The herald., 1894-01-01
MONDAY. JANUARY /. 1894.
SOME "REMINISCENCES.
BY JOSEPH d. LYNCH,

The HERALD staff, ON consultation.
decided to rake this number-that
Commemorative OF New Year's-dis.
tnctively the work of its members.
The newspaper stories by the staff
proper figure on page 4S. have been
sked to contribute journalistic mem
crabilia, and cheerfully comply. Con-
ai6isring now long long age the tbs events tn
thich dedicate my pen occurred, it
=, perhaps as well that ehould write in
he first person and under my own
aame.
In 1.-THE fall. winter and spring OF
SLIP occupied law Office at No.
Park Row in DsmAs Bsrnes's build
ing. I had the rooms exactly above
hose of Victoria Woodruff and her
lister, Tennie G. Clahin. | was a
brieAess barrister, young. and possessed
sverythipg but money and a knowledge
Il iaw-both desidsrata in great city
ike New York. My Office was near to
he old tumble-down Tribune building,
which saw the best efforts OF the genius
Of Horace Greeley. | had chum on
he Tribune named Harry Brown.
ne on the Pittsburg Dispatch, and
whom frequently went to see. Harry
Brown did the Tweed business for the
Tribune and did it we'll. IIs was
ine illustration OF the fearlessness, the
ability and the cheek of the born re-
porter.
II so happened that as | would be
ascending the Tribune staiys to zee
Harry Brown, 'Ed Stokes would be de-
scending from, interviews with Mr.
Shanks, the city ed.tor ofsthat journal,
with whom be was very, intimate, and
rice rersa. thus came to know him by
sight quite well althoughit SO happened
that had never been introduced 10
him until the occurrences am about to
relate.
History was made very rapidly in New
York at that time. do not remember
the date when Stokes shot Jim Fisk,
out it was sometime about the turn of
the year 1S7l-72, certainly somewhere
n 1872. | was in the near neighbor-
lood of the Grand Central hotel when
The tragedy was enacted, and was one
81 the fret to arrive on the ground.
Prior to that time Stokes was the
beau ideal OF lady's favorite. He was
tall and elegant in person-probsbly
somewhere between five feet ten and
half inches high, and six feet--the ideal
IN 10 4ott do
from the crown of his faultess hat to
the toe of his dainty boot. He was
young and endowed with victorious
health, manners insinusting and feline,
and that namsless something" which
assures it's possessor a sort OF undis-
puted supremacy with women. l have
never met any one who has attempted
to define that 'something," and / doubt
il ever will.
The assassination of Fisk was a Pc
snliarly atrocious and cowardly crime.
1t was intensified by the fact that Fisk
gas known to be the biggest poltroon on
earth. Consequently excitement ran
high. With all his faults, Fisk was
very good humored man. He had done
many kindly things and was popular
with the masses. The peculiar circum-
tances of his taking off had excited the
oopulace to white heat.
] shall never forget the scene around
he new city hall the day Stokes was
srraigned. An immense and noisy con-
;ourse was around the building, and
nan against whom such demonstrative
luminosity WAS directed had every rea.
on to feel nervous, especially when his
towardly heart beat its own accom-
,animents TO the compunctious visitines
II conscience. On that day the persons
Who occupied Sheriff Brennan's private
,fiice in the city hall we-e the sheriff
himself, Deputy Sheriff Judson Jarvis,
stokes, bis counsel, John Graham. who
yore then. as he wears now, his blonde
Wig; the writer, bis brother, and Harry
5rown of the Tribune, whom neither
nan nor devil could keep out OF any
'fficial penetralis, and who dragged his
rlends in with him. This was all the
more easy because my brother and my
ieif stood well in the sherif's Office.
1t was en- this occasion that was Fl rst
introduced to Stokes. My brother, who
dad horror oil murderers. on feing in
troduced TO Stokes, declined to snaks bis
hand. l was less lastidious. | had no
idss that, with the lavatory facilities
that abounded on every hand in New
York, any damned spot" would adhere
60 my palm. just "a we had got through
the hsndshsklng operation, bowl Of