The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-09
THE DOOM OF STOKES.
SENTENCED ON TIE ANNIVERSARY
OF THE MURDER.

L
OF THE MURDER.
A Verdict which Consigns the Prisoner
to the Galiows-sweeping Charges bJ
Stokes Against the Court and jury
Exciting Scenes In the Court-Room-
Tho Prisoners Female Relatfves-Th'
Sensence-Stokes in the Condemneo
Cell.
The New York papers are filled with minute
details of the closing scenes of the Fisk-stoke!
murder trial. We make some extracts:
During the long hours on Saturday night
while waiting 70: the verac ede our ieSe.
related to Slokess family, all dressed ln deer
mourning, were grouped together sitting on
| chairs. The iudge's seat was vacant, as ne
had gone 10 dinner at Delmonico's. In the
Supreme Court chambers the prisoner, Ed
| ward S. Stokes, and his cousins, walter
Thomas and Henry Stokes, were conVerslng,
and walking TO and fro.
STOKES sEEMED MORE SANGUINE
than he has been at any time since his i'm
prisonment. So sanguine was be that halt an
| hour before the jury came In with their YER
dict Henry Stokes, his cousin, had ball bond
made out, so as 10 give bail Immediately on
the possible dlsagreemento OF the jury. A little
before ten o'clock sumptuous banquet was
| prepared for The jury In the Supreme Court
chambers. A long table was Bet, covered oy
q white cloth, on which was spread game,
fowl, and all the delicacies oil the season. The
| Jury ate hearty and pleasant meal. occupy
| ing twenty minutes or 30 at their supper.
| They then went back to the jury room and were
| locked up again. The nervousness which
Stokes displayed while waiting for the verdict
on his former trial was all gone. He seemed
elated with the full consciousness lhat the DE.
liberaLions OF the jury would elher set him
free or else give him an opportunity 10 give
bssI on account OF their disagreement. Stokes
took a lfent sGrper al quarter 10 ten. A
dozen oysters on the half shell were brought
no him. He ate four or five; the rest were
LETT living on their shells. Neither the mother
nor father OF Stokes, fortunately, as Inc
sequel will show, vas present ct the delivery
OF the verdict.
while waiting for the verdict, the ladies
connected with Stokes's family. all of whom
sopeared to belong to the highest rank of So
ciety, seemed to be In deep trouble and anx-
iety, and ever and anon would look at the
clock and again al the door through which the
Jury were to pass to their seats.
Stokes kept on smoking, and his younger
brother, Horace, who b as been 30 faithful aud
steadfast to him through the varied viclssi-
tudes of both trials, seemed far more anXlonS
PoSo
IL o'clock there was observable In the court,
among the waiting audience, that premonitory
hustle and confused hummlng which Is alway 8
noticeable when loHg-expected event ls
ABOUT TO take place.
FIRST came Mr.. Sparks, the clerk, from an
inner room, followed by the officers OF the
court, who pushed chairs aside and made
passage-way for the jurymen. Tnen came ing
jurymen's attendant. who opened the door OF
the box; after which followed the prisoner,
looking as undaunted as ever, and surrounded
by his friends and relatives. These latter took
seats facing the jnry-box. The judge then en-
tered and took his seat on the bench. At this
moment
THE TWELVE JuRYMEN
filed In, looking very grave, and presently
they took their seats. As they passed In 1t
was noticeable that but one man out OF the
twelve looked Mt the prisoner, all the rest
seemed to avoid glance at his face. There
was dead silence In the court. There was
no need TO ask what their verdict would be.
1t was imprinted In the lines of
EVERY MANS FACE OF THE TWELVE.
First they answered severally to their
names, and then the Judge, 10 the usual man.
ner, said, "Gentlemen, have you agreeed
upon verdict!"
Foreman OF tie jury (rsing.) We have.
Mr.. Sparks. Gentlemen OF the jury, rise.
Prisoner, stand up. Gentlemen OF the jury,
look upon tn, prisoner. Prisoner, look upon
the jury. WHAT say you. gentlemen of the jury
Do you find the prisoner at the bar, Edward
s. Stokes, guilty or not guilty?
THE VERDICT.
Foreman OF the Jury. Guilty of murder In
the frat degree.
At the moment that these words passed the
lips of the foreman there arose In the court
such terrible, piercing wall from one OF the
young ladies dressed in deep mourning that it
seemed to curdle the blood of every man and
woman In court. None who heard It will ever
forget It. The young lady who uttered this
cry fell forward with her face prone on
The shoulder of the prisoner. Horace
Stokes, the brother, burst into tears, and all
his friends and relatives by one impulse, as
affected. The jury were then polled at the
request Of Mr. Townsend. one of the prison.
er's counsel. When asked by the clerk If
thew all agreed upon the verdict they an
swered, separately, "Yes." Some of their re-
sponses could not be heard ten feet from
where they stood. As the twelfth man an
sWered "Yes"
STOKES ROSE SLOWLY,
and, facing Mr.. Beach, Of the counsel for the
prosecution, and who had at one time been
q counsel tor Mr.. Stokes in q civil case, said
slowly and deliberately,
.sWell, Mr.. Beach, must say you have
done your work well. hope you have been
well paid for it."
Then Stokes sat down. Mr.. Beach did not
reply, but his face turned little away from
the prisoner.
The Judge after consultation with counsel
announced that sentence would be passed on
Monday morning. The court then
DISCHARGED THE JURY,
with thanks for their attendance and for the
courtesy they had shown him during the pro-
press of the trial. Then the audience began
to move, and Stokes who showed firm man
nor, conversed with the sobbing ladies and
his other friends.
Again as Stokes stood up to leave the court
he spoke bitterly to Mr.. Beach. He said as
he rose:
"Mr. Beach, you should be we'll sat6ed with
your work, and hope your are satisfied, for
You did 1t well.
Mr.. Beach (excltedy.) mo, Mr.. Stokes,
am not satisfied with my work."
Then Stokes's friends gathered around him
and got between him and Beach, as 1t was
feared that collision might take place. Mr..
Tremaln got up to leave. the court with
Stokes, and as he did one OF the jurors,
small, dark-featured man, with n high hat,
leaned forward over the jury-box and said to
Mr.. Tremain:
"Well, Mr.. Tremain, hope that you do not
feel anyway bad against us, as we tried to do
our duty. am sure you did yours, and work
ed az hard TOR Stokes as If he was your own
3On."