Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-03-23
STOKES LTFEIN SING SING.
The Assistant Alderman and party of

Saturday that Stokes had been taken
from the hospital to Jayne's marble dust
contract shop and was there bookkeeper
The guard added that at first he was
much prejudiced against Stokes, but
now thought we'll of him and knew that
he was liked by all the officials and
prisoners. Stokes, continued the guard
is doing double work. keeping the Office
books in day tine, and the prison rec
ords at night He had serious attack
of asthma on Friday night and was un-
able to fully attend to his duties on the
following morning.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. James B.
jackson, one of the prison officers, the
reporter was permitted to see Stokes in
the third ward of the hospital. Stokes
recognized the reporter as an old ac-
quaintance and tried to be cheerful He
was very pale and apparently suffering
greatly. The reporter said that he was
sorry to see him in so distressing con-
dition. Stokes replied:
Il have never been we'll since | have
been here. The place is very damp,
and the extra duties recently assigned
me are little too severe. The prison
inspectors insisted that | should earn
forty cents a day for the State (the
same as the other prisoners) Here
Stokes smiled and added, Forty cents is
considerable to earn in one day these
hard times, but then [ shall not COM
plain. [ will endure it. 1t is an IN
fortunate position for anybody to be in,
but it was my previous trying ordeal of
two years that broke me down" Then
raising his voice, he earnestly continu-
ed: Three times tried for my life
once within a few days of being hanged
that was equal to twenty deaths
then kept lingering in terrible suspense
for months and months. The highest
court in the State at length declared
that l had not had fair trial. When
convicted of the third degree of man
slaughter by a jury, eight Of whom be-
lieved me innocent, the most extreme
penalty the law could infict was melted
out. However, time generally removes
all prcjudices.'
The reporter referred Stokes to a let
ter printed a short time ago, of which
the following is a copy, and asked
whether he was not the e. S. S. who
wrote it:
AN ANONYMOUS GIFT OF S50OBY A YOUNG
LADY
To tie Editor
Emulating your magna1iimous exam
pies although feebly), l enclose $500
to be donated to the city poor.
Yours, &C., E. S. S.
Stokes answered: Il sent the money
by my sister, wishing to avoid criticism
about it. know the poor are in grea
want. This prison is overlooking anc
the arrivals are increasing. All tel
the same sad story--unable to get worE
and driven to desperation If they
don't get relief crime or death must fol
low A fellow feeling makes us won
drous kind.
Stokes said that he proposed to found
library for the use of the women pris
oners in Sing Sing, and had instructed
' the chaplain to select it. He had sen
his check for 800 toward paying for
Tombs library.
In referring to the case again he saiC
that he believed it was generally under
} stood that the boy Thomas Hart. of tn
! Grand Central Hotel committed periur'
on the trial. "His testimony" adde,
Stokes ''was manufactured. | have n
feeling against the boy, because | thin
it was the work of others. The theor
that the public has is the same as IN
own. If Harris testimony was true
the jury in not finding me guilty 0
, murder violated their oaths. They &C
Quilted me of that crime and really con
victed Hart of perjury. Why do tn
people attack the deliberations of tn
jury and shield Hart of his crime? ]
!, District Attorney Phelps will try Han
for perjury | will donate $500 to an
, charitable institution. whether Hart b
convicted or not. | pledge myself t
pay all expenses of the trial, ask tina
the witnesses of the former prosecutio
alone be called, and will send my chez
for the $500 for charitable institutio
W to the District Attorney the moment h
/ signifies his intention to try Hart.
. is due to the public, to Hart, and to IN,
that Mr.. Phelps should proceed in tn
6 matter
v Stokes, in conclusion, hoped that I'll
IS District Attorney would not overloo
the subject. and seemed satisfied Thu
) the public would be convinced, shoul
g Hart be tried, that and (Stoke's) Gas
n had been wrongfully considerably
V San.
l. The last North Star says, the arrang
IS ments between the Eastern railroad an
II the Portland & Ogdensbureh have bee