Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-31
STOKES-FISK HOMICIDE.
TESTIMONY OF TEE PRISONER.

statement of the prisoner III regard 10
the killing of Fisk:
Edward s. Stokes tcstitied-l am TIE
prisoner in this case; am 30 years OF
age; born in Philadelphia; was III the
oil refining business in Brooklyn up TO
my arrest, January s, 1871, on charge
of embezzlenlent: became acqu'lned
with Fisk in July, 1863; was spending
the summer III Saratoga, and he teic-
for ME and came and entered
into business relations with him. and
SO remained until my removal from
office in the company: it vas stipulated
i'm the lease given to the company
that the capacity Of the refinery
should be doubled by tho company on
my taking thirty per cent. instead OF
half interest; I believed l mad large
claims against Fisk. which / could en-
force at law; / was examined as wit
ness on the morning Of the encounter
in the prosecution at Judge BiNbys
court against Fisk, Jr.. for libel on
Mrs. Mansfield: Fisk was not there;
the last time I saw her was three
weeks previous at Niblo's, and l heard
:, rumor that he was sick and did not
hear on the 9th of January that he
was ont: I left TIE court with John
McKeon and Colonel Fellows, and we
drove to Delmonico's. corner of Broad
way and Chambers street, and had
oysters and ale; after that had a con-
versation with Mr.. Sprague, Mayor of
Utica; after that we went to Mr.. An
drews' Office and told him ! was afraid
if [ went to Rhode Island to attend
the board Of appeals OF the trotting
n
January 9th in Providence, Fisk might
say [ ran away, and get n requisition TO
bring me back and disgrace me in
some way: he said l need have no fear,
as the Indictment had been rejected
and no proceedings We're pending; [
still feared that Fisk might do some
thing, and went to Mr.. Bixby and he
told IN / might go to Providence;
from his office / went to b carriage
stand in Broadway and drove to the
Hoffman House to get raa6E to go; [
had been employed tie ,.,rr,aiesious day
in getting my witnesae "ofI found in
the box OF the TELEGRAPH Slice at the
Hoffman House a telegram, which l
thought I mad sent the day before to
Mr. Doty. telling him to come up on
important business; 1t was directed TO
Edonville, and [ got it wrong; it was
Etonville, or some such name. He
was Judge st the trotting, and ia I'M
portant witness. The clerk had
marked it ''No such place" I spoke
to Mr.. Cottreii, IL lawyer. and the
telegraph clerk, and from what they
said sent. u telegram to Etonville.-
My papers were ready, except the orig
inal papers, which were il my box at
Manstield's. So / drove there, and on
seeing the blinds down recollected
that she had been III that morning aud
did not get out of the coupe I saw 10
one i'll the window / Ii the driver
to take me to the Grand Central, which
was not singular, as I wanted to get
near 1t : l did not see tIskS carriage
that day and did not know he WAS out.
and had no idea he was going to the
Grand Central, never saw the M0rses
to ny knowledge, but heard 81 rImor
that Fisk used to go there ; after get
ting out of the coupe went to Chamber
lain 4 DOdgeS where [ saw Mr.. Ingra-
ham !, Nh. Smith, and the latter told
me to look for my witness Ferris at the
corner of Amity street went down,
and on my way met Mr.. Bailey at the
corner of Great Jones street and asked
him to come with HE, that [ was going
to get tickets for the Black Crook !;
while passing the Grand Central saw a
lady in the window Of parlor 2O7, and
thinking [ recognized her as a lady 1
had seen in Saratoga, lifted my hat
finished the con- ersation with Mr..
Bailey and asked him to come into the
hotel, that would not delay long, but
he declined ] went in by the private
stairs and mp to the second floor,
where | had never been before; looked
in at the parlor and saw that T did not
know the lady, and not to appear as if
rude passed on, and turned back,
looked in Z second time and the lady
came out aud went up to the third
floor, and | went back to the ladies'
stairs. L had on an overcoat IA heavy,
whltlsh Irish frieze coat produced),
also dogskin gloves lined with VI, ol,
and carried a cane had not any ex-
pectation of meeting Fisk and no sus-
plcion OF his coming ; ] did not go IN
any room nor look ont to see ii he was
coming. | had my pistol. and always
carried 1t in the orter pocket when 7
had IN overcoat. AS ] was going down
stairs ! saw Fisk coming up with a
rush, and have pistol Ill both hands.
cooking it ; saw him coming through
the onter door, but did not know him,
as 1t was pretty dark, until he came to
the second door. and then l knew him
Instantly; [ did not turn back,
for [ had no chance, but cried don't
fire, and jumped from the right to
the left side, nearl Y falling on the ban
mister, and on the instant, leaning on
the bannister with the left, fired two
shots with closed hand and dropped
my pistol; l believed my life was in
danger knew it was; I had no inten-
ton Of taking life ; when going into
the private entrance J saw the boy
Redmond, but did not see Thomas
Hart there ut ali ; The only person
around when I went back ND stairs
was Mr. Hill. and Harris evidence IS
all manufactured and connected nv
reason for going back to the stairs was
not to get on: Of the line of fire Of
fisks pistol ! saw it quite plainly
my reason for going to No. 20? was
that | thought it was q continuation of
the Lall +; l told Mr.. Hill man was
shot the next person [ met was the
French plrlor man De Corley, who
was witness for me on the first trial.
and has mysteriously disappeared.
District Attorney Phelps objected to
that line of examination.
Nltness-I tried TO find him IS s.
witness, and could not I did not 60
into parlor 207 or throw ANYTHING
away; after telling De Corley to get a
doctor, went down the main stairs to
the hall, telling several persons a man
was shot and to get Il doctor down
stairs man coming behind said ::
''Here, they want YOU; turned around
and ne laid his hands on me, ard they !
all LAID hands on me. and l objected
and said ] wasn't going to run away, /
and they took off thei,: hands then !
Mr.. Powers came up, and they began
searching me, but found nothing. and /!
objected to so many persons putting
their hands in my pockets an Officer !
took me up stairs and L was taken to
the room where Colonel Fisk was sit
ing upright with his coat off, and f..
without assistance The officer made |
some remark, and Fisk said, bowling
MS head Mr.. Stokes" and that was |
all, and the officer said Come" and
,OOk me away on the ipst.nt b. IL