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Show The Sickles Tragedy. On Sunday afternoon, the 27th of February, 1859, on President Square, opposite the White House, in the City of Washington, Daniel E. Sickles, of New York, shot and killed Phillip Barton-Key, of the City of Washington. Mr. Sickles was at that time Member of Congress from the City of New York, and Mr. Key was, as his father had been, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Mr. Sickles was born in the City of New York in 1821, was brought up in the printing business, but turned his attention to law. He studied in the office of Benjamin T. Butler, of New York, and was admitted to the bar in 1813. He early became a leading Democratic politician, and in 1847, was elected a Member of Assembly to the State Legislature. He was afterward elected a Member of the State Senate. When Mr. Buchanan was appointed American minister to England, Mr. Sickles, was, for a short time Secretary of Legation, and with George N. Saunders, of Kentucky, urged forward measures for the acquisition of Cuba by the United States. In 1856, he was elected a Member of Congress and was re-elected in 1858, one week before the expiration of his first term, and after his re-election the tragedy in which he was the chief actor occurred. He took an active part in the late war of the rebellion and raised what was known as the Sickle Brigade, and attained the rank of Major-General of Volunteers. He was conspicuous at the battle of Gettysburg, which his disobedience or misunderstanding of orders somewhat precipitated, and in the early part of it was seriously wounded and lost a leg. In 1866 President Johnson nominated him as United States Minister Resident President to the Netherlands, which he declined. He was afterward appointed a Colonel in the regular army, and brevetted a Major-General and was in command at Charleston, in North Carolina, during the throes of reconstruction, and was complained of as exercising unnecessary harshness in the discharge of his duty. He was a delegate to the Chicago Convention, which in 1868, nominated General Grant for President and in 1869 was appointed by President Grant United States Minister to Spain. Mr.Sickles is a man of pleasing presence, fair complexion, line and expressive eyes, firm mouth, and massive hair and moustache. His manners are graceful in form and movement. His us of the crutches seemed the perfection of easy grace and manner. He is about the ordinary size, well built, and possessed of remarkable coolness, dignity and determination. Mr. Key was a member of one of the oldest and most celebrated families of Washington. His grandfather, John Ross Key, and his granduncle, Phillip Barton Key, were both noted men. His granduncle was a captain in the English army at the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, but was Member of the United States Congress in 1807-13. John Ross Key married a daughter of Governor Lloyd of Virginia. Their son, Francis Scott Key, father of our present subject, was the famous author of the Star Spangled Banner, and their daughter married Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Key was about forty years older than Mr. Sickles. His sister married George II Pendleton, who was at the time a Member of Congress from Ohio, 1857-65, and was candidate in 1864 for Vice-President on the ticket with George D. McClellen. His father, Nathaniel G. Pendleton, a native of Georgia, was a Member of Congress from Ohio, 1811-3, and his grandfather, Nathaniel Pendleton, was the second of Alexander Hamilton in his duel with Aaron Burr. Mr. Key, at the time of the affray was a widower, with four children. He was about six feet in height, of good presence and fine figure, with agreeable address and fascinating manners, which rendered him popular in the brilliant society which then shone at Washington. In 1852, Mr. Sickle married Miss Teresa Ragioli, daughter of a celebrated composer, and teacher of music in New York. She was then a lovely girl, just from school, and only about sixteen. The type of her beauty was that of Italy, of which her father was a native, with eyes of deep and lustrous softness, like an Italian sky, youthful, lovely, and beautiful in person and manners. Shortly after their marriages she went out with her husband on his appointment to London as Secretary of the American Legation, in the household of Mr. Buchanan, and there the young bride attracted unusual attention by her personal charms and by her innocent gaiety? and girlish joyousness. For a time after their return from Europe they occupied a charming residence at Bloomingdale, overlooking the Hudson, and when he took his seat to Congress he fixed his residence in the elegant house on President Square, afterward