The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-07-22
EDWARD S. STOKES.
THE ONCE NOTED FINANCIER AND SLAY-
Err OF JAMES FISK.

Err OF JAMES FISK.
Broken in Health and Spirit-L-aSt
Chapter in Sensational and Dis
tressing Tragedy-tiis Condition
Revives the Story of How tie Killed
Fisk.
(New York Cor Chicago Times He.ald)
Edward 5. Stokes, ghost haunted
and sOul-slriCSen by the memory Of
the murder of Jim" Fisk for the love
Of woman, IS going to Carlsbad. 1t
Is hardly likely that he viii ever
come back. He is very sick There
IS less prospect N his battle for life
than IN the historic and heroic ones
he made IN court To save him5ei! from
the saliows. It IS likely that tins
exile will prove u him as disastrous as
did the exile Of his wife and daughter
to them-dea,h. 1t may prove the
last chapter IN distressing tragedy,
which is SO old that il Is new, and So
intense that the story of it has lived L
quarter Of century. The passing OF
Stokes 70 Europe for his last struggle
takes from this country the sole sur
vivor among the distinguished men
actively engaged in his three trials
the counsel on both sides, the experts,
the witnesses. Almost the entire
drama has passed off the stage-ali
bat the leading fgures-Josephine
Mansfield and Edward 5. Stokes.
Stokes al the beginning of the tale
was known as the handsomest man IN
New York. He was a successor o!
James Fisk IN the favor of Josephine
Mansfield. Fisk was the partner Of
Jay Gould, and a, the time was one
Of the men who controlled tie money
interests of the country, Stokes and
Fisk were partners in the Brooklyn
Oh 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 embezzle
mcnt OF the company'S funds. The
warrant was served in the Hoffman
House. The woman then deter
mined to help Stokes, since Fisk had
sighted her when he found that Stokes
had been foollng him for more than a
year. She thereupon made the fight
OF Stokes her own case, gave Stokes
all the letters which she had from
Fisk. 1t then became a battle where
Some one m"st die.
THE BATTLE IN THE COURTS.
Fisk lost the first suit, and then
Stokes sued him for $500, 900 damages.
Stokes threatened to print all OF Fisk S
letters TO NJ IS Mansfield unless the
money was paid
To add TO the war mater el between
the three Mss Mansfield wen, into
court with papers which set forth that
Fisk owed her $50, 1000. Flsk g"'
back The letters which Miss Mansfield
| considered SO valuable TO him, but h-
paid high prDce for them. She then
had him arrested for The cash indebted
| ness, and alter an exciting day IN this
suit Miss Mansfield ami Stokes went
TO the home Fisk na.i given Mss
| Mansfield IN Twenty -rh,,h street
They wrr- /; luncheon when a
messenger rr~'s,' Il W h the announce
men, ,ha, + K Il caused the ISSUE
Q; bench W.. !; for Stokes on an
indictment by 'c grand jury. Then
Stokes resolved to Kill.
Stokes found Fisk at the Grand
Central Hotel an hour later and
deliberately and coolly pulled a
revolver and shot him. The legal
controversy over the murder made
chapters in New York's criminal
Practice Stokes hired the best Coun
sci in the land His old father put
his entire fortune at the disposal OF his
son. 1t TO TX every cent of ii TO get a
verdict. Stokes stood for years face
to face with the sCalfold, bnt on the
lsIa.ah,a. 49, ,,1;ra 1aa-a. IT,
woe reIsosad tron, wilson !, ,2e-
RI,
~, .a,'a, aa,al la.ax ,.., naana ,,a.
7,''P WI N1'' '.'' '''-' w.. '' Wv wa,
financial shrewdness. He has been
| gD'nu down hill ever since. He i
"' " = ''.'' wv = '''7 F'''
'' ,,....
7'''>',,, '.'> <'->' ~ F" ''.''
stokes FISK ana MSS Nans''e' =. ~
were ''''tc l'eoP'e nom ''''ee 'S'''
! HieS. r'Sh was " 'eI'''"''' ! d''HSe
WHO ''af'eH ms n'1'C''d''' nc d
i'e''''sT ana H'"'c wagons "'T' '"t
'''.~' o1' e''h5 In Na'e anu 'o'N u 5
II! -..>"7 ~ cd3h ~ ld5>, "h''i