, 1874-12-28
NIANSFII1LD VS.. FISK.

From, Tho Nep York Herald, Dec. al.
Among tho laany lawsuits loft by Jnmes Fisk,
alra. Lucy u. Fnh, the oxocntrlx OF l,IB ostato,
mud tho horde OF lltganB anxious 10 profit their
casca 10 ttnl vas oie brought BY 3osie Manaiio'A
usafnat him Oh two rronlssoFy nolnH. Ono OF
these notes was FOR SIG, ,U10 aud tho othor for
s5.0D0. Tho action waa commenced In tho
supreme Court, tho p'ain.ir setting up that tic
notes wero gtvou for valuable eo1sderation,-,
that Ia tn BAY, III payment for certain AtookB. attd
Of tnonoyiu ainoanta sufficient 70 counterbalanco
tho clnlm. On the toat!! Of Col. Fisk tho nsiit
did not die, however, but WIS revived against
Mrs. Fisk, ns hH exocutrix. At longth the caso
Cort. Circuit, before Judge Vim Drunt. rho
court-roonl waA not donsoly crowded, yct there
wcro not many vacant beats. Tho TACT IL tho
crowd Of fre4ncntcrs throng!ng the courts
Ind aoon Afe6 Mansfield 40 often during tho prog
ress Of tho trials Of Edward y, Stokes thattho'r
curiosity 10 500 her had BECOME satisfied: Sho
was promptly in attendance, accompanied BY her
sister, A1tH. Williams. Time mud travel asti OK,
citiug scenes since fnyo not apparently improved
lcr personal beauty, but her taRte III lrcbs has
evidently changed somowhnt for instead Of flash
ipg diamonds md Bilks Of gaudy hucs md bon
net Of startling pattern and colors sho appeared
1oat plainly, thoughncatly and taBtofully, attrod
weAriiIg lrcas ard cloak Of dark blno CLOTH. q
lack felt hat trimmed with black volvot. and n
gray feather, md with no shov Of Jowclry. 1for
Blatnr, Mrs. WilsiaNas was oven moro rlalnly
! drcHsed, Neither appeared in the slightest de-
gree nervous, but gavo their Testimony in z very
ield was represented by John j. Townsend and
Mrs. Fisk by Mr. bail. Mrs. F!Bk did not put in
| m appearance, but this, 1t lB said, Hhe nerer
docs in any suit brought agalnst hor Unless sue
tho present suit tho Testimony was brief and tho
| ond quickly reached.
MIR. Samuel G: Courtney testified to having in
| November. 1862, commenced suit for ,ooo
l t,t Eteit 1- pnA t,1
for all order Of arrest against him on tho part OF
| plaintiff, Tho time to answer wAB extended un-
til after Fisk was killed.. 1'ho defendant was
substituted for him III May, 1872, Rnd tho RnaWor
! wna acnt i'll.
alr. Henry Beldon was handed tho two notes
suod on, mud ho positively identified tho Bigua-
turo to tlleso notcB as james FsHk'a. ~
| For the. dotenso Henry 7. Antos proved TINT
! ho WIS booliienper to tho Eria Hallway atd
familiar with Fisk's signature; he docs rot req
ognizo tho signature to theso notes os fisk's
could not tell III whose handwriting the body Of
| tho notes il ho kuew Of q check for 81. $50
being paid by Fisk, through George G. Hall, to
! On cross-ozamination witness admitted 10 had
no personal knowledge Of wlnt a1r. 1all did with
tho money; ho will not bwcar positively that he
ovor hunded money TO Misa Mansfield himself.
| August tchoMme1, employed III tho Audit De-
! partment, saw Fisk sign vouchers h,1ndrctaB OF
| lnos day mud does not recoEnlzo the signature
| to these two notes aH FlBk's.
| On ctoss- examination witness was shown tho
bottom OF Il note; ho recognized tho word
"wednesday" as kisk's; during the last years Of
bis lifo Iisl'a writing varied very much. Letter
handed tn wisnoss, and ho luentihca 1t az Fisk'h
| wriling (tho signature being folded bRck}. 10
tho groaas boSlldormont OF tho wtneaA, Alr.
| rowtsscd took baclz tho letter, oponod IT and
read it in full a6 ono to counsel (alr. TownsentD
from john II. Co'nan, in11iring about. tho pres
cnt suit:
Justin y. White testified: Io was familiar
| with Esk'a signature and does not think ths zig
| nnturo to tho notes III hs writing; being llunucd
. a1500D 1soto he thought tho signature moro
like Fsls's.
William Dolacn brolser, formerly of 1Iowo Is
Deldon called for ptaintiff, testified; lie waa fa-
mliar with Fisks handwriting and ho positively
identified tho body Of tue writing and sigllatureB
to tho uotcb sued ou ono for so 900. tho other
for $l5, 7s5, nd James Fishs. Ho also proved to
having purchased 3l4,uoo worth of bonds for
| aIiss AlnlsallclI.
| Counsel for tin defendant here offered lit evil
tcnce NIL Indictment for attempting to black-
mail Fisk, proved against piaiuttf in 1868, hut
The Court excludcd>it.
Mir. Alansfield testified Bho Bnw tho $1,000
notn written. AIR Fisk aud Alr. r. Morse, her
| mother, aud herself wore proBont; 6ae Baw tho
315, ,G90-no.a drawn.
lhc question wllothor any considerations was
| given for thoso notes was excluded.
Alariottn Williams proved that aho domandotl
payment Of thosc notes in 1871, mud no part Of
them was phid.
they were a!ways Oh friendly torsss; tho last
tinlo Fisk visited har was III December boforo
his death; 10 was tLon asked for tho money but
did not pay; tho prosioun donlana was nado by
myself.
at tha couciuaon of tho testimony, Judge
short absouca tho jury returned, bringing In a
! | Yarfliot fnr $40 IQl II antAiuAt Mira. Ehk.