The star of the north., March 09, 1859, Image 1

THE SMR OP THE NORTH.
W', U. JACOBY, I'ropriflor.]
VOLUME 11.
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From the New 1 ork Weekly.
CHEER ITP.l T P.
BY L. AI'UUSTUS JOKES.
Cheer op 1 And struggle on though temp
ests lower
Around the path thy footsteps have to
tread;
Bow not before misfortune's mighty power,
But with ambition proudly lift thy head ;
Though disappointment blast thy brightest
aim,
Sink not —the darkness full soon will be
past.
Aim high if thou would'st win a noble name,
And fortune kind may smile on thee at
last.
Cheer up ! though enemies around thee
throng, ,
And peerless march upon, thy onward
way ;
Thou art yet young—thy form is stout and
strong,
Bo heed not what thy foes may rudely say;
But first be sure you're walking the right
track,
And fix thine eyes on Fame's far dizzy
bight,
Then go ahead—no one can pull thee back,
If thou art led by principles of right.
Cheer up 1 Though others sink upon each
side,
A glorious fate may be awaiting thee;
Men cannot tell until they oft have tried,
What is their fate, or where their destiny.
Then brother, onward—boldly breast the
gale—
This is a fast and a progressive age;
Cheer up! Thou'sl read "there's no such
word as fail;"
Thy n#me may yet adorn Fame's bright
est page.
ACCOUNT OF TnE TRAIIEDY AT WASHINGTON.
Sad Story of Domestic Affliction nntl Iliootly
Revenge—The Legal Proceedings—Trinl of
Mr. Sickles —Visits of his Father and his
Mother-lii-Law.
EF" The Washington correspondent of the
New York Times, of the 28th tilt, describ
ing the tragedy of Sunday last, says:
During the "whole of the last session of
Congress tho tall figure of Mr. Key was
constantly to be seen in President's square,
opposite Mr. Sickles' Washington residence;
and Mrs. Sickles was constantly in his com
pany at all places of public
In the interval of the Congressional recess,
Mr. Key made a short visit to New York,
Kill without exciting any absolute suspicion
of positive impropriety in the mind ol Mr.
Sickles ; although other friends of the un
happy lady, and among them her mother,
repeatedly warned her of the fatal precipice
on the brink of which she was permitting
herself to trifle. It was hoped that the af
fair would come to an end itself, and that
one or both of the parties most nearly im
plicated, would perceive the real drift of
their conduct in time to avoid its almost in
evitable consequences.
But on the re assembling of Congress,
and the return of Mrs. Sickles to Washing
fon, Mr. Key's attentions, and the scandal
,consequent upon them, were revived with
greater ardor than before. Mr. Key was a
particularly noticeable man itt point of per
sonal appearance ; tall, well-lormed, a much
more athletic man than Mr. Sickles, and
especially fond of exercise on horseback.—
lie rode an iron grey horse; and scarcely a
day has passed since the return ol Mrs.
Sickles to the Capital, on which his tall fig
ure, his while riding-cap, well-trimmed
moustache, and iron-grey horse might ont
have been seen two or three times in the
course of the morning on the circuit of I'res
dent's square, or at the door of Mr. Sickles'
house, which stands quite alone on the
north side of the square, and is a very con
. spicuous building of white stucco. It was
but on Tuesday last, (so swift and fearful a
dream does the whole story seem.) that, on
visiting Mrs. Sickles, Tuesday being her day
of reception, I found Mr. Key there, his
horse waiting for him at the door. The
rooms were filled with a pleapant company;
the soft Spring sunlight poured in at the
open windows; and Mrs. Sickles herself, in
all her almost girlish beauty, wearing a bou
•qoet of erocusses, the firstlings of the year,
seemed the very incarnation of Spring and
youth, and the beautiful promise of lite.—
What is the twilight; what the houso that
then was the synonym of hospitality, the
frank, and generous and easy !
In the early part of the week before last
Mr. Bickles went on to New York. During
htl absence the busy spies of Society ob
served that the attendance of Mr. Key at his
houscVfga even more unremitting than usu
al. M* Sickles returned to Washington on
the mofl|pg of the day of the Napier Ball,
and from ttat time up to Friday last noth
ing occured t<Wiak the matter of his wife's
relations with Mr. Key more than ordinar
ily prominent in j his mind. So far was
ha from manifesting anything likeinordinate
or tyrannical suspicion; that he allowed
Mr. Key to escort Mrs. Siclcles. as uspal
on Pennsylvania avenue, and I saw them,
in company with Mr. Henry Wikoff,
ot the theatre on Wednesday nidht. On
Thursday Mr. and Mrs. Sickles entertained
a largo parly at dinner. Over that "*y nd
COUN'O'UM-' WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9. 1859.
brilliant company bow near and fearful a
doom impended!
