nip ni
Killing of Philip Barton Key
by General Daniel
E. Sickles.
HISTORY OF THE TRIAL
It Excited World Wide Interest Be
cause of the Prominence of the
Parties Involved.
J < IN. ' ' Jut a Husband Who
Kill* the Uistroy-jr »>; (Ilit Home Will Not
Uc Convicted ol' Murder—Mrs. Sickles'
Irttul ISeauty ami the Man ,\Vlio Met
His Death as the l tuse of It.
Tlie marriage of Miss Sickles and Mr.
Or.yreil Crackanthorpe is announced.
It is impossible to refer to an event
which so closely concerns General Sick
les without recalling the memorable
trial in which he was the chief actor.
That trial established for Americana
the rule that a husband who kills the
destrover of his domestic happiness
will not be convicted of murder.
General Sickles went further and es
tablished for himself the rule that a
husband may forgive an erring wife
without dishonor.
It was on Sunday, February 27, 1850,
that Oaniel E. Sickles shot Barton Key
tie: d in a W.i.sliin. on direct,
Sickles, whose career began in New
York, was already a lawyer and politi
cian of note. Iu is.-,:; had married
Miss Teresa Bagioli, daughter of an
Italian musician living in New York.
She was seventeen years old, beautiful,
with the grace and fire of the Latin
races in her figure and in her nature.
When Buchanan was appointed Min
ister to England he took with him aa
secretary of legation Sickles, who re
signed the office of Corporation Attor
npy of New York City. lie took his
bride with him, and she was the ad
miration of the English, Russian and
French courts. Her residence in London
was an uninterrupted social triumph.
She received most flattering attentions
from Lady Palmerston, Claren
don and other persons not. only aris
tocratic but famous.
When Mr. Sickles returned to America
he was elected member of Congress.
He went to live in Washington. His
house was in Lafayette square, then
the centre of fashion. His hospitality
was generous. His wife added charm
to it.
In Washington the betrayer entered
the Sickles' home. His name was
Philip Barton Key, a name famous and
honored in the land, for this one'a
father, Francis Scott Key, composed
"The Star-Spangled Banner."
Philip Barton Key was District-At
torney for the District of Columbia.
He was a brilliant ornament of Wash
ington society. Phisically lie was tall,
well made, and handsome. In old
fashioned parlance, they called him "a
great ladies' man." It is a mild expres
sion. He boasted thatfio woman could
resist him for more than twenty-four
hours.
Mrs. Sickles did not resist him long.
She was the most tempting bait in sight
for this bird of prey. He was much
older than Sickles—almost old enough
to be Mrs. Sickles' father. That fact
caused him no shame.
The sinners were audaciously indis
creet. Their meetings became the talk
of Washington. On February 24 Mr.
S:ckles had a dinner party at his house,
after which he and his guests went to
a dance at Willard's Hotel. As ho was
going out he received a letter which be
thrust unopened into his pocket.
On his return home he read the letter.
It was anonymous and revealed to him
the relations between his wife and Key.
It specified their meeting place, a house
in Fifteenth street, between K and L
streets, leased from a negro.
The husband sent an intimate friend
to watch the house. He returned tj
confirm the allegations. Mr. Sickles
accused his wife, and she at once con
fessed everything. She made a long
written statement, in which she con
fessed without reserve all that had hap
pened between herself and Key.
This confession Mr. Sickles laid be
fore his friend, Mr. Butterworth, and
asked his advice. As they were talk
ing, another friend rushed into the
room and announced that Key was at
the moment making signals with a
handkerchief toward tho house.
The advice of Mr. Butterworth was: i
"If you are sure that this is common
knowledge, there is but one course left
for you. You need no advice."
According to the subsequent testi
mony of Butterworth, he then left the
house. On the street he met Key,
whom he greeted. He turned to leave
him, and saw Mr. Sickles coming frem
his house. Mr. Butterworth then
heard Mr. Sickles exclaim in a loud
voice:
' K v, you scoundrel, you have dis
honored my house. You must die!"
