Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-31
HER CAREER ENDING,
Josie Mansfield, Once Brilliant and
Notorious, Now a Helpless Par
alytic.


Now Josie Mansfield is at her sister;
house IL Philade 3hia, there probably
TO end her life life that has known
both n-verty and the brilliance OF
doubtfCs pr ,perity
Miss E.aI sfield VINO has lived in Bos-
ton for three years under the name OF
/ Mrs. Josie WellOn, has been an invalid
nearly all the time, suffering her first
| stroke shortly after her arrival
| Strangely enough, paralysis has not
| dimmed the intensely keen and sensi-
| tive brain. Her eyes are as observant
and sympathetic as of old. She under
stands what is said just as readily as
she ever did. Mental disturbance is
evidenced, however, III her tendency
toward maudlin laughter or a half
childish eXulta- ion over trivial things.
Hour after hour she huns over
snatches of the operas or the songs of
Paris. Today she presents one of the
most affecting spectacles one could look
upon.
Josie Mansfeld's pedigree appears to
be hidden in veil Of mystery. Bos-
ton is credited with her birth, and she
was wont to declare that her name was
Helen Josephine Mansfield, although
others cl,Iimed that Warren was her
family name and her folks were very
decent people. This was denied some
years ago by Frank Lawley, the actor,
who claimed that she appealed to him
to save her from being used by her par
ents for purposes of bIackmail.
She was just Is, possessed of a
strange, ark beauty, and LAWYER
married her in San Francisco in 1859.
This union lasted for one year. The
actor did his meager best to reform
her, but this modern Mana, having seen
Lawler 'go broke" over her extrava-
gance, disappeared out of his life
From 1850 to 1867 her location has
never been satisfactorily explained.
Ignorant and unpublished as LAWYERS
wife she appeared again before the cal
cium of public gaze and was seen in the
company of Annie Woods, an actress
who knew good lions and men who
went the pace. Among the latter
was Col. Jim" Fisk, Jr.
Josie Mansfield-she had dropped the
Lawler through the medium of an easy
divorce-soon had Fisk under her
Circe-like enchantment.
The beautiful, uncut, unpublished gem
Of 1859 was now, by attrition, bril-
liant, flashing, polished woman OF the
world. When she met Fisk her last
dollar was gone and she was arrayed
in her last gown.
She occupied a whole house in 1868,
had servants, jewels, and equipages,
and Fisk was credited with paying the
bills
At this time those who basked under
her smiles described her as of fair
skin, lustroUs as an Easter lily, with
broad white brows covered by masses
of silky black hair, like clusters of
rich grapes, fruit of the vine from the
garden of Bacchus. Long gold hoops,
gypsy-like, hung from her tiny, pink
tinted, shell-like ears. Small, plump
hands, with absolutely fau1tless nails,
and a figure of ravishing curves,
finished by tiny foot, completed her
ensemble, and with the exception of
her eyes. Gray eyes they were, full of
sOrcery, ftful as tropical sea, with
phosphorescent CLEANS.
This was the queen that reigned IN
the "brownstone 'front.' at 329 West
Twenty-third street, New York city,
where Jim Fisk and his friends had
feasts fit for Lucullus, and poker games
filled in the nights.
It was at one of these feasts that
Fisk, boasting Of his power, his con-
troll of the city or state, declared:
'I have this city or state in the hol
low of my hand. I think I'll have an
act of the legislature passed changing
the name of the city to Fiskville."
With carmine lips close to his ear
and with softly sweet voice, josie
Mansfeld-Lawler whispered:
"Why not name New York after
me?"
"By =" he exclaimed, you're beau
tiful enough to have this town wear
your name But what should it be?
Josie is not quite dignifed enough, is
it? Oh, to be sure, Helen! You're as
fair as Helen of Troy I'll bet rail-
road I might have New York called
Helena ,"
Sitting at the table at the time was
young man, dark-haired, with the eX-
ton of a snow-white lock, like feath
err, with dark eyes, classic features,
fierce mouth, and sinewy build. He
was Edward S. Stokes.
At this time the ladies wore the
Mansfield bonnet, the Mansfield wrap,
or had their hair braided in the Mans
field couture. At the zenith of her
fame, Fisk supplied with information
from detectives, threw aside the Wo-
man he had raised to this eminence.
Her gray eyes flashed. She had let
ters from him, and prepared to split
him before the public Fisk secured
an injunction against their publication,
and in this year, 1871, legal battles
ragged between the two.
Fisk also pitted his millions against
Stokes s250,OO0 in order to ruin the
man whom he accused of transplantiL g
| him in the heart of Josie Mansfield.
! Fisk had remarked:
"Stokes wants a fight with me- I
tell you my touch is cold and clammy."
Fisk crushed Josie Mansfield in the
courts. Stokes was there and saw It,
too, saw that his adversary was strong
enough to crush him as he had the
| woman.
It at last came to the only finish that
could be forseen II was on the after