On the next day (tho day before yesterday)
Mr Sickles received from some enemy of
mankind an anonymous letter, stating with
precision so minute as to make suspicion
imperative, that Mr. Key had rented a house
on Fifteenth street above K street, from a
negro woman, and that he was in the habit
of meeting Mrs. Sickles there two or three
limes a week, or oftener. The person and
dress of Mrs. Sickles were accurately de
scribed, and the usual time of the interview
specified. Accompanied by a friend, Mr.
Sickles wer.t to the house designated and
found every statement of the anonymous j
writer corroborated. Mr. Key had taken the
house ; and he had constantly met there a i
lady answering very closely in description i
to Mrs. Sickles.
Mr. Sickles still clung to the hope that the
person who had stooped to the baseness of
making such charges under the veil of se
cresy,might have thoroughly deceived hirn,
and that Mrs. Sickles was not the lady in
question. He accordingly requested his
friend Mr George Wool ridge, of New York,
to watch the place from the window of a
hou°e just opposite.
On Saturday, no meeting took place, and
the woman in charge seems to have stated
jthat none had entered since Wednesday.
On Saturday evening, Mr. Sickels, resolv
ed no longer to play the spy upon his honor,
determined to confront his wife directly with
his terrible suspicions. At first Mrs Sickles
strongly denied her guilt; hut on her bus
dand's asking her whether, on Wednesday
previous, she hand not entered the house
on Fifteenth street, in a certain particular
dress, and concealed by a hood, she cried
out "1 am betrayed and lost!"' and swooned
away. On recovering her senses, she ad
mitted het guilt, and besought mercy and
pardon. Mr. Sickles calmly said lie would
not injure her, since lie believed her to be
the victim of a scoundrel, but that lie had a
right to a full confession. Two ladies in the
house were sent for as witnesses, and in
their presence, Mrs. Sickles mode a full con
fession in writing, stating that her connection
with Mr. Key had commenced in April last
under Mr. Sickles' roof, but that Mr. Key
had since hired the house in Fifteenth street,
in which they had constantly met. Mrs.
Sickles' confession was made in the midst
of the bitterest contrition and misery.—
Her husband simply asked her to give him
back lier wedding ring, and desired her to
write to her mother to come and take her
from his house forever. Mrs. Sickles made
no objections, admitting the justice of her
punishment in the most affecting language.
Iter mother will arrive *.o morrow to remove
her Irom the fearful sceue of guilt, remorse
and blood.
Once having quitted the presence of his
ife, Mr. Sickles gave away to the most
terrible emotion, and passed the night in a
state bordering on distraction—a feeling
which was worked into madness this morn
ing on seeing the cause of his misery, Mr.
Key, with gay audacity pass opposite the
window of Ins wife's room and waved iiis
handkerchief—the usual signal for assigna
tion.
Asking Mr. Butterworth, who was at his
house, to follow Key and engage him in
conversation so that he would not get out of
sight, he rushed up stairs for his pistols, and
quickly following, found Butterworth and
Key together, at the corner ol Sixteenth
street, when the tragedy took place.
On coming up, Sickles walked directly to
Key, and said, "You have dishonored my
bed and my family, you scoundrel—prepare
to die!"—at the same time drawing his pis
tol. Almost simultaneously Key placed his
hand inside his vest and drawing what ap
peared to be a pistol, but wnat was really
an opera-glass, said, "You had better not
shoot!"
Sickles at once fired, Key at the same time
throwing his glass at him. This shot only
grazed Key, slightly raising the skin of his
side, and he immediately leaped behind a
tree to avoid another shot. Sickles follow
ed, and Key, catching his arm, endeavored
to prevent him from firing, but Sickles dis
engaged himself, and firing again, shot Key
in the upper part of the right thigh, close
to the main artery.
Fulling on his hip, and supporting him
self with his hand, he cried. "Murder! don't
shoot!" Sickles still following, firing again,
with hia pistol close to Key, lite ball pass
ing through the body below the breast.
