St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-14

and of his subsequent brilliant record
in the war is matter of history. He is
member of the Iammany hall general
committee from the Seventh district.
Jim Fisk's Fate.
1t was 4 D. M, Jan. 6, 1872, that
Stokes entered the Grand Central hotel.
He had been engaged for two years in
bitter feud with the Erie ring, headed
by James Fisk Jr. and Jay Gould.
Fisk and Gould and Tweed, by cum
ming Vaccinations, had got Stokes into
tight place. He was on the verge
of financial ruin. A first at
dicted had failed, but a second at
tempt, ne had learned that day, had
been successful. He had been in the
morning at the Yorkville police court,
attending the criminal suit of Jose
phlne Mansfield against Fisk. He was
accompanied in court by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney John r. Fellows and
John McKeon, his counsel. After the
hearing he drove to Delmonico's with
the two lawyers and dined.
There they separated, Stokes going to
the Grand Central hotel in coupe. He
reached there at 4 p. H., passed in by
the main entrance and up the main stair
case to the main corridor on the second
floor, where he commenced pacing
slowly up and down, apparently waiting
Tor some one.
How Stokes Shot Fisk.
Fisk left Jay Gould and others of the
Erie ring at the Grand opera house that
afternoon and drove in his gorgeous
Clarence to the Grand Central hotel.
He entered at the ladies' entrance, and
asked John L. Redmond, the porter, if
Mrs. Morse, widow, who, with her
mother and two daughters, were stay
ing there, was in. He learned that she
was out, but that one of the daughters
was in, and sent word to her that he
was in the parlor. He then proceeded
up the stairs. He had gone but a few
steps when he looked up and saw
Stokes leaning over the railing at the
head of the stairs. He had hardly
noticed that Stokes held something in
his hand when there was a flash,
sharp report and bullet crashed into
Fisk'S abdomen, just four inches above
the umbilicuS and little to the right of
the median line.
The bullet plowed inward and down.
ward. There was second shot from
Stokes pistol, and second bullet struck
Fisk's left arm just above the elbow,
passing through the flesh. He turned
and ran down the stairs, and fell at the
foot of them as third shot, harmless,
was fired.
Stokes turned to the ladies' reception
room, threw his pistol upon the sofa,
rushed to and down the main stairs.
Then, as he heard great commotion, he
ran into the barber shop, thence into
the main lobby, and then into the sa-
loon on the first floor, evidently making
for the Mercer street exit. There he
slipped and fell, and as he rose was
grabbed by Redmond and others and
handed over to Policeman McCadden,
who took him before Capt. Byrnes, of
Mercer street police station. There
Stokes gave his name, and refused to
talk more.
Gould Hastens to Fisk.
Fisk was picked up and taken to
room on the floor above. His injuries
were so painful that his coat could be
removed only by cutting it away.
Stokes was taken before him by Capt
Byrnes and identified as the asSailant.
Fisk died the next day, and Stokes was
taken to the Tombs.
1t was curious feature of the affair
that as soon as Fisk was shot word was
sent to Jay Gould at the Grand opera
house, where he at once took carriage
and fastened to the hotel. According
to newspaper reports of the day, Gould
at once had policemen stationed and in
structed so that no one but members of
the Erie ring could get at Fisk. Tweed
was there with Gould. The reports
proceed: "The room was guarded by
the Erie ring as strictly as that of the
dying and deiiriouS James Watson was
by the Tammany ring leaders a year
ago, aud probably from the same fear
that the dying man might, in moments
of delirium, betray some of the Erie
secrets which he shared"
Stokes was tried and convicted of
murder in the first degree. His counsel
appealed, and the verdict was set aside
and new trial ordered on the ground
that Judge Bowdman. before whom the
trial was conducted, had admitted evil
dence that should not have been ad-
mitted, and that the charge to the jury
was faulty. On the second trial Stokes
was convicted Oct. 90, 1875, of man.
slaughter in the third degree and was
sentenced to four years. He served
his term, securing third off for good
behavior. He was in the TOmbs three
years pending his two trials. His coun-
sci sought to have this deducted from
his term of sentence, but the court re-
fuS ed to do so.