occupied by Speaker Colfax, and more recently by Richard W. Thompson, the present Secretary of the Navy. At the time of the tragedy their only child, Laura, was about five years of age. The details of the scandal which led to the tragedy it is not for me to reproduce. Enough to say that Washington gossip whispered suspicions that Mr. Key was too attentive to Mrs. Sickles. He had been a constant visitor to the Sickle mansion, and was always received as a welcome guest. In the recess of Congress, he visited them in New York, and on the reassembling of Congress, in December, 1858, continued the familiar calls. Mr. Key made his headquarters at the club house on the opposite side of the square, and frequently rode out on his spirited horse, stopping at the Sickles mansion. Three days before the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. Sickles entertained a large party at his usual Thursday evening dinners. On these occasions Mr. Key and his sister and her husband, Mr. Pendleton, were frequently present. On Friday, the day after this party, Mr. Sickles received a letter signed B.P.G. detailing the meetings of Mr. Key and Mrs. Sickles, and designating a house in Fifteenth Street which Mr. Key had rented from a colored man named Jylin? A. Gray, where they frequently met. Nearly a year before this Mr. Sickles had had his suspicions aroused by some story communicated to him by George B. Woolridge, of Mr. Key riding out on horseback, on the Bladensburg road, while he was in New York but was satisfied that there was nothing in it; but this letter of R.P.G. was so specific in its statement that on examination Mr. Sickles believed it true. The next evening, Saturday, after examining the matter, he confronted his wife with the facts and proof, and she made and signed a confession that she had met Mr. Key at this house on Fifteenth Street. The next day, Sunday, Mr. Key passed the house of Mr. Sickles and waved his handkerchief, which had been a signal between them to go out and meet each other. In a short time Mr. Sickles sailed out, met Mr. Key near the club-house and exclaimed, Key, you scoundrel, you must die! He drew a pistol from his overcoat skirt pocket and fired. The shot took effect in the groin. Key hurled an opera-glass at Sickles, and grappled with him. They then separated and Key retreated up Sickle s street towards the club-house. Sickles followed and fired again, the shot passing through Key s body below the heart. At the second shot they were about three paces apart. Sickles approached still nearer, and with his pistol close to Mr. Key, fired the third time, the ball entering near where the second shot had taken effect. Four or five shots were fired while Mr. Key was making frantic appeals for his life. He fell upon the sidewalk near a tree, a few paces from Pennsylvania avenue, which I believe was struck by one of the balls. The bark and fragments of the tree were carried away as relics. After Mr. Key fell Mr. Sickles, accompanied by his friend S. F. Butterworth, who had left Mr. Sickles s house and spoken to Key just before Sickles met him, went to the office of Jeremiah S. Black, Attorney-General, and gave himself up, and was soon after conducted to jail. Mr. Key was removed to the parlor of the club house and was soon dead. Mr. Sickles received a preliminary examination before the committing magistrate. The case went before the Grand Jury, and on Thursday, March 24th, Daniel E. Sickles was indicted for the murder of Phillip Barton Key, and the trail was set down for the 4th of April. Among the grand jurors were Thomas Carberry, Benjamin C. Taylor, Edward O. Dyer, Sayles J. Bowen?, and Robert Beale. The indictment charged that Daniel E. Sickles, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil, in and upon the body of one, Philip Barton Key, in the peace of God and of the United States, did make an assault with a pistol, of the value of two dollars, charged with gunpowder and one leaden bullet, and which pistol, held in his right hand, he feloniously, willfully, and of his malice aforethought, did discharge and shoot off and did strike, penetrate, and wound said Key in and upon the left side, a little below the tenth rib, inflicting one mortal wound, of the depth of ten inches, and of the breadth of half an inch of which said wound said Key then and there instantly died, etc. The case came on for trial on the 4th of April, 1859, before Judge Thomas Hartley Crawford and a jury. Mr. Crawford was born at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, graduate at Princeton, was a Representative in Congress from his native State, 1829-33. He was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1838 by President Van Buren, and in 1817 was appointed by President Polk