In the meantime the report of the pistol
and Key's cries siartled those in the neigh
borhood. Mr. Thomas Martin, a clerk in
the Treasury Department, who happened
at the moment to be leaving the Club, rush
ed back, and calling out. "Key is murdered!"
Mr. Doyle, Mr. Upshur and Mr. Tidball, who
were in the Club at the time, proceeded
hastily to the spot, when they found Sickles
standing over the body of Key, with his
pistol presented at his head, and which he
tried twice to discharge, but which snapped
both times—and Mr. Butterworth standing
by composedly.
On Mr. Doyle's touchiug Sickles on the
shoulder, the latter at once desisted, and
turning around, said "Gentlemen, this man,
lias dishonored my bed !" Upon this he
took Bulterworth's arm, and walking from
the spot with the most perfect self-posses
sion, proceeded to Attorney General Black's
and delivered himself into custody.
On Mr. Sickles' leaving, Messrs. Doyle,
Tidball, Upshnr and Martin conveyed the
body, which still held faint gasps of breath
ing, to the parlor of the Club-house, when
the Assistant Surgeon General was at once
in attendance, but Key was beyond medi-
cal skill. He breathed but twice after being .
laid upon the floor. I
When Martin and Upshur raised Key Irom '
the ground, the former inquired if he had
anything to say. Key made no reply, and
was evidently unconscious.
In a few minutes the news spread over I
the city, and the streets became thronged j
with visitors to the scene of the terrible ;
event, and groups were everywhere noiiced ;
engaged in excited discussion about it. The
Club House was speedily surrounded by an
immense crowd, eager to view ihe body of
the ill-fated Key. Many of the leading gen- !
tlemen of Washington drove up in their 1
carriages, and in about a quarter of an hour ,
the brother-in-law of the deceased, the Hon.
Mr. Pendleton, of Ohio, arrived.
At about 3 the Coroner's inquest was held !
in the parlor, where the body lay, when suf- !
ficent facts were elicited to show that de
ceased was killed by Daniel E. Sickles, and j
a verdict was reudM|d£fcordingly.
The parties invotwrlff this sad story all |
lived within the immediate circle of our j
daily Washington life ; two, at least, of them
being also as well known in New York as : l
in the Federal Metropolis. Key was about 1
forty two years oi age, tall in stature, about j
six feet, with an easy and fashionable air, j
but by no means prepossessing in appear
ance otherwise. His face had a sickly hue, j
and he had been for some time suffering 1
from heart disease, or imagined he was, I
which gave him a soured and discontented |
look. Otherwise he was extremely popu
lar, and those who knew him best said his I
eccentricities of manner covered a very j
kind and generous heart. His father, Fran
cis S. Key, was the author of the National
so rig, ihe "Star Spangled Banner." He was
a widower, with four children. On his j
marriage he narrowly escaped a duel with |
Colonel May, who conceived that ho had
unfairly ousted him from the affections of 1
the lady who became his wife, and who i
was a beautiful and charming woman. 1
Mr. Sickles, the member for the Third
District of New York, is a native of this
city, and was originally a printer by occu
pation. He is a man ol nearly forty years ,
of ago; of good presence and graceful man- I
ners. As a member of the State Senate, as j
well as in the House of Representatives, he j
had made himself remarked by a quite un- !
usual coolness and self possession, which j
gave him great advantage in debate, and I
had acquired for liirn a well-deserved repu
tation as a rising young leader of the Dem
ocratic party. In 1853, Mr. Sickles was
married to his wife, now ruined and heart
broken, then a fresh from her
school life. then us now i
for something cspWwy soft, lovely and
youthful in the type of her very peculiar
beauty. She is of Italian origin, and pos
sesses all the Italian lustre and depth of
eye, united with a singular candor and deli
cacy of featuro.
Mr. Sickles had seen her grow up from
childhood, and was attached to her with an
almost idolatrous affection. Shortly after
their marriage, Mr. Sickles was appointed
Secretary of the American Legation at Lon
don, in the household of Mr. Buchanan, and
his beautiful bride won universal admira
tion abroad, not more by her charms of
person and her manner than by the gayety
and innocent joyousness of her character.—
On their return to America they resided for
some time on the Bloomingdale Road, in a '
charming home overlooking the Hudson [
River; and, on his election to Congress, Mr.
Sickles look his present house en President's ]
squate. It faces directly the Club house to
which was brought to-day the corpse of the j
man who himself had slain all that made j
the lite of that mansion, but a few days '
since so gay among the gayest, and so hos- (
pitable among the most hospitable, of the
home of Washington.
