies, that is the man who shot me: his name IS
Edward 5. Stokes, and fully identity him as the
man. Stokes, during this scene, had ner vousy
twitehed his trousers leg with the cane he carried
IN his hand. At the conclusion OF the identiiica-
ton captain Byrne clapped Stokes on the shout
Ger. and said, " You will come with me now -
Stokes bowed and said nothing, but went with
the captain to the fifteenth precinct station
house. They left the hotel by the private
MR.. FIsK's ANTE-NoRrKN STATEMENT.
An inquest was held at room PA of the Grand
Central Hotel, and James Fisk, Dr. beiDo
sworn, testified rs follows: This Afternoon.
about half-past four O'Clock, rode up TO the
Grand Central Hotel. 1 entered by the private
entrance, and when I entered the first door
met the boy, of whom inquired IL Mrs. Moss
was in. He told me Mrs. Moss and her young
est daughter had gone out, but he thought that
the other daughter was in her grandmother's
room. i asked him to 60 up and tell the dauoh
ter that was there. came through the other
door, and was going up stairs, and had gone up
about two steps, when, looking up, 1 saw Edward
5. Stokes IT the head Of the stairs. As soon e.
saw him noticed he had something in his hand.
and q second afterwards / saw the flash AMI
heard the report. felt tf0 ball enter INV abdO
men on the right side. second shot VA fired
Immediately Afterwards, which entered NV Ieft
arm. When received the first shot staggered
and ran towards the door; but noticing q crowd
gathering In front I ran back ON the stairs. T
saw nothing more Of Stokes until he was brought
before me by an Officer for Identification. Il
fully identified Edward s. Stokes Is the person
who shot me. JANIs FIsY In
The jury found the following verdict: "Th.t
the said james Flax, DR.. received his injuries