Judge of the Criminal Court of the District of Columbia, which position he occupied till his death in 1863. For the prosecution appeared Robert Onld, Mr. Key s successor as District-Attorney, and J.M. Carlisle. For the prisoner there appeared a brilliant array of counsel, at the head of which stood James. T. Brady, of New York, unequaled in such cases before a jury; John Graham, of New York, and D.H. Stanton of Washington, with Messrs. Ratcliffe, Clinton and Magruder of Washington; Philip Philips, who had been a Member of Congress from Alabama, 1853-55, and General Thomas P. Meagher, of New York. The trial lasted twenty days. Three days were occupied in selecting the jury. Some had formed an opinion, some were not worth eight hundred dollars, which a Maryland law made necessary to qualify a juror, and others were otherwise disqualified. Joseph B. Bryan had a bias in favor of the prisoner; Samuel H. Howell though possessing entire competency was challenged; Henry M. Hardle Hurdle, not having eight hundred dollars, was set aside; Rezin Arnold, had turmoil and expressed an opinion, but could be guided by the evidence, and he was worth eight hundred dollars; he was accepted as the first juror. At the end of the first day the entire panel was exhausted and only five jurors were found qualified. For the next day a panel of seventy-five jurors was ordered, and out of that number only three were found qualified. Another panel of seventy-five was ordered for the third day, and the jury was completed. It was rather unexpected that so many were found prejudiced in favor of Mr. Sickles. Elijah Edmonston when called said he should acquit the man if placed upon the jury. Charles H. Kuberger seemed to be anxious to get upon the jury. He said he had not formed an opinion and was not biased, but if the prisoner was found guilty he would say, Hang him as high as h l. The defense did not seem to warm to this juror, and he was peremptorily challenged. During the calling of the jury, George D. Sickles, father of the prisoner, and Mr. Bagioli, the father of Mrs. Sickles was present. On the fourth day of the trial District Attorney Oald opened the case in a fervid address to the jury. Among the witnesses called by the prosecution were Cyrus McCorrnack, Robert J. Dillon, of New York, Richard Brodhead, formerly Member of the House, and at this time United States Senator from Pennsylvania, Daniel Dougherty of Pennsylvania; Barry Hayes, a relative and named after Commodore John Barry of the Navy; Edward O. West, Surrogate of New York, Hiram Walbridge, Member of Congress from New York; Welcome B. Beebe, formerly judge and now a prominent lawyer in the recent campaign for John Kelly, and Ambrose C. Kingsland, formerly Mayor of New York. They did not all answer to their names. The prosecution went on to prove the killing by several witnesses. Some of them said three shots were all that were fired; others said there were five. Edward Delafield swore that it appeared to him that the first shot missed, the second shot struck Key in the groin, the third hit him in the breast, the fourth missed and the fifth took effect in the breast. One of the witnesses, Richard M. Downer, swore that Mr. Sickles, after Key fell and was lying on his back stood within fifteen feet of him, and ask: Is the d----d scoundrel (or rascal) dead? Some of the witnesses testified that after shooting Key three times he pointed the pistol to his head, as he lay on the sidewalk, and pulled the trigger, but it did not go off. The coroner, Thomas Woodward, produced Key s clothing, and showed where the balls had entered one on the right thigh, and one on each side of the breast. Dr. Coolidge was examined as to the wounds, and was cross-examined by Mr. Brady. While the District Attorney was examining the witness, he asked him what class of pistols the ball found in Key s body belonged. Mr. Brady objected that a physician was not an expert in the manufacture of arms. The District Attorney said he must be such expert, or he could not discharge his duty. Mr. Brady replied that he could discharge his duty without discharging fire-arms. Dr. Stone, who assisted Dr. Coolidge at the postmortem, was also examined. The prosecution on the close of the testimony of the doctors, and the recalling of two or three witnesses, announced that the case for the people was closed. The counsel for the defense contended that the prosecution should be compelled to produce Samuel P. Butterworth, Robert J. Walker, and George B. Wooldridge, who had been examined before the grand jury on coroner s inquest, but after long argument the court refused to so order. On the sixth day John Graham opened the case for the prisoner in a speech of great research, eloquence, and illustration. He quoted