The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-14
'asJIM" FISK'S WIDOW LIVES
ON LESS THAN So PER WEEK
Knows That She Can Exist On That and Is Satisfied With
Her Lot Having Almost Forgotten What Her
Former Life Had Been.

BOSTON. MASS, January is.-.rn
lituc two story wooden house o,
X Street South Boston, depend
Ing upon an income which two de
cades ago would scarcely have suiiice'
FOR the maintenance of one OF her house
hold pensioners, lives Mrs. James Fisk
formerly Of New York. and widow Of Tn
JntrcH Fisk whose murder by Edwar'
s. Stokes III ls72 startled the people o
two continents.
Less thnn twenty-five years ago Mrs
James Fisk. rs wife of the owner OF ~
Erie road and other vast industrial hold
Influential women in New York, and II
absolute control of - fortune in her owl
right valued at millions.
james Fisk was mt that time, just pre-
yious 10 his murder by Stokes, the part.
her OF Jay. Gould, a former friend OF
Boss Tweed, one of the Tammany die
tnters, and a man whose. worded menace
was sufficient to accomplish the financial
ruin OF any one unfortunate enough to
Then ii was that Mrs. Fisk had friends
IN plenty. was counted alike both for her
beauty and her wealth and in the 4, social
same strength as did that OF her husba1
in Wall street or anywhere ON change.
She has seen his murderer found guilty
of ~ crime which at first was thought
would send him to the. gallows. She has
seen that verdict revoked, sentence OF
imprisonment imposed, and the murderer
aiterward released from jail to regain
aimost the identical position forfeited by
ILl&t crime.
Hhc has seen a vast fortune disslpated-
Shs has seen her husbands SO called
friends with greedy hands stretch out
Incapable OF resistance, has seen that hus-
hands wealth added TO the fortunes of
those whom he had honestly befriended
in l.fe.
Like leaves In autumn she has seen her
false friends fall from her sde--has
known the emptiness of social prestige
and, like many another. has been glad to
turn TO the few faithful ones who re-
rneiibered her for what she wGs-for'
what She had been.
To-day woman well on to 90 years,
she. is content to live in practical OBS
curity, content TO know that she may
at least exist without help, and satisfied
IN the, confidence that sufficient is LETT
decent burial.
Her income to-day ia scarcely 50 per
week, but Mrs; Fisk knows that she can
n9d has almost forgotten what her former
Up to the time of James Fisks tragic
clor had put his hand to had prospered
wonderfully. and when but few short
years previously he had wed q young
and beautiful Wife, jealous rivals agreed
that James Fisk had accomplished the
greatest stroke In his extraordinary ca
reer.
For his newly welded bride was many
years younger, extremely prepossessing,
OF the wealthy nnancier to the best ad-
vantage and reap socially honors as high
as.those he himself had gained financially
tial Fisk residence, and wealth, beauty
everything most desirable in New York
was eager to pay. her homage. She had
proud of his accomplished wife, James
Fisk anticipated every wish, and fortune
smiled anS mo- most brightly upon the Fisks.
the Fisk fortunes for the first time: then
occurred that tragic event that in the
twinkling of an eye made a widow of
the happy bride and led to years OF Iiti-
cation that eventually were to rob her
of her princely home, Of her husband
vast property and her own
A few Years before Colonel Fisk had
met and become attracted by one Edward
;. Stokes, who had previously deserted
the humdrum business in which father
ana son had amassed Il comfortable for
tune for the allurng chances of Wall
street and IT'S speculations. Stokes was
z bright, preDossessing man. many years
flsk junior, but he showed such an
especial aptitude for successful specua-
IN some OF MS schemes and helped him
10 ADD considerably TO his own wealth.
Quarreled Over Woman.
Although firm friends and business nsso-
GATES. quarrel soon arose over the
josie RSe Nan TeF s Me R RaSW to
the speedlest set of New York as the
1cc hIia It OF palatal mansion allotted
claim that Stokes was acquainted with,
ne woman before he met Fisk there are
9 9tnners who maintain that Fisk took
Stokes around and introduced him, and
lnus itld the lines for their quarrel, sepa-
ration. and Fisk's own untimely death
D,r sHsie >, aians g was at that time
prliiiant and fascinating woman. She was
porn IN Middleboro. in this state, in a
house nous now standing, within 100 yards of
had men of oil classes at her feet.
1t Is evident that she soon tired OF Fisk.
. s0r sa re- began S1 to show decided prefer
Jealousy. stroye to win the fight for her
directions by running Stokes financially.
st nG formers me frst move was to have
Ehng the eohpany's funds. The charge
sell th r and Stokes retaliated BY
sung Elk for false Imprisonment The
and went into court showing that Fiss
RWed her $4,000 and accusing him OF
Shot Fisk.
After an exciting day in this suit she
gnd stokes lunched together In the home
This meal that a messenger arrived 4 v, WIN
q. see news ssn. tina. Fisk had caused the issue
III . bench warrant for Stokes on an in
with blsckmail. Stokes rushed to to the the
Grand Central hotel. where Fisk was
hin. - e''''' s4to' ana k'liea
mere were no known witnesses to the
shooting. and Stokes claimed he had acted
a self-defense as Fisk had been the irsi
10 draw revolver. Nevertheless no one
Yves ever able to find Fisk's revolver
though Stokes tried to account for this
by claiming that come unknown woman
mad hastened 10 the scene and spirited
nhe weapon away.
Stokes WAS tried for murder ana In
.Hhe arst instance the jury failed to agree.
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