The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-22
Kept BY q

The most fashionable barsroom in
New York is owned and run by . muir
derer. It's an odd commentary in the
general tone of Our society that the
success Of this murderer should be o
instantaneous and complete. I often
hear men say: "Yes, the fact an no
longer be denied that the people Of
New York are %crystalizing into society,
without being a. profi2ate A. the
Preach, or as exclusive ~ the English,
will have the best features of both.
Money has not the sway it used to have.
lay Gould with all his wealth and Van
derbiit. with his two hundred millions,
can not get into our best circles 1t
isn't 90. The belief is tina. the sole
requisite for social uccess in New
York is, as it always has been. money.
The murderer l speak Of is Ed ward
S. Stokes, who calnly, coolly and de-
liberately murdered Fisk in the Grand
Central hotel. He lay in wait for the
good hearted, if sharp dealing, railroad
King and shot him down like . dog.
He was sentenced to be hanged. had .
new trial, spent four years in Sing
Sing and then went to the west and
won heavily in mining operations. A
short time age he came here and bought
the Hoffman house. He built an en-
tirely new bar-room, which is without
doubt the most gorgeous affair Of the
kind in the country and has already
become the center fer 'Swelr' Wall
street operators, fast-livers, men-aboat.
town and many citizens who stand
HIGH among the citV'S men.
The place is magnificent in all its
appointments, lavish in its decorations,
iewd id its statues and lasciviOus Ia
it's pictures. One picture in particular
is rapidly making for itself an unenvl-
able r%eputstiOn. 1t il a richly colored
painting called ''The Vision of Faust
and shows Faust asleep on \ Mountain
top, with a score or more of nude wo-
men circling ever his head. The vul>
garlty and utter recklessness for decen
cy or deeorum displayed in the pos
lures of female figures has never before
been equalled here, and the crowd Of
men constantly before the picture
attest its effect.
Speaking of women brings to mind
the third, aid in many respects the
most famous, character in the Fiske
murder-Josie Mansfield. That wo-
mans career has been amazing. l will
never forget how she used to drive
down Broadway in the afternoons.
lollipg II a magnificent baroucbe, with
couchman and fOOtman on the box,
her poodle by her side, and her hands
and throat blazing in diamonds. She
sat in her carriage in front of the Stock
Exchange the day that Fiske and Gould
caused the ncrve-to- kc-forgotten Black
Friday. After the sentence Of Stokes
she went to Paris where she became
the commonest of prefigate women.
Later she returned to New York and
exhibited herself in cheap variety
shows on the Bowery, and now she has
irifted to a certain disreputable dive
on Long Island. Of the three in the
tragedy the woman is the wreck tho
victim Is dead, and the murderer is
alive and proprietor of a hotel.
Occasionally a man of a good figure
and stylish garments walks calmly
about the house and through the bar
oom. His hair is white and his face
lined, but he is young in years.
Men call him Ed" and shake him
warmly by the band. Young men,
strangers gaze at him curiously, but
he never seems t O notice them, and
put with the suave ease that he
entered. That's Stokes, who MUIR
dered Fiske," 10 heard from every side
of the room, aud they go on drinking
or playing, and their money poars stead
into Stoke Golfers. So much for
the Improvement in the mOrai. Oh New
York.-NeU York Letter.