Show I r D IID fi I I II IA A little this BIde aide de of or the year 1850 thereas there X Wa as a noted group of young youns Democrat D I Ic ie jr politicians taking charge of the loaves and fishes provided fox for the pub lie liL table in New York City There Ther were In Jn this group the noted marshal manhal Iah the renowned lawyers James T Brady and John Jolin Cochrane Mike Walsh and Tom Torn Hyer the pugilist IBL Another prominent member was waa known cnown as Dan Sickles and ani the son of one of the very wealthy residents of New York Tork They slid sUd easily ea lly from the service of Frank Pierce into that of o James Buchanan v who vho ho became president in March 1857 1557 I They governed as Democratic poten potentates potentates potentates tates of the city the Temoc lacy zacy of oC Fifth avenue and the sans sana following of the Five Points I Their law was wa supreme Being a good fellow and aDd with an al always 1 ways wallet Dan Sickles was j probably the favorite of this self elf con COIl constituted constituted oligarchy in 1847 he was I elected to the legislature lature In 1853 1153 he was vas made corporation attorney for tor the I cit city and went the same ame year with Bu Buchanan Buchanan chanan to England as IUS secretary of le legation legation gation gatlon His wife was the daughter of Antonio ontonio an eminent musician who tho came to the United States with the first Italian troupe that visited this country about 1890 1830 He married an anA American A girl named Cook and their daughter Teresa was their only child I She was radiantly beautiful and of the I must most winning modest demeanor Dan es wealthy and distinguished for tor 1 Ins his agreeable and pleasant social man rH won the school chool bool girl 11 Teresa Tera Te Their home overlooking the Hudson was the therne I Feene rne of continuous splendid hospital hospitality it ity Wealth and fashion fa frequented the attractive halls balls All kit went merry as asu asa u M marriage bell bellOn bellOn bellOn On their accompanying Mr M Buchan Buchanan r an to the court of St 81 James Jame Mrs Mn Sickles was placed in the proud post position tion of presiding pre lady of the legation Mr Buchanan had taken a great fancy I to 10 Mr Sickles and was rightly proud of the lovely girl pi he had put in charge I I I of ot his official household Among the J Americans who visited the British h cap I Hal ital at this thi time was wa General John A Thomas of ot New York Tork assistant score secre secretary try tary of state under President Pierce I Mrs drs Thomas desired to be presented to court and lid Mr M Buchanan assented r When the day for lor the presentation ar arrived a 1 rived Mr Buchanan notified Mrs I I Thomas that Mrs would ac accompany accompany company her to the palace Mrs Thomas Thomaa was like the fools tools of the Gil Gilbert Gilbert Gilbert bert A Sullivans Patience altogether er tootoo and refused the escort This offended Mr XI Buchanan and Mrs Thomas was wag never presented at the court courtOn courtOn courtOn On his return to America Mr Sick Sickles Sickle lee les le was elected to congress from the Third New York Tork district In In 1858 18 8 and in 1860 1880 On taking up his hiB rest resi residence dence deuce in Washington W in the Woodbury house in Lafayette square Mr Sickles lived in elegant style His coaches coache dinners and parties were irreproachable able and the young toilettes were beautiful The best of Washington Wa society was welcomed to their doors and Mrs Sickles Tuesday morning receptions were the most bril bill brilliant at the capital On Thursday Feb 24 4 Mr Sick Sickles Sickles les lee received a letter from some seine un unknown unknown unknown I known source which gave him great concern It does not appear that he b made Its contents known fr a day or orto I two to but his bis whole bearing and manner indicated that some great sorrow had bad captured him The first active demon demonstration demonstration demonstration of the cause of his distress was made manifest at his residence on Sat Saturday Saturday Saturday Feb 36 K g Mrs Sickles maid gave out a II statement that on this day Mr and Mrs Sickles had a very affecting interview In Mrs Sickles room both bothof of ot them crying and sobbing In the evening she had bad at Mrs Yrs Sickles re request request request quest signed a paper which Mrs Sick Sickles Sickles les lea had herself prepared and had bad also signed The next morning she sh saw 38 W Mr Sickles as he came downstairs still sUlI af at affected affected as on the previous night to sobs and tears When he came down those stairs he had In his tumultuous mind mindfully mindfully mindfully fully decided to obtain a divorce and put away his beautiful and dearly be beloved beloved beloved loved girl rl wife forever Philip Barton Key district of the District Dl of Columbia Columb and son liOn of oC I Francis Francia Scott Key Ke the author of The Star Spangled Banner was in his club clubhouse clubhouse house soon after alter the noon hour of oC Sun Sunday SUnday Sunday I day Feb 27 7 when he saw a handkerchief handkerchief chief chiei waving from the window Indo of the there residence re of Mr Sickles across Lafay ette efte square This was a signal that had bid h d before Indicated to Mr Key Ke that Mrs Sickles wished to see him To this sig signal nal as usual he be p Jd attention and started across the th street s t As be he reached the curb he be was w wIs s confronted by Mr Sickles who charged him with the ruin of his home Key retreated but Mr Sickles followed and when about ten feet distant fired a pistol which brought his victim down Mr lIr Key begged for his life Mr lr Sickles threw him off and Med fired another shot at the I now prostrate man then advancing closer clo er he placed his weapon against i Keys breast and put a