Key attempted to hold Sickles, who
freed himself and drew a pistol. As
Key was backing away Sickles shot at
him. Altogether he fired three times,
wounding Key twice. The wounds
were mortal.
Mrs. Sickles regarded her husband's
action as the only one he could tako.
In letters to him she expressed tho
deepest admiration for him and contri
tion for her sin. He treated her gently,
but took away her wedding ring and
wedding presents. In response to a
heartrending appeal he returned tho
wedding ring, but it was broken.
In Jail Mr. Sickles received the visits
of membf-rs of the Cabinet and eminent
personage. President Buchanan sent
a message of condolence.
The trial excited wor.d-wide interest.
More than a hundred talesmen were re
jected because they declared they wunld
acquit Sickles. Mr. Stanton made the
chief speech for.the defence. lb bo'.d
ly claimed that it was absolutely nec
essary for the security of the homo that
a husband should destroy a man who
so wantonly invaded it as Key had
done in this case. Mr. Sickles wept
copiously during the trial and betrayed
intense mental suffering.
The verdict was "not. guilty." It was
received with thunderous and uncon
trollable applause.
Then a thing happened which as
tonished the public even more than the
slaying. Mr. Sickles took back the
wife whose conduct had caused him to
kill a man.
It appeared that he had frequently ex
pressed his intention of forgiving his
wife in case he should be acquitted.
One great reason for this was his de
sire to save his innocent daughter from
the consequences of her mother's error,
as far as possible.
Mr. Sickles' action raised a storm o£
comment, largely disapproving. It of
fended against the moral code of many
men who had applauded his act of de
struction.
Lovely, broken-hearted and penitent,
Mrs. Sickles surived only a few years
the tragedy which her sin had caused.
She left a daughter to the care of the
husband, who lfad forgiven so much.
General Sickles lived to become one
of the nation's prominent men. He
fought through the war and com
manded the Third Army Corps at Get
tysburg, where he lost a leg. Since
then he has held many offices and been
concerned in many events.
To-day he is a conspicuous figure in
New York life—rich, active in spite of
his years; one of the regular lirst
nighters at theatres. Bin hi? greatest
claim to human interest is that he
made the rule that a man may slay the
invader of his household.
INHERITED A RIGHT TO GET DRUNK.
One Man iu the World Who Is lt«-tter Off
Financially Uy Drinking.
A young man in Chicago lias been
making himself conspicuous recently
by appearing almost constantly in a
state of intoxication. He is the only
man in the world who may be said to
have inherited legally a tendency to
drink.
His name is Robert Atwater Sanders,
of Alabama, and he is a grandson of
Grover Sanders. Lawyer Paul I'. Har
ris, of Chicago, is young Sanders'
counsel, and knows all about him.
"In ISOo the grandson, my client,"
Lawyer Harris, "was engaged in busi
ness in Birmingham and failed. He
had indorsed notes for friends to the
amount of ijWS.OOO, and these, together
with his financial liabilities, aggregated
an indebtedness of over £."><>,OUo. He
was sued on the notes and judgments
were entered against him for the full
amount. Ho w-as also sued for his
business indebtedness, and, though he
fought some of the claims, lie was de
feated in the courts. The grandfather
faiied to como to his rescue and refused
to see or have anything to do with his
grandson.
"When the grandfather died. a year
and a half ago, he left his property,
amounting to about $200,000, to his
grandson and granddaughter, my cli
ent's sister, in equal -lnv.< . but with
reference to the boy there was a clause
in the will that read something r- fol
lows:
" 'And if at the iiiut o;' my death or
thereafter the said Robert Atwater
Sanders shall be drunken, dissipated or
vicious or shall habitually drink to ex
cess ol wine, spirit 3 or malt liquors,
the said share in hereinbefore men
tioned property shall be held in trust
by the said trustee, who shall pay only
thc income of the same to the said
Robert Atwater Sanders during such
time as In his judgment the said Robert
Atwater Sanders shall continue to
drink wine, spirits or malt liquors to
excess or continue to be drunken, dis
sipated or vicious.'
