The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-06
STORIES OF STOKES.
The Queer Character of the Man
who Killed Jim FisIe.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
One of the inexplicable mysteries of
Ned Stokes career was his base in
gratitude to Cassius H. Reed and John
w. Mackay. He literally sent the
former to the poor house. Mackay,
fortunately, was too strong for him.
Stokes apartment for years was IN in
ner room on the second floor of the
Worth House, but he was not the only
man in New York to go to bed with a
guard in his chamber and the gas brill
liantly burning all night. In the large
room on the third floor, facing Twenty
fifth street, were three objects of UNI
usual interest to its occupant, a patron
of the hotel. One was life-size por-
trait of a woman, and the third an old
fashioned Swiss clock with automaton
birds that warbled upon the stroke
The pictures were those of Mr.. and
Mrs. Cassius H. Reed, and the clock
was formerly their property-memori-
ais of a binding friendship ruthlessly
broken. But why should they have re-
manned in that room? What became of
them when the Worth House was de-
molished?
For many years the one person who
appeared at all time willing to ap-
proach Stokes, and who seemed at all
hours a welcome companion, was How
ard McNutt his brother-in-law. Stokes
had a nasty way of cutting q. friend
dead to-day and SOLDERING over him
to- morrow, which drove many to stu
diously avoid him. Howard McNutt.
knowing the meaning of his moods and
lenses, was UNAFFECTED by his blowing
hot and cold. 1t was Mrs. McNutt
who sacrificed her fortune to save her
brother from the gallows, and 1t Is be-
Eeyed that his estate will go to her.
The two branches of the Hoffman
House Cafe, one in New street and
the other in Beaver, have long been
under the management of McNutt, who
is secretary of the company controlling
them. He is an extremely popular man
with all who know him. There was an
ugly scandal about the former branch,
in which were mixed up the names OF
Stokes and a former presiden. Of the
Consolidated Exchange, and the
amount of the annual lease.
John Mackay, the salt of the
EARTH as he is known in the West,
could not do enough for Stokes after
the latter presented to him the mare
Eva, which he had tried in vain to buy
from Stokes for $4,000. Having be-
come proprietor of the Hoffman House,
the slayer of Fisk set apart the finest
suite of rooms for the Bonanza King,
and no other patron of the house was
permitted to breathe there. Whenever
Stokes showed unwonted excitement,
when he ripped and swore around,
cursed the help and abused the clerks,
threatened the cooks with instant de-
capitation and hustled the steward off
to market to buy extras, it was gener-
ally understood that Mackay was ex-
pected to arrive. With his own hands
he busted Mackay's rooms and set the
furniture to rights, made the bed. lit
the fires, etc. The stewardess trembled
when he dashed into the pantry to tear
bushels of celery apart to get the
hearts for his millionaire guest. litter
ing the floor with the coarser stalks.
It is presumed that a far-seeing,
practical man Of experience like John
Mackay was not slow to arrive at
proper estimate OF Stokes and his over
attentions. This is illustrat-
ed by a colloquy between Stokes and
semitic Mackay's rooms by this maid
a hundred dollar bouquet of American
Beauties. The Salt was opening his
mail as Marie entered bearing the roses
and the landlords compliments. Stokes,
waiting at the end of the hall. stopped
the girl, as, in great trepidation, she
hastened past What did he say;
what did Mr.. Mackay say?" he whis-
pered. She hung her head confusedly.
"Quick. Did you give him the roses?"
"I-I-did, SIR" did he say any
thing?" yves. sir" "Well. what
did he say." He said for me TOTO
throw the damned things in the fire,
they made the room stink"
/ have never heard a man undertake
to excuse Stokes for the murder OF
Fisk. And that is strange circum-
one who eased his conscience by dis
tributing caravans Of food and cloth
Ing TO the poor He was no better than
a highwayman. John w. Gates has all
Of Flsk's daring and strongly resem-
bIes him In feature. but John Watch
Me does not find II necessary TO give
away fortunes 10 make his peace with
However. the mass OF the
people never could forgive Stokes for
killing this Falstafiian hnancier. this
Paphian pachyderm OF Wall street.
whose gold braid and brass buttons
railroads and steamboats, had created
sentiment IN his favor. From the
FAY stokes left prison until his last
illness took him from the public view
be- was constantly pointed out 10
strangers az the man that killed for
murdered Fisk" lie was never al
Owed 10 forget the crime.
Not "a few close observers regarded
stokes with sympathy. for they felt
sure that the man was insane. The