The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-02

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happy as when surrounded by a
dozen harlots and q few friends as
loose as himself; he INDUCED in
those costly and lavish feasts at
which New York stood aghast four
teen or fifteen years ago. The fact
was. that we we're rushing headlong
to shame and degradation, when
suddenly the pistol Of Ed. Stokes
awakened us from our dream. What
depth of infamy we would lave
reached if it had not been for that.
God only knows, for in the wake of
this notorious man were following
thousands and thousands of young
men who were led to believe that
money was the 'Open Sesame to
every good thing. The Ninth Regi-
ement Of War Veterans had dis
graced itself by making this pol
troon its Colonel-a man who had
never seen battle and knew no
more about the duties of a soldier
than a horse. On the fourth of
July before his death, Tammany
Hall had received him with open
arms, and standing beside the great
Sycamore Tweed, Jim Fisk made
his first and last public speech, but
the pistol of Ed. Stokes dissolved
the firm of Fisk & Gould, and hence
forth Gould, as the Man of Destiny,
was doomed to tread the wine press
alone.
For two mortal years of agony
I'd. St, kes stood under the shadow
of the scaffold. Twice the sentence
of the Courts was affirmed, and
twice the gallows was erected on
which he was to swing. Once only
q few short hours seemed to inter
vene between him and a shameful
death. No wonder that his hair
turned white as snow when he
thought of the priceless treasure he
had thrown away forever for har-
lots smile. But his lucky star was
in the ascendant. The Court of
Appeals gave him new trial. The
grade of his crime was changed
from murder in the first degree to
the third. He served his term out,
made another fortune in Leadyille
and returned to New York. Many
people circumstanced as Ed. Stokes
was would have avoided observa-
ton, but he did not he sought it
in the most public place in the city,
and took the Hoffman House, just
above the Fifth Avenue Hotel. His
first attempt at notority was his
barroom, which was admitted to be
one of the most magnificent in the
city. Costly statuary, magnificent
bronzes, rare articles Of vertu and
ornaments, met you at every turn,
and finally New York was amazed
al the purchase of a Bongerou-the
price was said to be $4,000. No
such picture had ever been seen in
America before, and there are few
such in the world. 1t is not such a
picture as one would like to see in
any public gallery (and believe it
was denied place in the Grand
Salon at Paris), but it is a marvel
of art and has drawn thousands
of visitors to Ed Stokes bar. All
the appointments are costly and
rich, and it is the central place in
town where you can meet all the
fast young men--fellows who drive
their fast cracks on Harlem Lane,
antiquated rovers who take their
sherry and eggs. and sporting men
from all parts of the country who
drop in to chat and get the latest
tips from Jay I See or Maud S.
When the Fifth Avenue Hotel be-
gan it's alterations, Ed. Stokes wait
ed till they had finished and then
went them one better. 1 dropped
into the Hoffman the other day and
was struck with wonder at the
change. 1t is the headquarters Of
the Democratic National Commit.
tee, but there is nothing Demo
cratic about it. Gold, gold, gold,
is around you everywhere, rich
armoirs, carvings, frescos, and
everything else on q scale Of lavish
extravaganza, wonderful to behold.
AS far ss display is concerned the
Fifth Avenue Hotel and every other
in town is distanced and eclipsed.
Who will be the next aspirant for
fame? I know not, butin the midst
of all this bewildering beauty Ed.
Stokes stalks about, a spectre gloom
seems to hang on him like pail.
Perhaps it is the shadow Of the gal.
lows, the memory of which will not
pass away. If so, I do not envy
him all his splendid surroundings.
The intense heat which made us
think that the earth's crust was
growing thinner and that q possible
volcano was under New York, has
passed away. 1t was dreadful. 1t
was calculated to exercise whole
some influence on sinners, for they
said if it is as hot as this here what
must it be in Gehanna latest trans
lation), but it did not. 1 heard
more profanity in those five days
than 1 usually hear in an average
three months; but o change has
come, delightful and refreshing, and
now we are fairly launched into the
pleasant fall. Business is improv-
ing, Notwithstanding the roar Of the