The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-30
STOKES AND HIS CRIME
jim FIsK's SLAYER PROBABLY
NEARING THE END OF HIS LIFE.
Sensational Tragedy Recalied-Josfe
MansfeId's Unfafthfuiness to the
prince of Erie"

ghoSt-haunted and soul-Stricken by the
memory of the murder of Jim Fisk for
the love Of q woman, is going to Carlsbad.
1t is hardly likely that he will ever come
back. He is very sick. There is less pros
pect in this last battle for life than III the
historic and heroic ones he made in court
to save himself from the galows. 1t is
likely that this exile viii prove to him as
disastrous as did the exile of his wife and
daughter to them-death. 1t may prove the
last chapter in distressing tragedy which
is SO old that it is new, and SO intense that
the story of it has lived over a quarter of
a century. The passing of Stokes to Europe
for his last struggle takes from this coun-
try the sole survivor among the distin-
guished men actively engaged in his three
trials-the counsel on both sides, the ex-
perts, the witnesses. Almost the entire cast
Ill the drama has passed off the stage-all
but the leading fgures-Josephine Mans
field and Edward S. Stokes.
Stokes at the beginning of the tale was
known as the handsomest man in New
York. He was the successor of James Fisk
IN the favor of Josephine Mansfield. Fisk
was the partner of Jay Gould and at the
time was one of the-nlen who controlled
the money interests of the country. Stokes
and Fisk were partners in the Brooklyn Oil
Refining Company. They were rivals in the
strife for the smiles of Miss Mansfield. Fisk
thought he could win the fight over the
woman by running Stokes financially. He
started out to do this. He had his partner
arrested for alleged embezzlement of the
company's funds. The warrant was served
in the Hoffman House. The woman then
determined to help Stokes, since Fisk had
Sighted her when he found that Stokes had
or MIRO IA a 1sa
thereupon made the tight of Stokes her own
case, gave Stokes all the letters and told
him the business secrets which she had
from Fisk 1t then became a battle where
some one must die.
Fisk lost the first suit, and then Stokes
sued him for 100000 damages. Stokes
threatened TO print all of Fisk.s letters to
Miss Mansfield unless the money was paid.
10 add TO the war material between the
papers which set forth that Fisk owed her
$4,000. Fisk got back the letters which
Miss Mansfield considered so valuable to
him, but he paid a high price for them,
She then had him arrested for the cash in
debtedness, and after an exciting day in
this suit Miss Mansfield and Stokes went to
the home Fisk had given Miss Mansfield in
TWenty-third street. They were at luncheon
when messenger rushed in with the an
nouncement that Fisk had caused the issue
of a bench warrant for Stokes on an in
dictment by the grand jury. Then Stokes
resolved to kill.
Stokes found Fisk at the Grand Central
hotel an hour later and deliberately and
coolly pulled revolver and shot him. The
legal controversy over the murder made
chapters in New Yorx's criminal practice.
Stokes hired the best counsel in the land.
HIS old father put his entire fortune at the
disposal of the son. 1t took every cent of
it to get a verdict. Stokes stood for years
face 10 face with the scaffold, but on the
third trial he was convicted Of man
slaughter In the third degree. He was re-
leased from prison in 1887, having served
four years. President Cleveland restored
him to full citizenship seven years later,
but no one was able to restore his former
vigor and financial shrewdness. He has
been going down hill ever since. He is now
at Virginia Hot SPRINGS physical wreck.
Stokes, Fisk and Miss Mansfield were
three people from threy different types.
Fisk was a Vermont Yankee who started
his merchant life as q Deddter. His father
was peddler, and both drove wagons over
the hills, bartering tinware and cooking
utensils for cash or rags, which were
be wholesale venture N All his wagons
had pictures of himself and wife on the
outside. He was shrewd. The money which
he saved gave him enough capital at the
beginning of the war to make a successful
bid for supplying underwear 10 the troops.
This earned him half million dollars in
to make corner in wool in the Boston
market. The next natural step was Wall
street Gould and Drew took him up and
Fisk was soon known as the prince of
Erie" He entertained lavishly, spent
money lavishly and fell in with the actor
folk This led to Josephine Mansfield
er, because she had no scrupleS, than Fisk.
She was rosy-lipped and buxom. Fisk lost
his head under the Influence of her beau
ty. Fisk's money was her money He built
her magnificent home, in which he spent
more time than he did at his own home
His wife was an educated woman an heir
esS and the mother Of a daughter. He de-
serted them and disgraced them until they
left the country-until the daughter died
and the mother dropped from sight in her
shame. Fisk cut all the bridges behind
him in his infatuation. 1t was to Josie
Mansfelds house he fled when Wall street
Gould and Tweed with him to the place
on the celebrated black Friday, and here
more than seven days.
Stokes paid the penalty, as did Fisk He
was man of education and birth-not a
Stokes to Miss Mansfield and the woman
ct once began to scheme with Stokes
to make money out of Fisk Fisk began
to suspect that the secrets in the financial
world which he told Miss Mansfield We're
being peddled by her to some one else s
advantage. and he put detective on the
track of Stokes. The moment he became
convinced Of the treachery of the woman
and the new favorite he started out to ruin
for him. Miss Mansfield then came to the
assistance of Stokes and the sensational
war began. This war almost wrecked the
fortunes of all of them save the savings
of Miss Mansfield She profited while all
the others were losing.
Miss Mansfield did exactly what might
her benefactors dead and the other IN
prison. She gave neither a thought. She
went to Paris, remorseless, gay, notorious.
Stokes lost her the moment he shot Fisk.
Fisk dead and Stokes in Jail, it was neces-
sary for her to seek new victims.
Stokes tells the story of his, troubles in
his features. His eyes dance like those of
a man bounded with fear and dread. His
hair is white-one of the wages of sin
among men not old enough to have white
hair. He is guarded by two detectives.
He never sits in a public place unless he
can get position with his back to the
wall. He seems to fear attack from
behind. There is always light in the
room in which he sleeps. His face is
drawn in lines of misery. A man who is
with him most of the time declares that
Stokes has not had a peaceful moment
since he shot and killed his partner and
fell a victim to the wles of a wicked
woman. Stokes managed to save a part
of his fortune, but the money is salt upon
his wounded soul. He cannot buy peace
health OF honor with it, Carlsbad viii be
the seat of the hardest contest he has had
to meet-a hand TO hand tourney with Slow
death.
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