The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-01-17
A RUINED FAMILY.
The Career Of Edward Stiles Stokes
His Relatives and Victims.
A Sad Tale Of Domestic Shame and
n Sorrow. -r.-., .s-
FROM the chicago tribune

FROM the chicago tribune
The other day there sat by our
elbow IN The Tribune editorial
room u young man stained with
deliberate crime, whose consequent
,ces, if pursued, would land him in
the penitentiary. He had no de-
fence for his guilt. But the case
was one surrounded with circum-
stances which made it the interest
of other parties to save rather than
prosecute him, and he was anxious
to close all the news channels against
exposure. He made @ touching ap-
peal in behalf of his father and
mother. his wife and children.
"Think how yon would plunge all
my relatives in griefV This same
appeal is often made by those over
taken In wrong-doing. What is
more irresistible than the direct
counter-appeal: Young man, aOhy
did you not think Of them yOurseLfS"
Why ask strangers. to be more mer-'
ciful to those loved snes than he,
the only one who could have saved
them'7 The ssddest of all features
in all the cases on the calendar of
Wrong. doing 10 the undeserved suf-
fering OF. the innocent ones who sit
grief-stricken in the penumbra of
a great crime. The offender calcu-
lated his chances. took the risk; and
saw the cloud above his head. They,
on the contrary. in many cases, re-
| ceive the bolt out of q clear sky. No
| small part of the accumulated guilt
of most criminals ie this antecedent
utter disregard of the tender house
hold ties that should hold them in
the way OF right. instead of which
they are Kept coiled, on board as q
last resort In case of shipwreck.
Without further morAlizing, I'VE
have thought that, though the task
is no grateful one, the career of Ed
ward 5. Stokes, now under sentence
of death for the murder of james
Fisk, may be fully given as illusirA.
ting how deeply great crime strikes
among the innocent, victims, and that
wealth, culture, and standing are no
safeguard against the ssddest vicissi
tudeS of human experience. It is
rare that q reference ofthis kind in
cludes sufferers of like high promi-
hence, for there are no better names
in New York or Philadelphia than
those borne by persons stricken in
this catastrophe. as. = b
i In the 1888, Edward II. Stokes, q
successful cloth merchant of New
York, and nearly connected with
some of the most prominent repre-
sentatives of the wealth and benefi.
cence of that city, retired from bus.
mess with q handsome competency
Eight years previously he had mar.
ried a Miss Stiles, daughter of 8
leading Philadelphian, and seeking
: q home of ease and elegance, Mr.
Stokes chose Philadelphia as his fu.
ture residence. There his Oldest soT
wss born in 1889, and named Ed
, ward Stiles, after q maternal rela
. tive The lad was a boy of .utusu
, al beauty and promise, quick, &C,
! tive mind, generous and lovinl
T disposition-thase traits being re
, membered well after the lapse o
. that time. Two daughters and TIVE
, between lS40 and 1850. The family
: lie recalled as being rarely endo WEI
: with ali that seemed Co insure tn,
I noDD1OCSS Va = AOdoSnOl0s II
home was one of wealth and luxury
the culture Of the best.
I Edward was educated at the Uni
8 versity, and took high rank a.
n scholar. He went to New York q
Y the age of IL, to enter into the stor
= of Samuel Perry, on South Waite
! street, an extensive cheese dealer
= Perry failed three years later, an
" young Stokes made q new partner
l. ship with junior Of the collapse,
house, and they. as Stokes & Bud
r long, opened q cheese store on Vese
: street. They had 6xceIle1t success
II their foreign chipping trade bein
q very large. calling stokes % Visi
. Europe several times within Ii
next few seasons. About this tim
y the eenlat Stokes. VRas frduce6 (
d remove TO New YORK, whefe I,
'e made his oAce with his con- fh6iiT
Se nGl. originate intending 90 becofr
q entanglee in, business, &uch Ws
{. the resun, how ever. and not onl
l. the f&th6f, but other and, proufper
. wealthy feI4tiVes were Yra3uaii
= hat heavily involved ins che -extSni
:. ed ESntsEeS ofGSEOkes q Budlonl
y The failure OF, tho 6Rm IollnSsai
DC and father and son. .Rere ,thFoF.
ty into Bankruptcy. -,
o. With the wreck of his FORUM,
n young-64Okes embarked anezt IL q
eaterPEiasof astahlishins en- Ell r
6nsFy at Hunters Point. Thp
hundred Shoasand dollars, were q,
to pended In the works, which were
Ia be OF the best class. when the COT
~ panY fell viats di6sultiss, and
this jqRetEra she balsfaI light
- jim Gsk seoppteQa1ce eemes IN
IN the story Jim was in, the full q
II or hig opetztiops with Erie. 8
- heLe he I've visa IS "