, 1873-01-07
A RUINED FAMILY.
Tho Career OF Edward Stiles Stokes
-n-IIis Relatives and Victims.
T. Sad Tale Of Domestic Shame
and Sorrow.

tlntt GCTTO"s
Tho other day, ticro sat by our elbow III TIN:
with deliberate crime, whoAe consequences, If |
p,,rauotl, would laud him III tho pontontinry.
I1o had no aofouce for Ills guilt. Dnt tho caHe
was QUO surrounded with circumstances which
1nndo It The interest Of other parties to bayo
rathor than prosecute him. and ho wn1 anxions
to cloae NIL tho nowa channels ngainBt exposure.
1io mado o touching appeal in bcl,nlf of llis
father md mother, his vito aud children.
''TbinA 1lnw you will plunge MI my relatives i'll
Eriof!" This same appeal iB oftcn made by
those oyortakon In wrong-loiug. What ia moro
irrcR1stiblo than tho direct col,ntcr-arpenl:
=" 1Ioung man, scRy did you not Mink Of them
yourself?" Why ask strangors to bo moro
morcifu1 to theso lovod onos tlnn ho,
tho only Quo who could have snvo0
them Tho saddost Of oil features in
all tho casos OH tho calendar Of wrong-lofng is
tho undcsorycd suffering Of tho innoccltt onos
who sit grlof-strclton iii tho penumbra Of agrcat
crime. The offonder calculated his chances,
took tho risk, and saw tho cloud above Ills head
They, on tho contrary, In many cases. receive
tho bolt out Of 4 cloar Sky. No sunli part Of
tho accumulated guilt of most criminals is this
autccedent utter disregard of tho tender houso-
hold tics that should hold tllonl in tho way Of
right, instead OF which tloy aro kept coflod on
board rs last rosort In caao Of Hipwrock.
Without further moralizlng, we hnvo thought
TINT though tho task is no grateful ono, tho CO.
rcor Of Edward $. Stokes, now un,tor sentence
of donth for the murder Of Jamoa Fisk,
may bo fully given rs illustrating how deop-
" great cri1no strikc8 among tho
innocent victims. aud that wealth, culture, and
etanaing nro no suro safeguard against tho sud
dcst yicissitudes Of human experience. It is
rare that reference Of tB kind includes suffer-
ors Of like high prominence, for there aro no
bother nameB In Now York Or Philadelphia tllan
those borno by persons stricken In this catas-
trophe.
In tho yoar 1888, Edward Il. stokcB, 4 SUCCESS
ful clotl, merchant of Now York, and nearly con-
nectcd with Bomo Of tho most prominent repre-
scutatiyeu OF tho wealth aud bonot1conco Of that
city, retired from business with handsome
competency. Eight years previously ho had
married d D1iBa Stiles, daughter Of a leading
Philadelphian, md, acoktng homo OF eaaa aud
elegance, Mr.. Stoken chose philadolphta as his
future residence. There lliH oldest son was bern
IN 1882 and nanod Edwsrd Ma s9t;iee af
boy of unusual beauty and promise,
d Quick, active 1uind, 3 generous and loving diH-
poaition,-theae traits being remembered wol
tsr ths apc 9{ yeasa ny aos0 wlio M knew 1tnr h
sous wore born In tho period betseen 1910 md
1850. Tic family ia recalled as boing rare!y
endowed With nil that seemed needed to insure
the happiness OF q household. Tho homo was
ono Of wealth and luxury, tho culture or tho
best.
took high rank us u scholar. He went to Now
York ut tho ago Of II, to enter into tho storo Of
~ IT,, D. u4r ++1x4-
piyo cheeao dealer. Perry, failed three yenrs
later, aud young Stokes made new partnership
with d junior. Of tho collapacd hopao, and
they, as stokoa & ,Dndlong, opened a "a
oso .%eo ode on ffsy oseep sbnpag ao
trade being worry large. calling Stokes to visit
Europo several times within tho next fow sea-
sons. About this time tho aonior Stokes WIS in
ducod to remove to Ncw York, whore ho made his
office with his Ron, though not originally i'll
tonding to become entanglotl III business. Such
was tho result however, and not only were the
father but oner and prominent wealthy relatiyos,
gradually but heavily involved IN tt tho extended
tic firm followed, and father and son wero thrown
into bankruptcy.
With the wrook Of Ills fortunes young Stokes
embarked uoxt IN the enterprise Of establishing
an oil refinery at Hunters Point. Three hundred
thousand dollars woro exponded in the works,
when whs tic Ger' coapany M " fea int into 'i doties s
and ut this junct,,ro the baleful light OF Jim
Fiss's countenanco comes into the stort Jim
vas in tho full lido Of his operations with Erie.
He held the i'd .antago Eve wish it woro loss
employed by ovon more sclupulous railway mall
ayers than ho), supplied by his corporation, in
transportation and control Of markot, as tho Erio
4 compact was struck. Fisk entered tho re-
finery company, reinforced it's capital, and with
change OF na1no and heavy "drawDacka " on
tho Eric freight bills, tho Hunters Point re-
i1f1
ton. Stokes was Secretary MS woll Us partner.
At ono time his profits from the refinery gayo
linn q 900 rer wook.
In 1851, Stokes married tho daughter Of J. ",
SouthwicA, n prominent furniture dealer in Now
York, one Of tho oldest In Lin limo in that city.
A slort time Bince ono of onr oldcst resiuenta
showed us set Of furniture wedding outfit
brought to Chicago in 1886, bought OF Mr. South.
still in active business il great Broadway oa.
tablishment. Tho wedding Of Stokes with MiaE
6outhwick seemed to lack nothing That wealth,
positions, aud social surroundings could bring
tuoua homo ii tho HoGman House, and moyeci
among the most brilliant life Of the metropolis
Tho next gcono in tho drama brings tho infa'
NOUS woman Mansfield into tho plot. Solomon
described hor mnny centuries ago, md Wo fea1
Solomon knew what Ia was writing about. But
his painting has never been surpassed, and il
somebody could hayo slipped into stokoB' mint
this little pon~portrnit, mallo two thousand yoart
ago, Of Joyophiro Mansfield aud her infamous
Blhtors it might havo spared community tl<
fruits Of tho now acquaintance. Horo aro Homt
Of tho wito mans cololinEa Of his Hnnjcct
She licth IN wait nj for prey. and incseaseth th
tranegressions among men.
Her frct 70 down to duah; her steps take hold
He'll.
Her house incllnoth iuto death nnd her patha int
the dead. Mono that 10 unto her return again.
Ao gocth after her stra1ghtway, os an OF goeth to tn
slaughter.
Sin hnth cast dow, many wounded, yea many etron
men have t,een HaIN by her.
Her house Is the way to hell, going down to th
chambers OF death.
The dead there. IIer guests In tho depths Q
he'll.
And Just precisely TINT happened which til
Son Of David predicted from tllo house OF th
hnYlot tho path turned downward. A quarre
between Fisk and Stokes followed. It was car
riod into a1Airs Of business. rslz refused t