Mrs. Sickles may be 22, and lias two ;
children. She is the daughter of Ragioli,
the celebrated music teacher, of Fourteenth
| street. Amid the general gloom which this j
sad affair lias cast over the city, many a
sorrowing thought is cast towards her j
whose guilty surrender to the wiles of a
villain has resulted so tragically, for she has
been much liked, and those who have
known her will griev.e sorely at the necessi
ty of giving her up* as lost. Few women,
are better calculated to win their way in ;
polite society, or to contribute more to its
i vivacity.
Popular sympathy, as usual in such cas-;
es, is almost unanimously with Mr. Sickles,
tke provocation being deemed ample justi- 1
Citation for the deed,"and when the facts as I
yet unknown come to be developed, this
feeling will grow still stronger, and read a ;
fearful lesson to those who may attempt j
to invade the honor and happiness of anotlt-1
er's home.
A few of Key's personal friends profess
to disbelieve his conduct to have been ac
tually criminal, and maintain that it was
the result morely of inordinate personal
vanity which led him to seek tno appear
ance of being a lavorite with the in
question. Their theory is utterly dissipated
by the confessions ol the now heart-broken
victim.
When Mr. Sickles surrendered himself
to Attorney-General Black he requested such
to be made ol him as was prop
er. The Attorney-General sent for a mag
istrate, who, with the Chief of Police, came
speedily. Soon after the Mayor arrived,
announcing the death of Key, and Mr. Sick
les was conducted in a carriage to the jail,
where he now is, awaiting an examination.
1 called upon him this evening and found
him surrounded by several colleagues and
other sympathizing friends. He was evi-
Truth nnd Right*—Got! and our Couutry.
I ilontly laboring under strong mental excte
/ ment, and his haggard countenance present
-1 ed marked evidence ol the effects of the
fearful emotions which have harrowed his
very soul during the last twenty four hours.
| Nevertheless, his manner was calm and
collected, with his nerves steady. Of course,
I did not question him relative to the affair.
He volunteered the remark, however, that
it was unavoidable, and that he could, not
have done otherwise. He added: "Satis
fied as ] was of his guilt, we could not live
together upon the same planet."
The Hon. Robert J. Walker and Messrs.
Carlisle and Itatcliff have been retained as
his counsel. They will bring him before
Judge Crawford to-morrow on a writ of
habeas corpus, and move his discharge upon
bail. There is little doubt that it will be
allowed, and he he released Irom custody.
The general opinion setAus to be that no
Grand Jury will' ever ItHim Km.
Key left no property. His family con
nections it is understood are able, and will
provide for his children. Some of Key's
friends intimate threats of summery ven
geance against Sickles if he appears in
public where they can reach him.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST.
R. 11. Coolidge, Surgeon of United States
army, the first witness examined, testified
as lollows: I have made all the examina
tion necessary, except a postmotlem exami
nation. I was silting in my room to-day,
at No. 320 H. street, and heardAhree succes
sive pistol shots; I thought nothing of it till
I saw persons running; seeing this move
ment, I ran to this room—that is, in the
Club House, where the inquest was held—
and there I found Mr. Barton Key lying in
the present position; lie was pulseless, and
his heart had ceased to act, but he partially
breathed twice; there notify mpdieal
or surgical to be done for him; lie was dead;
on examining the body, I found a pistol or
gunshot wound in the upper or front part
of the right thigh, near the main artery, and
another wound of the same characteion the
left side, between the false ribs, the ball
having passed through the body, and made
its appearance at a corresponding point on |
the other side, remaining under tho skin:
in ndditiorfto these two wounds, there is a
slight' bruise on the right side ol the body,
near the ninth rib; this was evidently from
a pistol ball glancing; there is also a slight
bruise on the middle finger of the left band;
I believe his death was produced by these
wounds.
Dr R. K. Stowc examined the body with
Dr. Coolidge. and testified in substance to
the same effect, adding that cither wound
was sufficient to produce death.
Joseph L. Duroe testified as follows:—t
was walking on the opposite side of Penn
sylvania avenue, and heard ihe report ol a
pistol; I turned quickly at the sound, and
saw Mr. Key jump on cue side, saying
something 1 did not hear; after he jumped
on one side 1 saw Mr. Sickles raise his pis
tol to fire a second time; as he raised his
pistol Mr. Key grabbed him; they tussled
for a while, and got off the pavement; Mr.
