The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-03
DIES AT HOME
OF HIS SISTER
Edward stiles Stokes, For Forty
Years a Conspicuous Figure in
the Life of New York Passes
Away &
ON TRIAL THREE
TIMES FOR MURDER
Served Four Years For Killing
James Fisk Jr. With Whom He
Had QuarreIIed Over a Beautl-
full CaIifornian-Friend of Gro
ker and SCanneIl

New York, Nov. Edward stiles
Stokes died this afternoon at the home
of his sister, Mrs McNutt, succeed
ing a severe attack which came while
he was travelling in Canada, Mr.. Stokes
had for some time been in railing
health. He was very low 10 days ago
but rallied only to sink again. He be-
gan failing last midnight and his
strength slowly ebbed away to the end
this afternoon.
Edward Stiles Stokes was a conspicu-
Gus figure in the life of New York city
for 40 years. He was to the fore in
nublic view even to the last, for the
bitterness and strife of the litigation
in which he was recently engaged with
his cousin, w. E. D. Stokes, attracted
general attention His name was lnsep-
arably connected with the tragic kill
ing of James Fisk, Jr., who was shot by
him in 1872, after famous quarrel in
volving large financial interests and the
favor of Josie Mansfield, oeautlfui
, Californian.
Stokes was born in Philadelphia on
April 81, 1841. He was educated IN
Pennsylvania and won fame as
sportsman and athlete IN his college
DAYS He came to New York in 1861
and organized the firm of Budlong d
Stokes which quickly won attention
for it's operations in the produce ex-
change. The firm dissolved in 1865 and
Stokes began the erection of the Brook
Ign oil refinery. It was while organlz-
ing the project that Stokes met Fisk
whom he shot later.
Reverses on oil and fire at his re-
fnery ruined Stokes, but when he
emerged from bankruptcy he promptly
formed another company and rebuilt
the refinery. With Fisk, Jay Gould,
and the others who operated the Erie
Railroad, he made an agreement as to
oil rates that proved highly lucrative
After a few years of close intimacy
| Stokes and Fisk quarrelled. Josie
Mansfield was under the protection Of
the latter, and there was belief that
Fisk resented Stokes attentions to
her. Stokes always asserted that FISK
tried to ruin him by manipulating oil
rates on the Erie Railroad, which Fisk
controlled. The quarrel was a fierce
one and was carried into Wall Street,
where the men matched their skill and
nerve with financial ruin as the trophy.
| In 1871 Stokes was arrested on the
/ charge that he had embezzled $780,
| 600 from the oil company The charge
was eventually disproved, and FISK ana
|
| Then followed a final break which
| eliminated in the shooting. Josie Mans
| field left Fisk and passed under the
protection Of Stokes. Litigation was re
| rumed between the two men who made
! charges and counter charges of start
| ling nature as to financial transactions.
! Threats Of personal violence were eX-
! changed, and their final meeting was
| rot unanticipated. They met on the
! +1,o oil n
! tel now the Broadway Central, on
| Jan 6. 1872. and Stokes shot Fisk
Fisk lived until the next morning and
/ Stokes gave himself up few minutes
after the shooting. He was detained
| in the Tombs and had three trials. the
| first resulted in a disagreement ana
the second in conviction of murder In
the first degree. Stokes was sentenced
to be hanged He was given new
trial and was convicted Of manslaugh-
fer in the third degree. He was SEN
/ fenced to four years in the penitentiary.
Stokes defense was that the killing
was in self defense, after Fisk had
drawn a revolver from his pocket
There was some evidence to bear this
out, though it was vigorously contra
dicted.
Stokes nerved the four years, 1877
and then returned to this city. He was
restored to citizenship in 1884 by Grover
Cleveland, then governor. He again
embarked in business and became In
terested, among other enterprises, In
the Hoffman House. He became in
volved in a serious dispute with his
cousin, w. F. D. Stokes, over the
Hoffman House. and the case was
fought through the law courts for sew
eral years. He finally sold his interest
and in the last few years of his life
was not actively in business He was
man of splendid personal appearance
and back at the high tide of his power
had a large personal following. While
+ in prison, after shooting Fisk, he met
Richard Croker and John j. Scanned