Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-24

,rLo entire episode, commencing win the
, ny r;llainy of Fisk, the early ae-
uesP I';.,- 81 stokes. and the moral poilntloh
" Mansfield. reminds Us OF 1ioster s"oiu7
.,,.u..,.D.e i Int a word that towards use, Ian.
Cohselenoe ~ h. s,,r conscience-sw0rds our IA"
March on ioin bravely let's 70 ~ Pe ri eii
m not 10 hea ven, then hand IN na"" W
There are in this city at least tnousr nm
r;cb vonnC men who are on the road % run w.
annaIIv with Stokes. Ii is true they are ~.
under n death sentence, but they are ,ei'
liable to incur it. Up to the oth on '" IL
orv 1872. Ned Stokes was one oi 'ne .-au
men to suspect of murder. lie was We
bred. elegant in person, easy IN hai I;.,lo
accomplished in business, oil kiiu uiiHo
sition, and was deeply beloved oy M Nh
5 5naJ All that could be said of him was
that he was A - fast young man, ana hA1
got into bad company. His parents u.
course were grieved at his condition, put
boJ GOOD hopes that it would be retriever
Nv on eventual reformation. lie was not d
had n hundreds of other youths VINO are
Numbering their employers IN order 10 carry
on their dissipation, and yet, IN an une3
nected moment, he became murderer /.
10 be we'll 10 note that all our last men
are on the verge Of Just such fate. hing,
wbo sbot O'Neil, Is fast man. 30 L
Simmons. who butehered Duryea, ana even
Foster is of the same class, though ne y
naturally inferior to the others IN s0oiai
Grade and culture. What made St3Aes d
murderer was the excitement OF wrath anu y,
revenge consequent on strong drink IN
the way from Horkville to Delm0nlco ne
was safe from blood, though singing win
s J'a, and anger. At the latter place he
drank and next came murder. Even Miss
Mansfield was astounded by the deed. one
of the lessons to be drawn from this view oil
the case is the amazing facility with when
citizen can be transformed into a muir
derer.
Stokes is no doubt the handsomest man
ever sentenced 10 the gallows IN America
Perhaps John Andre was nearly as hne
looking. but his portrait hardly justitieS an
eoual claim To beauty Stokes l. elegantly
bnilt- and his countenance Is remarkably
pleasing. His eyes are large and very dark,
and are very expressive. He would com
mand notice in any assembly, and hence IN
a court room when on trial for his life, such
man could not fail TO create sensation
He Is the most gentlemanly OF all American
murderers. Professor Webster, who was
hanged ut Boston for the murder OF Dr.
Parkman. was never considered a gentle
man, although he had respectable knoWl-
EDGE of science He was coarse and vulgar
and intensely selfish. So thoroughly had
his general baseneSs been established that
his only act Of generosity excited suspicion
lie gave Littleheld, the janitor of the build
ine. turkey. 50 strange deed a tins ex-
cited world of thought. - There must be
some motive" said the janitor to himself,
and so there was. | p stairs was the dead
body of GEORGE Parkman. which Webster
had cut up end was trying TO burn. lie
gave the present above referred TO IN order
10 awaken a kindly feeling in the janltor.
whose goodwill he felt TO be very import
ant. We need hardly add that on Little
field information he was arrested. Stokes
Is vastly superior to Webster. He l. eyi-
IDENTIFY Of an amiabe though headstrons
disposition. and is endowed with good abll-
tiles. Indeed, his case, like that Of Mis-
Mansfield shows how the highest gifts,
when perverted. only increase the depth OF
degradation TO which humanity may de-
Scend.
Stokes family have been much reduced by
the cost of the defense, but they will spend
their last cent 10 carry the case aS far a it
can be protracted. Thus the once fast young
man has brought his family to poverty and
disgrace. besides the almost inevitable doom
of the halter Only thirty years old,
too Well, ms IS fast y. J. Cor. Troy
Ttt..s