Key followed him up for a short distance,
apparently to prevent him from getting
another shot; Mr. Sickles got Irom him,
raised his pistol, and fired a second time;
before he tired deceased shouted several
times, "Don't shoot," they were then about
twelve feet apart; after the second fire do
ceased got behind a tree, as if to hold him
self up; Mr. Sickles reached round the tree
and fired a third lime; deceasedMieu fell;
Mr Sickles then pavement
and put the the muzzle of the pistol to de
ceased's head and snapped it and burst the
cap; it looked to be one of Colt's revolvers; 1
saw no weapon in Mr. Key's har.d; after
Mr. Sickles snapped the cap he stood over
deceased and appeared to throw something
away; some one then took hold ol him and
led him away, and I followed till he went
to Attorney-General Black's, where be was
afterwards arrested.
Richard M. Downer sworn—While stand
ing on the corner of New York avenue and
Fifteenth street I heard the report of a pis
tol; when I got to Sixteenth street 1 saw
some one dodging, and then heard a third
report; when I reached Mr. Key he was !y-
I ing dead; Mr. Sickles was turning away;
he had what looked like a Colt's lovolvor in
his hand; I think Mr. Sickles said, "Is the
damned rascal dead;" cannot say the exact
words, but it was sonoetlting of this sort; 1
picked up a Derringer pistol near the scene.
(This the witness presented and it appear
ed to have been recently discharged.)
Samuel F. Butterworth sworn—l was i
standing at tho comer of Pennsylnania Ave- j
nue and LaFayette Square, talking with Mr. |
Key, at about two o'clock to-day; Mr. Sick- 1
les approached, and called Mr. Key by '
name, and said—"You scoundrel, you have '
dishonored my family;" he was about ten
paces from Mr. Key. (Here Mr. Butter
worth was asked by the jury if he was aware
of att intendpd collision, and he refused to
answer, saying that it was sufficient to state
simply that Mr. Sickles shot Mr. Key, who
fell dead ) He then said that, simultane
ously with the first fire, Mr. Key attempted
to draw something from his pocket, which
I supposed to be a pistol; I afterwards found
in the street an opera glass; Mr. Sickles
fired three times. Mr. Butterworth gave
his testimony apparently "to a reluctant
tnannef.
Edward Deiafield, of New York, and
Francis Doyle testified in the main to the
foregoing facts as to the shooting.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
The verdict of the Coroner's jury was that
Mr. Key came to his death by pistol balls
fired by Daniol E. Sickles, whilst standing
on the southeast corner of Uafayctte Square,
the wounds therefrom causing his death in
a few moments.
ANTECIIKNTS OF MR. KEY.
I Key, who was United States Attorney for
; the District of Columbia, was a nephew of
! Chief Justice Taney, about forty-two years
of age, tail in stature—about six feet—with
on easy and fashionable air, hut by no
means prepossessing in appearance other
wise. "His face had a sickly hue, and he
j had been for some time suffering from
I heart diseases, or imagined he was, which
I gave him a soured and discontented look.
Otherwise he was extremely popn'ar, and
those who knew him best said his exeen
tricities of manner covered a very kind and
generous heart. His father, Francis S Key,
was the author of the song, the 'Star-Spang
led Banner.' He was a widower with four
children. On his marriage he narrowly es
caped a duel with Colonel May, who con
ceived that the had unfairly ousted him
from the affections of the lady who became
his wife, who was a beautiful and charm
ing woman."
From Ilie Washington Evening Star, Feb 28.
REMOVAL OF THE BODV.
After the inquest was over, the friends of
the deceased, about 9 o'clock, I'. M. caused
the body to be removed to his own house
on C street, between Third and Four-and-a
-half streets.
This morning, a post mortem examina
tion took place on the body by Drs. Cool
idge of the United States Army and Robert
IC. Slowe, which lasted several hours, the
result completely corroborating the state
ments made by those gentlemen belore the
Coronej- yesterday.
The deceased leaves four interesting child
ren—l.izze, Mary, James and Alice—whose
ages vary from four to twelve years.
THE ARRB-T.
Mr. Sickles was arrested at JudgeFdaek's
residence by officer J. H. Suit. When the
officer made known his business, Mr. Sick
les requested to be tnken to his residence
on the west front of Lafayette Square, for
the purpose of obtaining some papers &c.