"Now you can readily understand
Mr. Sander's jags. If he is sober and in
dustrious the trustee, who is an uncle
of mine, at ones turns over the princ
ipal and the judgment creditors at
once jump in and gobble up pretty
much all of his property. If, on the
other hand, he is drunken and dissi
pated, he enjoys an income of pretty
nearly $15,000 a year. Anybody can
stay very comfortably loaded on that
and have money to spare."
The SpaniMh <iirl.
Speaking of Spanish girls, a corres
pondent from abroad lias said of them:
"Spanish girls are convent bred. Their
education consists largely of acquir
ing the art of embroidery, which they
learn to perfection. Early marriages
among them are seldom happy, but
the divorce is unheard of. People un
happily married simply separate and
live out their lives as beat they can."
A Cnrlou* Frog-.
There is a species of frog which
dwells on the Western Tiers. Tas
mania, whose voice resembles the
bleating of a lamb. In t lie olden day3
a shepherd, hearing the sound for the
first time, thought In iiad discover
ed a contingent of lost ewc-s and lambs,
and followed the sound for some days,
returning in rags and half starved.
HOTHI Wctldlnjt Cnkca,
Royal wedding cakes are never sent
out until they have matured at least
six months. The actual baking pro
cess lasts from five to seven hours.
So* great Is the demand for cake on the
occasion of a roya' wedding that the
makerß have always a : ; toek of more
I than 2,000 pounds in the seasoning
room
no If IN 1H
How Nervy Jack Smith Made
Gambler Simon Quit
ihe Game.
HAD $7,000 ON THE QUEEN
He Lost It in I lave Turns and
Left the Table Without Even
:i Mnpuer.
S'liiil Poker :m«l !';«?•«» <li< Favorite Games
un<l Kver.vtiiJun- is 0;t list l.evel— Uoulette
Is All I.iH'k and tli<* liimk at (lie Finish
<iets All tii«» Very low Ouarreln
in the llnlJs. llnlJs.
Old i ' ■' ;y-ainers who hear anil read
gamlilinv, suu-les from the Klondike
laugh nt the smaP.no.ss of the frames
reported from Dawson City.
In tlio old days on the Pacific coast,
when San Francisco was "wide open,"
it was nothing for a miner to drop a
fortune of gold dust in an hour or two,
but in Dav.'son stakes don't range so
high. That is why Jack Smith is now
being talked of and written about as
the nerviest gambler in tlx; Klondike.
Every man out there is a gambler,
more or less, but Jack Smith is a pro
fessional who does nothing tu gaesis
how the cards will come out of the bos.
Not long ago .Tack was chipping
away in bets of and ?.V) at Kirk
patrick's faro bank in KV.wson g> uiug
poorer by a thousand or so nearly
every deal. He had won out about
SIO,OOO the r.ight before a::;! when his
lucked changed for th worsr> tb
word was passed aioug the row of
faro banks that Jack Smith va. up
against it for fair.
Another gambler, kno. . a Simon,
concluded he would take a'iviiiingi of
Jack's bad streak and .lotne-i in 'the
play at Ivirkpatrick's. ,; e followed
Jack's play right alone. placing his
money to wiii when Jack played
card to lose and < opiv>rlny
played it to win. Jack's s'i -ale .-nnk to
him and Simon was rev ral hundred
ahead when Jack got rattled ;.t his
persistent coppering.
No man likes to lie followed all
the table by another who t»ets the
other way. So Jack we; roiled aid
when Simon taunted him 011 li's poor
play, Jack turned to Kirknatrick an<l
asked:
"Tom. how much have 1 go! in "our
safe?"
"Oh, about JMyrfWi. I gues;-." was the
reply.
"Shell it out." add •' Smith.
The money was >- >unt<>d out. and
with what he had Smith made up
$7,000.
"Limit don't go thin crack eh.
