The Van Buren press., 1873-11-11
STOKES
Waiting for the Verdict-Fcur Years fo;
MISUNDERSTANDING Scenes
of the Trial
New YORK, Oct. 30.

The crowds WHICH gathered in the
courthouse to-day for the purpose Of
witnessing the colcludlng scenes in the
Stokes trial were larger, If possible, than
on any day even OF the two previous
trials. The greater number were of ne
cessity prevented from entering the court
room, yet they hung about the corridor
all day, threatening, cajoling, and a,
every opportunity attempting to force
themselves past the guards, The police
torce on duty was doubled at an eaIly
hour, and as an additional procaution,
the doors leading into the hall Of justice
were locked and barred, occasloning
great Inconvenience to ia Sc who had
business there. The police were com
PEELED at intervals to drive The multitude
down stairs, rs they were very uAruly.
Several times a large body succeeded in
| bursting into the court room, and the
guards had to club them out, Inside,
the space was packed to its utmost ca.
pacity. The entire left side Of the rocm
inside the railing, and part of that out
side, were filled with painted prostitutes,
some Of them of the most repulsive pos
sible appearance, whose indcceat gigsling
during Mr.. Phelps speech several times
required TO be rcbuked By the court Of
lcers There may have been one or two
decent women besides the prisoners rela
tives in the crowd, but it would puzzle II
person to pick them out. These women
remained in their seats all day long hav-
| ing taken well filed lunch baskets and
huge packages Of candies with them in
the morning. Judge Davis charge was
another astonishment Despite the an
,icipations of everybody, it was very
damaging to the prisoner, especially IN
regard to the medical testimony upon
which the counsel Of the defense relied
more than anything else, His honor
charged that if Stokes intended 10 mur
der Fisk, and if the wound which be gave
him was pro badly mortal, the fact that
Fisks death was hastened by medical
malpractice or an overdose OF morphine,
did not relieve the prisoner of full re
sponsibility,
Stokes appears to have changed but
little since the night Of his arrest. The
story about his being grayer and about
his looking i'll is all bosh. lie was neat
| ly dressed in the height OF the reigning
fashion, but tastefuIly so, and seemed to
be in the best OF spirits-smiling and
chatting gaily with those around him.
His father. mother brother, sister, and
four uneles and aunts sat in his rear
! The jury went out at quarter before
clock Very few, except the counsel
aud prisoner, left their seats when the
Jury retired The women drew forth
their lunch baskets again, and the men
lighted their cigars and prepared to stick
the night out, for the outer doors Of the
courthouse had been locked, and no
person was admitted from the street
without authority. So the dreary hours
passed in chatting absnt the case until
twenty five minutes past 10 o clock, when
a stir was created by the entrance Of the
counsel for the defense, closely followed
by the prisoner and his relatives, the
counsel for the prosecution, the Judge,
and, at half past ten, the jury. Instantly
every sound was hushed, and all heads
bent forward as the clerk arose and polled
the jury. :" Is the prisoner here Z" was
the next inquiry. Stokes and his brother
answered simultaneously in the aillrma-
tive. The prisoner looked sober and
anxious "Have you agreed upon ver-
diet 2" asked the clerk of the jury. For
several seconds there was no reply, and
the silence became painful. Then the
aged foreman slowly arose and said !:
We wish, your honor, to be instructed
as to the difference between - here the
speaker hesitated for several seconds
"murder and the degrees Of manslaugh.
ter. Stokes turned shade paler.
Whatever of hope he may have had of
acouttal had been rndely disPelled The
effect upon the audience was equally
marked 1t was seen that the verdict
would probably be compromise one,
and that in any event Stokes was certain
of the States prison The jury then re-
tired for further dellberation, and the
talking and smoking was resumed.
At twenty minutes past III o'clock the
Judge, counsel, prisoner aud jury again
entered the court room, and once more
a deep hush fell Oil the assembled multi
tude. The ceremony of polling the jury
having been gone through with. they
were asked again whether they had ar
rived at a verdict 10 the a.tonishmsnt