River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-24
THE CONVICTION OF STOKES.
scene ava the Court when the Verdict
49, wasRendered'
From the N. z. Herald Of sunday

was observable in the court, among the
waiting audience, that premonitory
hustle and confused humming which
is always noticeable when a long ex-
4 pected event is about to take place.
First came Mr.. Sparks, the Clerk.
from an inner room, followed by the
officers OF the court, who pushed chairs
aside and made "a passage way for the
jurymen. Then came the jurymen's
/ attendant, who opened the door of the
box, after which followed the prisoner,
looking as undaunted as ever, and sur
rounded by his friends and relations.
These latter took seats facing the
jury box. The Judge then entered and
4 took his seat on the bench.
AT this moment the twelve iurymen
/ filed IN, looking very grave, and pres
emily they took their seats. As they
passed in it was noticeable that but
one man out of the twelve looked at the
prisoner; all the rest seemed to avoid
glance at his face There was a dead
silence in the court. There was no
need to ask what their verdict would
be. 1t was imprinted in the lines of
every mans face of the twelve.
First they answered severally to their
names, ana then the Judge, in the
usual manner, said, Gentlemen, have
you agreed upon a virdict 2"
Foreman of the Jury (nsing)-" We
have
Mr.. Sparks Gentlemen of the Jury,
rise. Prisoner, stand up. Gentlemen
of the jury, look upon the prisoner.
Prisoner, look upon the jury. What
say you, gentlemen of the jury2 Do
you find the prisoner at the bar, Ed
ward s. Stokes, guilty or not guilty z"
Foreman of the Jury Guilty of
murder in the first degree"
At the moment that these words
passed the lips of the foreman, there
arose such terrible piercing wall from
one of the young ladies dressed in deep
mourning, that it seemed to curdle the
blood of every man and woman in the
court. None who heard it will ever
forget it. The young lady who uttered
this cry fell forward with her face
prone on the shoulder of the prisoner.
Horace Stokes, the brother, burst into
tears, and all his friends and relations
by one impulse, as they clustered
around him, seemed terribly affected.
The jury were then polled at the re.
quest of Mr.. Townsend, one of the
prisoners counsel. When asked by
the clerk If they all agreed upon the
verdict, they answered, separately,
Yes. Some of their responses could
not be heard ten feet from where they
stood. As the twelve men answered
Yes" Stokes rose slowly, and, facing
Mr.. Beach, one of the counsel for the
prosecution, and who at one time had
been counsel for Mr.. Stokes in civil
case, said, slowly and deliberately:
Well, Mr.. Beach, / must say you
bave done your work well. / hope you
have been well paid for it.
Then Stokes sat down. Mr. Beach
did not reply; but his face turned a
little away from the prisoner.
Mr.. Fellows, the Acting District
Attorney, rose, and, addressing the
Judge, asked that sentence be passed
upon the prisoner at the bar
AS Mr.. Fellows sat down Mr.. Lyman
Tremain, the able and learned counsel
for the defence, who had been sitting
by table with his head bowed in his
hand, stood up and said: Your Hon
or, hope you will not think it neces-
sary to pass sentence at this late hour
of the night. Would it not be better
TO wait till Monday morning 2"
Judge Boardman-"I see no abso.
lutte necessity for passing sentence to-
night, and / see no improperly in act
ing on the counsel'ssuggestion. / will
therefore defer sentence until Monday
morning"
District Attorney Fellows then adj
dressed the Court in an explanatory
manner, and Messrs. Beach and Fuller
ton had not been employed by Mr.
Fisk's family, and that they had been
employed by the county to assist in
the prosecution.
Stokes (rislng suddenly and inter-
rupting)-" Mr.. Fellows, state that
they were hired by Jay Gould. Please
state that"
| There was an intense sensation in
court at this moment. and Mr. Fellows
then resumed his address, stating that
he was glad to retire from an office
where for three years he had been ac-
customed to witness such scenes of
suffering and sorrow as he had witness
ed tonight.
The Court then discharged the jury,
with thanks for their attendance and
courtesy they had shown him during
the progress of the trial. Then the
audience began to move, and Stokes,
who showed a firm manner, conversed
with the sobbing ladies and his other
friends.
Again as Stokes stood up to leave the
court he spoke bitterly TO Mr.. Beach.
He said, as he rose:
:" Mr.. Beach, you should be we'll sat.
listed with your work, and L hope you
are satisfied, for you did it we'll ;"
Mr. Beach (excitedly)-"N No, Mr..
Stokes, am not satisfied with my
work. !"