Tom?" asked Smith. ,
"Pile It tip." tli" grim man Üblnd
the box replied. "We'll cut a hole i:i
the roof for you. Tack i: th<> stack
goes that high."
"Now, show up with y.uji- dn -t!" r<-
marked Smith, turning t ■ th«» nan
who had Iwxn taking ndvani g- of
his hard luck. There 3 S7,(MI() on the
queen, open confound you! Copper it
for the same money, if you dare'.'
Simon sized up his pile, thought a
little and walked away, it was too
much for him togo on one turn. Smith
though, let his money stay on the
queen, and in three turns out of the
box the queen was the loser. Smith
never said a v/ord and walkt otr. to
awn It another da> when ixck might
be letter.
In Dawson stud poker and faro are
(he favorite games. Smith considers
that roulette is all luck, and heir ex
tremely proud of his abilitk;- a. a
gambler. But in the end, h<~ <\ vcr,
the bank always boat - him; and the
"cntlcmcn who hang around the sa
loons and look innocent and friendly
always come out ahead of him in the
end by playng a cinch game of stud
poker. All the houses, however, main
tain that their ,- anr ar-i strictly "on
the level" and that they are joined
together to prevent fraud.
There are few quarrels in the gam
bling halls of Dawson. Only ouce has
a. pistol been flrci. The man who tired
it took a boat down the creek that
night without waiting for a hint from
the police. The peaceableness of the
mining town due for one tliinr. to the
Northwest mounted police of Canada.
Their powers are exceptional formatn
talnlng order and they do not hesi
tate to use them. The government is
liberal unless they c.r - restr'cted.
Pi»mtc«»-Ston«* lloat.
A lifeboat made of pumice-stonc- hat
been tested. It continued afloat with
a load even when full of water.
£CATHARTIC U
CURE CONSTIPATION
256 506 DRUGGISTS
Try The News Item Job Office Once.
Kine Printing
"FACn iTIES. We Print
To Please.
Subscribe for tlio NEWS ITKM.
Efliiri'to Vocv ISowvlu With CaftcaretH. |
« .:".Jy • .:.!•! w, i-urn constipation forever.
i. t.'. C.C. Jail, drujjKistsrefund money.
Excellent wlitut flour front $1.10;
to si.2". ;ii A. !. Arnisttuijr, Snncs
tnwn, I'it.
J»t»-To-Bac tur .Fifty Cum*.
Otmrutiteed t»!»aeeobabit cure, makes woais j
rtipn oiroi;;:, pure. 50c, sl. Alt arucitiftlfi '
J JFor good quality of uruK-rvvare at rea
sonable prices ro to W. linn 1 's store. I
A Famous School
In a Famous Place.;
The KAST .STKot Dsiit ki;, I'.v., Xoi:-
MAI. ofl'ors superior niiioatiotial
advantages. ■
Healthful Locution
in the resort region of ilv state.
Huihlinf?-* new ami moda-n.
Student-i Room i'tirnishetl with liru.s-;
-el* Curvet. No other school |»r<»- j
vifles.iuch luxurious home <'</»> fortx.
The Bast Boarding'. The Most i
Reasonable Rates. The lirst Normal!
in I lie -late lo introduce Plain anil
Fancy Sewing.
College I'repttrator.v, Altaic ami lllo
entionary Departments.
Writ I at. oner for a catalogue, free.
WINTKK TI:I:M OPKXS JAN. 2, '99. •
A (Ulres Oi:«>. I*. HJHUE, A. M.,
Principal.
{ jrrjOW arc the chii
-1 Is£l dren this summer? 1
/ |» B Arc they doing; ** .
i 1?h«=I v/e!l ? Do they 112 I
"i get all the beneH: they / '
"112 should from their food? J ;
4 Are their cheeks and lips \ !
of good color? And are y
/ they hearty and robust in \ i
> every way? <
\ If not, then give them <"
< Scott's Emulsion >
Jof cod ln<tr oil Ivt'lh hypo- 1 ,
J phosphites. < >
J It never fails to build \
. * up delicate boys and girls. ',
It gives them more flesh < _
\ and better blood. «"
\ It is just so with the ,'
• baby also. A little Scott's
. Emulsion, three or four .
