Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-09
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
TUESDAY, JANUARY z, 1872.
The Conviction of stokes.

AS SSAN hSNASAA va $50
Edward s. Stokes was, Saturday, con-
vtcted of the murder of James Fisk, Jr.
and was, yesterday, sentenced by Judge
Boardman. The nature of that SEN
tence we have not, at the present writ
ing learned, but it will probably be found
IN our Geographic columns. There is
certainly, a sort of poetic justice in the
day of his sentence. One year before,
on that very day, so jury of his peers
have declared, he wilfully and dehber-
ately shot to death his victim on the
stairs of the Grand Central Hotel. A
year rolls by, and on the anniversary of
his deed, he stands up to receive the
dread sentence of the law. Whatever
may be the opinion of individuals, be
they lawyers or laymen, the result will
be hailed with general satisfaction by the
people at large. With them, the cases
Of Fisk or of Stokes, individually or col
lectiyely, are of little concern. The life
or death of either or both them, to them
or the world at large is of mere nomen-
tary interest, and probably most of
them, in their hearts, would rejoice that
while one was taken the other was not
left. The removal of one or both will
be looked upon, by large class, as a
benefcent visitation. But these thoughts
or feelings have but little to do with the
general feeling of satisfaction with
which the result of the trial will be re-
ceived. Fisk, in and of himself, was
anything but a blessing to morality,
civilization, the age or the country. Not
withstanding that he possessed certain
worthy traits of charaCter-and who is
there that does moths loss has not
been and will not be greatly deplored.
lie was of that class of business men
who, perhaps, could better be spared
from business circles than remain con-
nected Herewith. But whether good or
bad, moral or immoral, he was an
American citizen and, as such, entitled
to tn full protection of the laws. 1t
was not his death, but the manner of bis
taking off, that attracted public atten-
ton. Had he died from natural causes,
his death would have caused but the
merest ripple on the surface of popular
interest. But the murder Of any man,
at any time and at any place, is an
event Of more than ordinary interest and
importance, and happening, as this did,
upon the heel of numberless other out
RACES on the lives and persons of indi-
giduals in New York city, and, at a
time, when there seemed to he an al
most perfect immunity for criminals at
the hands of New York courts and
juries, the effect was electrical and tue
cry for Justice was almost universal
throughout the country. For Mr. Stokes,
too, the time of his trial was unfortunate.
1t commenced at period when murders
and other high crimes had become al
most epidemic, not only in New York,
bat throughout the country. Scarcely a
day, but the reports Of one and even
more murders were reported. Some of
them exceeding in fiendishness and at
trocity all former records of crime. Day
after day, courts and juries were turn
ing loose upon the community the per-
petrators of these high-handed crimes on
the sIimsy plea of insanity. Criminals
Of the deepest dye, whose sanity had
never been questioned or doubted, were
pronounced by the most eminent physi-
clans, under oath, to have been insane at
the moment Of committing crime,
while they were sane, responsible beings
the minute before and the minute after.
Upon such testimony, men were freed
from the responsibility of their acts, and
turned adrift to commence their career
Of crime anew. Hanging for murder
Is played out" was the watchwOrd of
criminals, and recklessly they acted upon
it. 1t did seem as if, in our large com
munities, all responsibility for and pun
ishment of crime was "playcd out. "
Public sentiment was at last aroused,
and an united demand was made for
justice, as well to the outraged law Of
the country as to the murderer. When
Stokes was placed on trial, the old in
difference of the people hadbeen thrown
off, and the whole community was
awakened to the fact that we We're fast
drifting into barbarism. 1t had become
a question of punishment for crime,
either at the hands of the regularly con-
stituted authorities, acting under the
forms of law, or through the people act
ing in defiance of law 1t was his mis-
fortune, as well, perhaps, as the safety
of society, that he came to his trial at
such time and under such circum-
stances. But whatever may be indi-
yidual opiaions as to the result, under
the striCter rules of law and evidence,
the public at large will rejoice, and have
the right to rejoice, that there is now
some prospect that notorious criminals
will not 90 unwhipped of justice.