, 1873-01-06


ill-gosten fluerioa, but for whom this murder
might not havo been committed, has wcll-nfgh
faded out Of momory. lilo attention Of tho pub
1ic has boon concentrated upon tho facta Of tho
murder, tho evidence which has boon developed
In tho two tria1s, and tho loyal strategy employed
punishment. Thoro Is nothing In the testimony
at either trial which relieves Stokes from tho faot
Of having committed deliberate, cold-bloodcd,
and cowarilY murder. It ls as cloar as tho sun-
Light, from this testimony, TINT ho ooolly and with
ma1ico proponBo plannod tho murder, wont to
tho hotol with this object in view, mot Fisk
whore ho could not escape, and ahot him down
boforo he had An opportunity to dotend himself,
oven II ho had had tho courage to do so, or had
boon armod. Against all tho cnormitloa Of Fisk's
1ifo aud tho pootlcal Justice which stopped hia
banefu1 career, thlB brutal md coward]y murder
kicks tho beam. There ia nothing to show TINT
BtokcB' life WINS my bottor thnn Flsks. They
had boon yoko-follows In crino, partnors In da-
reputable business transactions, enjoyed togoth-
or tho fruits Of corruption; and thesamo shamo-
loss woman, Whoso possession thoy coveted, but
whom they could not share In COM
mon, brought ono Of thom to death
and tho other to folon's cell. THO is
no way for Stokes to o1piato such q crino OK
copt upon tho gallows, and Justice will not bo
vindicated until ho moots with tho summary
ponnlty Of tho law, and the woman Mansfield
comes to tho gutter. Any other issue Of this
story Of blood would not bo impartial. The
oscapo Of stokes would exouBe. Simmons, tho
polioy-doalor and lottory adventuror, for tho
murder Of Duryoa, who waB engaged in tho snmo
hHroputablo business, and would furnish every
adyonturor and gambler With q protoxt for the
murder OF every other ono Of his associates, with
whom ho happened to como into rivalry, simply
because thoy wore In tho Same business, and be-
cause tho loss OF Ills victim was no losa to
society.
The jury in tho stokos oaHo havo evidently
taken this Wow Of tho matter, and hayo brought
in verdict OF guilty Of murder in tho frat de-
groo. Tho verdict will DO q happy surprise, be-
causo tho public had come to the conclusion that
thoro WAS not moral courage enough in q New
York jury to convict murderer. The criminal
records Of tho past few yohrs havo ,given tho
public no encouragement to hope for an impair
tial administration Of Justice, nor have they suc-
ceoded in orcating any other impression than
that tho brutal and violent classes Of
Now York City had become tho predominant
Ing clement and woro sufficiently powerful
to securo immunity for themselves. As numer-
GUS exceptions hayo boon tahon during this
trial, it Is not impossible that 6tokes may yet
secure another trial. Do this as 1t may, tho vor-
dict is mono tlo less triumph for Justice and
signal indication that popular sentiment, ao
long do1od and 10 long outraged, has ut last
reached tho determination that crime shall be
punishod. There is now hopo that Foster, tho
car-hook murderer, King, tho witncas-killer,
Simmons, tho poltcy-dealer, whose brutal killing
Of Duryen is still frosh in tho mind Of tho render
and the humorous other less prominent, but
equally brutal md guilty, muzdorers in the
Tombs, may meot with their just punishment.