The officer permitted him to do so, com pa
nying Ititn to his own door, and when arti-!
ved there, officer Suit fearing that some fur
ther violence was premeditated by his pris- I
oner extracted of him a promise that he \
would do no violence to any person in his j
house. He was then permitted to go to his i
wife's room to obtain the papers which lie J
desired to get possession of. In the mean- j
time the greatest excitement prevailed with- j
out, and a large crowd of persons collected j
ir. front of Mr. Sickles' house.
Shortly afterward Capt. Goddard, accom-;
piptnd by the Mayor, arrived at the hours j
and entered, and in a few minutes the officers !
with Mr. Sickles came out, entered hacks, j
the Mayor, Marshall Seklen and Capt. God- !
dard accompanying Mr. Sickles in one car i
liage, and Officer Suit and Mr. Butterworth !
following in another, and passed down II
street in direction of the City Hall, a large
crowd of men and boys following along the 1
side pavements and shouting. Opposite St. |
John's Church Mr. Sickles put his head out i
of the carriage window and smilingly re- |
turned the salutation of a friend who stood
on the corner, Mr. S. apparently being per-'
fectly self-possessed.
AT THE JAIL.
Among others who saw Mr. Sickles after I
arriving at the jail was Deputy Marshall;
Phillips, who addressed him and regretted !
the circumstances in which he was placed !
Mr. S. replied that no one could regret the
occurrence more than himself, but that after.
learning what he had learned, the course <
which he had taken wr.s the only one he
could lake, and that Mr. Key and himself
could not both live in the same world,
j Capt. Goddard then had an examination
of the case. The only evidence taken was I
that of Mayor Berret, who testified to the
death of Mr. Key, and Mr. Butterworth,
who stated that just before the shooting he
met Mr. Sickles on Pennsylvania avanue, a
little east of the corner of Lafayette Square,
and t.early opposite the State Department;
1 that he had a few words of conversation
' with Mr. Sickles, who left him as Mr. Key
. came down Madison Place towards the State
Department; that they met at the corner of
Lafayette Square, when Mr. Key extended
i his hand to Mr. Sickles, saying, "How are
you?" Mr. Sickles, refused to take his
1 profferd hand saying, "You have dislion
' ered my home and my family," and ap
; plied to him some epithet. Mr. Key
j put his hand to his side pocket, for the pur
pose, as witness supposed, of drawing a
weapon, and Mr. Sickles at the same time
j put his hand into his pocket, from which he
! drew a pistol; as Mr. Key raised his hand
' to throw at Mr. Sickles the article ho took
I from his pocket, (which was an opera glass,
i Mr. Sickles fired his pistol and shot Mr.
j Key ; the latter staggard a little back, but
j soon made at Mr. Sickles, who stepping a
| lew feet backward, fired a second shot into
| Mr. Key's body.and Mr. Key reeled backto
j wards Maynard's house,with one hand on the
| railing and one knee on the pavement ex
| claiming "you have shot me," and then cired
murder." Sickles then fired a third shot into
his body, and left him, after which Mr. Key
was taken to the "Club House," near by,
.where he expired in a few moments.
On hearing the above evidence, Capt. God
dard committed Sickles to jail for a further
hearing.
Should no habeas corpus for another hear
ing, with a view to obtain bail for Mr. Sick
les, be asked for to-day, Capt. Goddard will
commit him fully without further hearing.
It is understood that Mr. Sickles has en- ]
gaged as counsel, David Paul Brown of
Philadelphia, E. M. Stanton of Pittsburg,
I Samuel Chilton and Daniel Ratcliffo of this
' city.
WASHINGTON, March I.
The following course has been resolved
upon to-day, by the counsel of Mr Sickles,
i in relation to the judicial proceedings grow
ing out of the recent killing of Mr. Key':
j Mr. Sickles having been committed on
j Sunday, the father examination before the
| committing magistrate will be waived for the
I rea-ons that the Criminal Court commences
i on Monday next, and being in confinement
1 be will be cntitled.witliout delay to an tm
| mediate and final trial. The furtherexami
i nation before a committing magistrate would
j involve a long investigation into ths distres
| sing circumstances, without any final result,
and might procrastinate the period of get
ting the case belore a jury.
Numerous offers for bail have been pour
ing in upon Mr. Sickles ever since he has
been committed, but having voluntarily
placed himself iu the hands of public justice
he prefers patiently to remain until his act
shall be finally pronounced upon by a jury
of his country, after a full and complete hear
ing of the case ; whilst this may subject
him to some inconvenience,his own feelings
and those of others involved, whom he is
willing as far as possible to spare, will be
saved the repeated discussion of the unhap
py circumstances attending this case.
