Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-16
STOKES LAST HOURS.
Relatives Say His Mind Gave
Way Months Ago.
AN EVBNTFUL CAREER Is ENDED

- e
Woman who Says She Was Hi
Is Widow Recently Refused BriIIian
Offer OF Owed Miss Bar
clay a Debt of Gratitude-The Incl
dent of killing Of Fisk Recalled
!. When Edward s. Stokes died at tn
home. of his sister, in New York, few
days ago, strangely eventful caree
was ended:
Poor Ed was literally out Of hi
mind for the last six months of hi
life" said one Of Mr.. Stokes relatives
He did not rave, but talked inces
sanity, telling the secrets of his life.
| ut was to keepia guard upon the dy,
ing mans lips that his faithful body
servant never left his side day or night
"As to this Barclay woman, who
claims that Stokes married her, l anG
others of the family are very much il
doubt.
Stokes owed her mighty debt OF
gratitude. He may have. married her
Nine weeks ago Stokes was given up to
die by several of the leading physicians
of this city in consultation at his Sew.
entyninth street home.
''Their unanimous verdict was that
Stokes could not live twelve hours
The Barclay woman urged them to
! make one more effort for his life.
4 When they shook their heads hopeless
~, she begged to be permitted to try a
home remedy of her own.
HE is as good as Dead they said.
! DO what you choose
! "The woman completely covered the
unconscious and apparently dying man
with bottles Of hot water. The patient
rallied from unconsciousness and fell
into restful sleep.
within twenty-four hours Stokes
was able to leave his bed and go driY~
ing.
II am in a position to state positively
that the woman's hand was sought in
| marriage by rich and well known
| New Yorker. He lives in splendid style
on Fifth avenue and is prominent in
social and club life.. He knew Miss
Barclays history and did not conceal
his wooing from Stokes. 1t was bril-
liant opportunity.
"But Stokes was then In the grip of
the malady destined to kill him. So she
refused the man who would have given
her his name and chung to the dying
man who needed her most. For Stokes
to marry her after that test of her
loyalty would not have been strange"
Edward Stokes killing Of his partner,
James Fisk, was the most tragic Incl
dent of his life and seemed to cast
gloom over his subsequent career. This
occurred on Jan. 6, 1872, the crime be-
ing supposedly melted by Josephine
Mansfield. Stokes went to the Grand
Central hotel, where he stationed him
self in the corridor of the parlor floor
carelessly walking up and down and
not appearing to be interested in any
thing in particular The main stair
case was in front of him. He could
see any one entering from Broadway.
Thus stationed he saw Fisk enter and
start up the stairs The latter was
'SCNSu Steps UR WHICH, AS "a w oIOnNEo'
his right arm resting on the standard
at the head of the stairs, a pistol in his
hand. Without speaking Stokes fired
twice. The first bullet took effect in |
the abdomen, the second in the left
arm. Fisk fell to the floor. Stokes
walked away, but was captured before |
he could leave the hotel.
Colonel Jim Fisk was buried with |
honors such as New York has bestowed
upon few men. Stokes remained in
prison. He hired the best counsel in
the land and was tried three times, thel
last time being convicted of manslaugh-I
ter in the third degree. Grover Cleve-
land pardoned him from prison in 1877,
after he had served four years.
The Mansfield woman fled to Boston
after Fisk's death. From there she re-
moved to Paris. In 1901 she married
Robert L. Reade, formerly Of Mime
apolis and New York Since then she
has lived in comparative obscurity.
After Stokes killed Fisk the relations
between the former and Josie Mans
field ended. When pardoned from pris-
OH, Stokes became something of pow
er in politics and had some influence.
but he was not known to have an in
terest in any living woman. He kept |.
himself from public view and avoided
all notoriety.
1t is one of the curious stories of
Stokes career that when he was
prisoner in the Tombs in 1872 George
Francis Train was also there. Train,
while in the prison, organized what he
called the ''Murderers' club in muir
derers' row, with twenty-five mem
oers and himself president Train. an
1ounced to the members Of the club
hat he would see that not one was
hanged.
------T-- On s3z H.
Small Feet Ont of Date In China.