from the Bible, Shakespeare, and the laws of all the nations on the sanctity of marriage and the punishment of those who would seduce the wife from the paths of virtue. Many witnesses were examined for the defense. Among them, William Badger, United States Navy Agent at Philadelphia, John B. Haskin, who entered Congress with Mr. Sickles, and was with him there four years. Daniel Dougherty of Pennsylvania, John J. McCalhone, official reporter of the House of Representatives, Jonah D. Hoover, formerly United States Marshal, John H. Goddard, Chief of Police, Reverend Smith Pyne, Episcopal clergyman, who baptized Mr. Sickles daughter, Robert J. Walker, ex-Secretary of the Treasury, Bridget Duffy, Mrs. Sickles nurse and maid, Miss C. M. Ridgely, George B. Woolridge, Rev. O.H.A. Bulkley, Peter Cagger of Albany and Felix McCluskey of Brooklyn. Those witnesses proved the attentions of Mr. Key to Mrs. Sickles, their riding and walking together, their meeting at parties and at the house on Fifteenth Street, the signals of Mr. Key to Mrs. Sickles, when he wished to meet her, the effect of the R.P.G letter on Mr. Sickles, the state of his mind, and all the antecedents and circumstances of the shooting. During the examination several scenes were witnessed between the counsel. On the examination of Mr. Woolridge, Mr. Carlisle, who was aiding the District Attorney in the trial, referring to a remark of Mr. Stanton on the slavery and the anti-slavery feeling in the case, that his father was a North Carolinian and his mother a Virginian, said he hoped this fact would be incorporated in his (Mr. Stanton s) biography with the doctrines which he had expressed in this case. Mr. Stanton said the doctrines he contended for in this case, ?? defense of homes and families, he would leave to his children as their proudest legacy. Mr. Carlisle said he did not agree with the gentleman. Mr. Stanton : Certainly not ; I appeal to the hearts of the other men. Mr. Carlisle : There are a great variety of human hearts in this world. Mr. Stanton : Yes, sir, and some of them very bad ones. Mr. Carlisle : I am happy that mine is not filled with that which fills others hearts, though I suppose mine has something that were better out of it. Mr. Stanton : It would be better were something also in it. Here the judge interfered. At another point Mr. Stanton had talked about the prosecution having attempted to destroy evidence. Mr. Carlisle demanded to know whether Mr. Stanton insinuated that he had any knowledge of an attempt to destroy evidence. Mr. Stanton : God forbid I should believe you would do it! Here the judge again interfered. While Mrs. Sarah Anne Seeley was under examination she was inclined to talk too much, and the judge hinted to her that she should first answer the questions and explain things afterward. She asked the judge to excuse her, that it was the first time she was ever in court. Mr. Brady : No wonder you re frightened, seeing so many lawyers here. Mr. Carlisle : The woman can beat us at talking. Mr. Radcliffe: It is well they can beat us at something. While Robert J. Walker was describing Mr. Sickles state of mind at the time of the shooting, Mr. Sickles was seized with a fit of sobbing and excitement, which, for a time, interrupted the proceedings. John B. Haskins testified to calling at Mr. Sickles while Mr. Sickles was absent from home, and entering, without ringing the bell, found Mr. Key and Mrs. Sickles enjoying a salad and champagne. Mrs. Haskins was with him, and after that did not call on Mrs. Sickles. During the examination of some of the witnesses Mr. Sickles counsel obtained leave for him to retire, as he did not like to hear the details. One of the saddest things in the testimony was the description of the witnesses calling at Mrs. Sickles to identify her as the person seen in the Fifteenth street and elsewhere with Mr. Key. When the defense rested the prosecution called as witness George H. Pendleton, Mayor Barrett, and also proved that on Friday and Saturday, the two days before the shooting, Mr. Sickles made speeches in the House, and seemed in no way out of his mind. The counsel commenced to sum up, and submit points and prayers to the judge, on the eighteenth day. Mr. Stanton spoke eloquently and at length in favor of the prisoner. He was followed by Mr. Brady on the nineteenth day. It was one of his grandest efforts, but Mr. Brady s speeches can never be reported. There as magnetism in his manner that could never be properly described. District Attorney Ould closed the discussion for the prosecution. The learned judge, on the twentieth day (April 26), briefly and loudly charged the jury who retired, and in seventy minutes returned with a verdict of Not Guilty. Hon. Wm. E. Robinson, in N.Y. Weekly. |