The father of Mr. Sickles arrived Inst I
night, and had a painful iuterview witli hi- j
sou.
The mother of Mrs. Sickles, nl-o visited
him this morning, in company with Survey
or Hart, and was so overcome by her feel
ings as to faint.
STATFMEAT OF MR. BUTTERWORTH.
WASHINGTON, March I.—Mr. Butterworth
has published a minute statement, so far as
he isconnected with the occurance, in which
he says,that when lie left Mr Sickles' house,
he had no thought of meeting or seeing Mr.
Key—his object being to see a Mr. Stewart.
He had no arms with him, and did not know
Sickles intended to take arms. He (Sickles)
left the house after Mr. Butterworth, and |
without any sugges'ton from Mr. B , came i
toward the Club House. When Mr. Key
saluted Mr. Butterworth, the latter did not
know that Mr. Sickles was approaching, nor
di<l he see him until he turned to leave Key.
It is not true that he sought or detained Key,
who first addressed Butterworth.
FUNERAL OF MR. KEV.
BALTIMORE, March J.—The body of Mr.
Key was brought from Washington this af
ternoon, and buried in the Presbyterian |
ground in Green street, iu the same grave ,
with his wife. The funeral was attended
by his friends from Washington and this '
city.
The excitement occasioned by tho terri
ble tragedy has not diminished to-day.—
Large crowds have surrounded the prison
where Mr. Sickles is confined, earnestly dis
cussing the sad event. As facts are disclos
ed indignation deepens against Key, the se
ducer, and sympathy manifests itself with
Sickles, the betrayed.
It appears that it was on Thursday night
that the anonymous letter reached Mr.
Sickles, apprising him of his wife's treach
ery. Simultaneously Key received a simi- j
lar letter,warning birr, to desist from his pur
suit of Mrs. Sickles. During Friday and Sat
urday Sickles fully substantiated the truth of
the charges made.
In making her confession Mrs. Sickles de
clared that Key succeeded some months
since in seducing her to yield to repeated
interviews by threats of exposure. In this I
way intercourse was kept up. The negro
woman who had charge of the house which
Key had hired was confronted with Mrs.
Sickles, and identified her as the lady who
had accompanied Key.
On Sunday morning Mr. Sickles, in spile
! of the occurrence which had taken place,
| had calmly resolved upon divorco from Ins
| wife, as staled, the sight ol Key in the square
\ opposite, making the customary signals, itt
| furated him to madness, and the bloody se
| quel followed.
| At nine o'clock last evening Mr. Sickles
I was removed to his cell, where lie was
| shortly after visited by Rev. Mr. Haley, who, '
I in a Christain spirit came to offer him con-
I solution. Under the effect of his exhorta
j lions Mr. Sickles gave way to his emotions,
and implored him to visit his wretched wife,
and let him know ol her condition. He did
so, and found Mrs. Sickles in tho utmost
agony of mind. On her knpes stio implor
ed her husband's pardon, and besought him,
he would save her from madness, to return
the wedding ring which he had previously
I torn from her hand.
The Reverend gentleman executed tho
commission, and carried back with him be
sides a letter expressive of her despair. It
was some time past midnight when the
j Rev. Mr. Haley returned to the prison and
communicated what lie had witnessed.—
Under the advice of this gentleman Mr
Sickles consented to give up the ring, and
was furthermore induced to write loiters to
his wife of the most affecting description.
To-day Mr Sickles is in a stale ol complete
mental prostration, and though throngs of
persons have visited tho prison, ho has re
lused to see any but a few of his most inti
mate friends, with whom, however, he has
been unable to converse. He paces the
corridor of the prison in silent grief, fre
quently pressing his head between his hands.
He shrinks with dread from every allusion
to the horrible event of yesterday.
Mrs. Sickles is confined to her bed by se
vere illness, and refuses to see any one
whatever. The moment 6he is able she is
f to leave Washington for her father's house.
I Numerous rumors aro afloat concerning
[Two Dollars per Annum.
NUMBER 9-
all the parties, having the effect to aggra
vale the facts already painfully distressing,
and many of Ihe reports are pure fiction.—
N. Y. Herald, Feb. 28.
WASHINGTON, Feb 28. —The dinner party
at which Mr. Sickles received the anony
mous note which informed him ofhis wife's
dishonor was a representative dinner party,
representative of Washington society, of
which the strange contrasis and scandalous
features will be fully brought out upon the
trial, without doubt.
