Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-12-28
THE PENALTY OF MURDER.

| LuWdIu a. OtohcS, wiz hHiCe
James Fisk, has been for the las
two months confined to his bed in
the hospital of Sing Sing with
asthma and chills and fever, con
tracted in the prison. His constitu.
ton appears much broken, his hail
| is almost white, and his form is ben,
and attenuated. His term of i'm
prisonment, by stretch of the law
will expire next September, but his
counsel claims that it should end by
the 9th of January. A strong effort
will be made TO procure his release
from the Governor at that time.-Ex
-Four years ago two Of the most
noted libertipes of modern times met
on the staircase of the Grand Central
Hotel in New York city, for the
purpose of murder. The object OF
revenge nearest the heart of each was
the life of the other, and to him
whose pistol bore the surest aim was
given the victory. 1t was no strug-
gle between honor and d:slIonor; no
strife between virtue and wickedness.
1t was passion encountering passion
the libertine clenching to death
with the roue-over possession OF
the prize of icentiousness, the most
fashionable and world-renowned har-
lot of the decade; a woman petted
by wealth and fame because of her
superior abandon and licentious pro-
clivities; very queen among harlots
and the leader of the file de jollie"
of the great city. That woman was
Helen Josephine Mansfield, and the
libertine and roue were James Fisk.
Jr., and Edward S. Stokes. The
victim of the muTderer's bullet lies
sleeping a forever sleep in dishon-
ored grave-his virtues of .eart
buried beneath the vices of his life /;
his fame unsung and his death un-
wept, save by those of whose blood
and kin he was, and his name never
mentioned but in connection with
that of his murderer. Edward s.
Stokes, the pampered son of wealth,
the pet of New York fashionable So
ciety, the handsome "man of the
world" fired the fatal messenger
which summoned the soul of his
rival before its God, and, by verdict
Of his peers, was cast into prison as
punishment for his crime. The world
read the sentence, and pronounced it
insufficient. The poor man perused
the decree of the Court with derision,
and truthfully said to himself: "Had
it have been ME, my life would have
paid the debt of justice-wealth
escapes the full measure of the law,
while poverty's punishment knows
no mercy" Yet who shall say that
Edward S. Stokes, the murderer, has
not suffered more than death for his
crimes2 Seif-degredation, Danish
ment from the world, ruined and
heart-broken family, father dying
of grief over sons fault; the loss
of wealth and health by confinement !;
jetty locks turned to white; manly,
handsome form shriveled as with
age; a constitution shattered as if by
some fell and terrible disease; the
ever-present, dream disturbing, hor-
rible apparition of his assassinated
victim, coming in the dim, prison
shadows of the murderer's lonely
cell to point its ghostly finger at the
felon; the knowledge that the wo-
man for whose love the damning
crime was committed has long since
forgotten to grieve over the fate of
her too passionate lover-all, all bear
with it punishment beside which
death and the grave is consolation
and blessing to be craved.
Whether at liberty or in prison,
Edward S. Stokes will be punished"
by conscience which can and will
inflict more horrors than the darkest
of dungeons.
OpII1En Mn carfainlu feel oh.