The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-05
STOKES CONVICTED.
Tho Assassination Of James Fisk Just Twelve
Months Ago Tomorrow Receives TO.
Day Its Legal Condemnation.
Verdict of Murder in the
First Degree.
An the Scenes in the Thrilling Drama Re.
enacted and Portrayed in Court by :
Counsel for the Pr0secu.
ton and Defence.
THE JUDGES CHARGE.
Twelve Men, Good Men and True, Found
Capable Of indicating the
Majesty Of the Law.
WAITING FOR THE VERDICT.
The Retirement Of the Jury Comments and
Speculations on the Result.
II III r " f r. ID I Q II.
Polling the Jury-All Unanimous in Their
acknowledgement and Sentence
Demanded but Deferred.
THE CLOSING SCENES IN COURT.
EAsst Upon stokes-He Declaims Against Coun-
ri for the Prosecution-"You Did Your
Work WELL Hope You Got
W. frao Well Paid for It."
r III E " e II ID I Q II.
Polling the Jury-All Unanimous in Their
acknowledgement and Sentence
e Demanded but Deferred.
THE CLOSING SCENES IN COURT.
Eneet Upon Stokes-He Declaims Against Coun-
ri for the Prosecution 'You Did Your
Work Well; Hope You Got
W ne Well Paid for It."

being the fourteenth and eliminating day, excited
m interest exceeding anything which had up to
this time been manifested, either ON the present
the first trial. 1t was expected that the forensic
EFFORT Of counsel for the prosecution to secure
conviction ana of counsel In the defence, OF
man whose life was, to some extent, In their
hands, would be equal to the great importance Of
the issue ct stake to the prisoner at the bar and
- the whole community and to the whole people
q the State, who, according to legal reasoning,
are the prosecutors in the case. The court room
WAS literally packed nom the opening to the close
Of the session; so much 50, indeed that those who
were In could not get out again, while those who
were ont were % completely out e any old politi.
cal o11ce-seeker who would attempt to get 'fn''
hinder the new political regime. But how
ever anxiously the Outs might desire to
get in, the ins were certainly only kept in by
the difficulty and disturbance any attempt to get
ont would create. There was an unusual attend
ance ofladies, witha correspondingy large escort.
the whole making tout ensemble only seen In the
law courts when an interesting case OF cytns con-,
divorce or murder, in which q woman makes Q
prominent figure, is the main attraction. The pro-
oeedings yesterday were indeed the most interest
ing OF this protracted trial The whole case, from
lie first meeting Of the prisoner WITH his victim,
III the intermediate relationship. the friendly ana
the introduction to Josie Mansfield, the subsequent
estrangement, the legal connict in which they be-
came involved, Fisk's letters to Mansfield, the
troversy in Judge Bixbys Court. the supposed in
hictment Of Stokes for blackmailing, the scene
outside Of Josie's residence on the fatal Satur.
day, the victim and his Nemesis ride, one
A his carriage, the Other in his coupe; the
hurrying into the Grand Central -6Qtel and the
watch upon the staircase the arrival Of Fisk, the
shooting, the flight, capture, Identification, and
death Of Fisk, were all reviewed by counsel with
such comments explanations and Interpretation
Of every scene, act and occurrence az might weigh
with the jury-for or against the accused The
summing up counsel was, to use hackneyed
expression 'equal to the OCCASION" and the
audience had In the most eloquent and vivid
manner, all the accessories Of the shooting and the
events which led to 1t most graphically and wildly
pictured before them. Notwithstanding the in
siderable heat Of the room, consequent
upon the jam Of people, the audience,
remained almost immoyable t9 the Close Of
tho session, which MAS pf6fracted to an
unusually late hour. Nh Tremain closed his
summing up about the hour Of recess. After
recess Mr.. Beach began his summing up for the
prosecution, enlsting and holding the attention Of
tAe immense audience from his opening to his
points Of the testimony for the prosecution urging
their consideration upon the attention Of the jury,
and, as he proceeded, commented on all the weak
points from his standpoint in the testimony for the
defence, and criticising, with great force and nge
nuity, the more important points Of the same At
. quarter past seven Judge Boardman commenced
60 charge. At that late hour the court room was
densey crowded, and the heat engendered by the
mass Of people-the majority OF whom had held
their places throughout the whole day-was, even
ln such weather as this, almost overpowering.
THE JUDGES CHARGE
was mainly directed to the theory Of the prosecu-
taon a. to the appearance OF Stokes at the Grand
Central on the day OF the shooting-the inquiries
~ to whether an indictment had been found
against him by the Grand Jury at Fisk's instance
his supposed quest for Fisk-the mysterious signal
1t the house Of Mansneld-his passing the Grand
Opera House, seeing Fisks carriage there-his sub
sequent appearance on the staircase OF the hotel
the impossibiity that from the direction and effect
OF Stokes shots Fisk could have had o pistol
IN his hand or made any demonstration Of hostility
- justify the shooting, and so through the whole
Of the testimony for the prosecution Judge Board
man then reviewed the
THEORY OF THE DEFENCE,
presenting In clear and impartial light the evi.
dence for the defence contrasted with that pre-
Dented Dy the on AL the principal points
enumerated.
THE JURY RETIRE.
At ten minutes past eight O'Clock the jury re-
tired, being allowed two hours for such deibera.
saon o. would enable them to form an opinion as
- their respective opinions and the probability Of
agreement, and to report the same to the Court,
and either to be locked up for the night or given
longer time to come to q verdict, the Court to
await their nat. At quarter past eleven
THE JURY AGAIN CANE INTO COURT,
Judge Boardman, the prisoner, counsel and the
greater part Of the large audience OF the day being
all in their places. The greatest anxiety and q
breathess interest pervaded all, as the rumor had
got abroad that the jury had agreed upon YER
dict. look at the jurors was enough to suggest
the fact that their verdict would be a vindicaton
OF the law, and that punishment for murder not
being played out IN New York would in the person
OF Stokes ind verincation as complete rs in that
OSJack Reynolds. That verdict was
rms