bullet through hIm Mr Sickles asking if the d dd d scoundrel was dead took the arm of a friend and left lett the scene surrendering to the police pollee at once Mr Sickles desired de ired to go to his home before be he went to jail He wished to see his wife but the police would not grant bis request until he had given his word of honor that he would do no harm to her Thus escorted Mr Sickles entered his room looking she said like a statue of ot marble I have killed him he be said Then with firm I but gentle pressure he removed the wedding ring from her hand and nd with withdrew withdrew withdrew I drew and went to jail jan soon afterward The affair created cre ted a tremendous sen sensation sensation sensation throughout the country The parties petties to it were ere of national prom prominence prominence Invariably the expression was in favor of ot the act When the trial of Mr Sickles was waa galled called April 4 ar arraigning arraigning for murder there ther was some difficulty in itt selecting a jury Of men summoned seventy one were rejected r every one declaring a belief in the justification of the deed The prosecutor was District Attorney Robert who was afterward rebel commissioner for the exchange of pris prisoners prisoners prisoners at City Point The defense was wae conducted by Edwin M Stan Stanton on who was secretary of war while was wasa a rebel official on James river He had hadas hadas hadas I as counsel James T Brady and David DavidR R Graham of New York At the trial Robert J Walker test testified testified fied lied that he be was at the house when Sickles returned In charge of the po police lice after the homicide and that he be became came to him with a thousand thanks for the Uie sympathetic visit His Is manner I I was strange excited unusual As s SOOn JOn JOnas 0 as he be expressed ed his Ids thanks a great change came upon him He Be fell feU upon uin uina up n na a lounge convulsed convulse Covering his face age with his hands he broke Ito an ag agony of unnatural unearthly sounds some something thing like a scream with violent vleut sob sobbing sobbing bing biDS His appearance was frightful He exclaimed about the ruin of his home his wife and child It was half an hour bour before Mr lIr Sickles was pailS pacific When It was possible to t leave Mr Walker went to Jail j I with rith him and President Buchanan called C led immediately i I This narration of ot the sufferings of MB Mu j I Sickles affected nearly every one in inthe inthe Inthe the court room room to tears I It was also brought out that Mrs Sickles said her bel husband had done right that she was as prostrated and of 1 course penitent overwhelmed with grief that she wanted to leave Wash j I ington and anu an prayed leI tor fo that In I spite of all that had takes ken kea place there thereWa J was Wa no doubt that Mr Sickles still gave gae I II j I her what every man who is Isa a man gives I a woman his bis strong and fervent ervent love loveI I The Rev Mr Haley H Sickles J in his cell on that terrible ble Sabbath th I night to administer Christian Christ consola consolation consolation consolation I tion Sickles gave way to his emotions I and implored him to ilia Jih wretched I wife and let him knew know her ber condition He went as requested and found Mrs I Sickles in the utmost mental agony gony On her knees she begged beed be her husbands husband pardon and besought him If t he would save her from Crom madness mad ess to return the wedding ring he had torn tOnt from her hand These commissions Mr Haley I conveyed when he returned to the jail i I after midnight and tarrIed carried to Mr Sickles also al a letter Iette expressive exp of her ner I I I At a late hour Mr M Haley re ye returned returned turned to the house bearing b bear the wed wedding wedding ed edding ding ring which he e restored r to the be bewailing bewailing wailing wife Not only oldy that but he took with him a letter from Mr Sickles Sickle to his wife a letter let el of o l v lill carrying in its lines condolence af at affection affection hope It was not denied that Kay ICey was killed by Sickles and the justification for the deed was pushed pud to th front and held there firmly strengthen st the plea of justification the confession of Mrs Sickles written the evening be before before before fore the murder and signed by herself and maid was offered but was rejected by the court In the confession she I admitted that she had met Key at the Fifteenth street house use but bue did dl not know how bow many times that the meet meetings ings had been held for several months and that the confession cont e lon vas nas volun voluntary voluntary tary tar tarOn On April 26 the twelfth day da of the trial the jury brought in ina a verdict of ot acquittal Mr Stan Stanton ton called for forI cheers and they were were given again and again Hurrah The verdict and the I cheers broke out of the court room into nto the world and the world responded Hurrah I The sympathy for Mr Sickles had been so very general that even the re religious religious religious papers indulged in it I do not recollect outside of the Immediate cir circle circle circle cle of Keys friends but one dissenting voice In Harpers Magazine George William Curtis did not admit that there was any justification for such a crime But Mr Sickles gave ve his erring wife what every man who is a man gives gies woman his strong and fervent I love and took her to his heart and I home again This act gave George Wil VII William Wilham liam ham Curtis an opportunity for further protest If It the justification n claimed J was sufficient su was the th hurt so slight that the erring wife cower could be restored rest red to her original station so soon Yet this protest was lost in it th loud ac an acclaim claim which l re t Ar the ee f was talin p j r rah ran |