Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-11-09
How stokes Went out Of Prison.

. "A DISPATCH from AUBURN gives an
interesting account of the liberation of
Edward S. Stokes. For nearly six
years Stokes, the slayer of Col. James
Fisk, Jr., has been trying to fight his
way out of prison. He knew that he
was entitled to short time through the
communication law, but yet he doubted
hatthey would free him, ,as he had been
told that some trick would be played,
and he be detained in prison. A ha-
beas corpus was in waiting to serve
upon the warden of the prison. War.
den Durston is a shrewd politician, and
. man who understands the battles of
men with money. He went 10 Stokes
on Thursday, and said: "You are to
be discharged on Saturday morn.
ing" It seems thereupon Stokes sent
to his brother Horace and ordered an
elegant suit of clothing. Diamond
st~ds spnrkled on his shirt front a
heavy gold chain, with watch attach
ed, was conspicuous. The clerk of the
prison put his usual questions to him
concerning his pedigree, and then find
ing that there were no black marks
against him, the clerk authoritatively
announced that the law was satisfied
and that Edward S. Stokes was a free
man. The warden neglected to offer
him q suit of clothes as the law di-
rects. He handed him over $l0.5O, the
sum which is given to every convict
discharged. Stokes took the money
and laughed. He said with the air of
a man who meant to be earnest: II
would have come back after that had I
forgotten it," Then he was told that
Gilbert Clinton, his uncle, had sent
him check for $l75. "Can you casl,
it," asked Stokes. eyes, Ed.' said
the warden and he handed Stokes the
money. $50 long," said Stokes, and
he, his brother Horace and Col. Mutt.
man entered coach and went to q
neighboring hotel.
Snow was falling. Lawyers of all
grades swarmed around the hotel en-
trance. Unlike the day he was taken tc
Sing Sing prison, none were in humol
tc say unpleasant things in his pres
elce. He laughed, however. as he
heard one man say, "Well, he's .
good.looking fellow if he did kill his
man."
He said that he felt good. and ht
j0ked considerably. Yet he had on,
solid subject to fall back upon, and h.
never tired of it.. He said that tn,
priscn officials of Sing Sing and Auburn
are Cf the most infamously corrup
men in the State, and that he pai(
Rodney D. Crawley: State prison in
specbr, 50, 500 that he (Stokes) woult
not have been transferred from Sin,
Sing to Auburn. To this statemen
Stokes is willing, he says, to make aft
dayit. 81 was robbed in all the pris
ons have been in since the Fisk trag
edy, but in no place was the system
more complete and exasperating thai
in Auburn. was handcllffed an
ironed to Jimmy the Kid. I had n
coat Or vest, and when l reached Au
burn blood was trickling from IN,
ankles into my shoes, and l was sllaB
ing with ague. I begged to he put il
the hospital, but instead was doused il
cold bath, and for three weeks WI;
utterly unable to move my limbs.
Then I was sent into cigar-shop Nc
2, place known as the resort of pris
on bummers. I never did minute
work while in prison, l never too
a mouthful of prison food, and pal
for everything I bought, and Nigh
have lived cheaper at Delmonico's s.
Stokes described the paralyzing JACKIE
used in Auburn prison in defiance {
The act of the legislature, and |, &c
men shrek for mercy, and hope tn;
the State authorities will hear thel
and investigate the prison.