,' ti.nes a day, will make ',
» the thin baby plump and <
" i lt lt ( '
"> the ( '
•I young body with »
'' 1 ryC ' ust l^e materia ' *»
/ lI J| necessary for
( » Si jl growing bones
'» nerves. <'
I All lirug/im., w. and %i. (
• SCOTT AT BOVWNK, Clioniii'.H, K.V. I
Cus*e
QonstS«
potion
) and you cure its conse>(ucuces. These are
some of the consequences of constipation:
j Biliousness, loss ut' appetite, pimples, sour
! stomach, depression, coateil tongue, night
• mare, palpitation, cold l'eet. debility, diz
ziness, weakness, backache, vomiting,
jaundice, piles, pallor, stitch, irritability,
nervousness, headache, torpid liver, heart
: burn, foul breath, sleeplessness, drowsi
i nass, hot skin, cramps, throbbing head.
Ayer's
BkSSj4t« a Suro Our*
■ 9 'OP Conallpallon
I Dr. .1. C. Ayer's Pills ure a specific l'or
j all diseases of the liver, stomach, and
i bowels.
"I suffered from constipation which as
sumed such an obstinate form that I feared
it would cause a stoppage of the bowels.
After vainly trying variouscemedies, I be
gan to take Ayer's Pill?. Two boxes effected
a complete cure."
I). BURKE, Saeo, Me.
" F«>r eight years I was afflicted with
constipation, which became so bad that the
doctors could do no more for me. Then I
began to take Ayer's Pills, and soon the
bowels recovered their natural action."
W'M. H. DELAUCETT, Dorset, Ont.
THE PILL THAT WILL.
Stove
Season
'"*• Jf
is upon us again. We are better
prepared to serve you than ever.
The factories greatly improved our Heaters
and Ranges. Flo Range can equal the RED
CROSS assort men:. No COOK STOVE does
better work than RED CROSS Champion.
Single Heaters Double Heaters
RED CROSS
Office Heaters Fully guaranteed.
For Wood Room Stoves we can give you none better than
the MAPLE CLEMONT, keeps good fire all night: burns
green or dry wood.
Stove Repairs a specialty with us.
Jeremiah Kelly,
HUGHESVILLE.
Our Declaration of War
Has been in effect for a number of
years and our
Bombardment of High Prices
i
Has created havoc of late in the sale of
MOWING MACHINES, DRILLS, HARROWS,
PLOWS, LUMBER WAGONS, BUGGIES,
and ROAD WAGONS
all at the lowest cash price.
PHOSPHATE, Thiity tons of different grades will be
sold at a low figure.
W.E. MILLER, SIS,,.
M no Questions
Why We Sell So Cheap.
All We Ask You
wto come and examine our large Fall and Winter stock of Clothing, Shoes
and Ladies' Coats and Capes, and convince yourself about our prices being
the lowest in this section.
Thousands of people have beeu convinced that we are the lowest priced
store and we surely appreciate your trade. We are always studying about
giving the best goods at the lowest price?- Read and see for yourself.
Men's black suite at 2.75. Youth's suits .it 2.50. Children's suits
well made, at 1.25. Overcoats in black and blue, best ever offered, at 5.00
Children's overcoats at 1.25. Knee pants, 35c, are strictly all wool.
Top shirts and undershirts at wholesale prices. Heavy cotton undershirts
at 25c.
LADIES' COATS AND CAPES
at prices when you »ee them you will surely buy them. Shoes tor
ladies. Shoes for men. Shoes for misses and children, at special
low prices.
Our store is crowded with new goods and we are still getting in more.
We must sell the goods and the prices will suit the purchaser. Come and
see. We advertise exactly as we intend to sell.
!)/>«• The Reliable Dealer in Clothing
J aCOP rCI Boots and Shoes.
HUGHESVILLE, PA.