1 saw him (Sickles) in jail yesterday
evening. Although superficially calm, for
the most part, and courteous as usual, and
even jocose, he appeared to be laboring
under great excitement, which occasional
ly broke through Ihe coverings of manner.
lie seemed to me to feel the deed which
he had just done as the discharge of a duty
which he owed to society, rather than the
outburst of afTectionate jealousy. "I could
not live on the same globe with a man who
had thus dishonored me," he said, more
than once. He was still armed with a re
volver, not having been searched by the
jailer.
And yet those who knew him and his
wile, as children, speak of their attachment
as dating from that period, and r.s having
■been true and strong ever since, upon his
| part. As boy and girl they loved, and since
j their marriage in 1852, not a cloud lias
darkened their happiness until this man
Key, last session, aroused the husband's
suspicions, and was forbidden his house,
although not till long after the intrigue had
become the talk of Washington, and the
woman had been warned by friends.
llut Key did not desist from pursuing her,
whom he, an accomplished libertine, a.
man of fine presence and captivating ex
terior, had marked for his own. He was
seen with her on the avenue; at parlies, in
the dining room of her husband's house,
eating salad in the morning, Air. Sickles
being away.
At Mrs. Douglas' ball, three weeks ago,
he made love to her in a distant corner of
the crowded rooms, while Mr. Sickles was
dancing with the widow, Mrs. Conard.—
Previously to that time he had hired a poor
negro hut in the fields some quarter of a
mile from her house, towards the hack part
of the city, and there she met him be
tween twelve and one nearly every day.
She would start out to do the family mark
eting—that was the pretence. The mulat
toes in the neighborhood of this Dido's
Cave wondered to see two well-dressed
people meeting under these circumstances
and in this clandestine way, and it may
have been through their agency that the un
signed note which led to the homicide, was
sent to the injured husband.
The murderer's friends say that he had
loved his wife for years; had lavished upon
her, gratifying her least and her greatest
desires as soon as they were known to him.
On the other hand, it is said that Sickles did
not love his wife in a way that entitled to
chastity on her part, or to vengeance for its
violation.
Knowing, as you must know, how char
itable women aro to one another, you will
be surprised to learn that Mrs. Sickles
meets with condemnation from her own
sex. And, certainly, there are features iti
her case from which one turns with disgust.
She was capable, aftor proving false to her
marriage vows, time and time again, of bo-
I traying her paramour into what she must
I have known would be bloody hands.
; But if it be true that Mr. Bulterworth wasin
Mr. Sickles' house a few minutes before the
encounter, and purposely detained Mr. Key
upon the corner until the injured husband's
arrival, he is most severely to be condemn
ed, for he had not Mr. Sickles' provocation,
and had hitherto been the friend of all par
ties.—N. Y. Tribune, Feb. 28.
THE Lmuoa SELLERS of Muscatine, lowa,
got up a meeting at the Court House, one
evening last week, as we learn from the
lowa Journal, for the purpose of denouncing
certain movements on the part of some of
the citizens toward enforcing the liquor law.
j The friends of the law rallied to the meet
ing,as well as the friends of "free whiskey,"
and they so outnumbered and out maninuvr-
I ed the latter, that the result ol the meeting
1 was an endorsement of the liquor law of the
Slate, and a recommendation to the City-
Council to see the law enforced. The get
tors-up of the meeting were deeply morti
fied at this result, so directly opposed to'
what they had calculated on.
FEMALE HIGHWAYMEN. —The I'eoria (III.)
papers give an account of a man from Brim
field, in that county, who, after selling his
wheat, placed the proceeds in his boot for
better security, and then started out for a
walk. He was met by two porsons, who
turned out to be girls in men's clothes, and
invited to "smile" at a neighboring saloon,
j where they were met, as the party states,
by two "remarkable pretty girls." After
drinking they proposed to see him home,
which offer he accepted. He had not pro
ceeded far when nil seized and gagged him
and rifled his pockets of some small change,
not finding the money in his boot.
A SUIT for slander damages laid at 920.-
000, has been commenced in Cincinnati by
Mr. Joshua Cook, against Market Master
Crisman, lor the use fif improper language
to Mrs. Cook and her. sister. The same
plaintiff has brought suit against another
party, also 920,000 dratages, for malicious
prosecution. Cook's houso was searched
for missing moneys, which were aftewards
discovered in defendant's own premises.