The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

FATAL AFFRAY A2' WASHINGTON.

Much space is occupied in the American journals
brought by the Africa with the reports of and com-
ments on the shooting to death of Mr. P. B. Key,
United States' Attorney for the district of Columbia,
by the Hon. D. E. Sickles, a senator, on the 27th
ult. The New York Times gives the following ac-
count of the tragedy:—
"Philip Barton Key, the United States' Attorney
for the district of Columbia, was talking with Mr.
Butterworth, of New York, at the corn er of Pe nnsyl-
vania-avcnue and Sixteenth-street, near the south
entrance to the Executive Mansion, and some 20
yards from the Club House on President's-square,
when he was accosted by the Hon. D. E. Sickles,
of New York. Mr. Sickles charged Mr. Key with
destroying the honour of his wife and his own hap-
piness, and, drawing a revolver, instantly shot him
down. One ball entering in at the left side passed
completely through the body of Mr. Key, a second
was lodged in his thigh, and a third, glancing, in-
flicted a slight bruise. Mr. Key fell, imploring
Mr. Sickles not to kill him, and died in a very few
minutes. Mr. Sickles and Mr. Key had been very
intimate, but circumstances led him to suspect an
improper imtimacy. Mr. Sickles received from
some enemy of mankind an anonymous letter,
stating, with precision so minute as to make sus-
picion 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
times a week, or oftener. The person and dress
of Mrs. Sickles were accurately described, and the
usual. time of the interview specified. Accompanied
by a friend, Mr. Sickles went to the house desig-
nated, and found every statement of the anonymous
writer corroborated. Mr. Key had taken the house,
and he had constantly met there a lady answering
very closely in description to Mrs. Sickles. A
watch was set, and on Saturday evening, the 27th,
Mr. Sickles resolved no longer to play the spy upon
his honour, determined to confront his wife directly
with his terrible suspicions. At first Mrs. Sickles
strongly denied her guilt ; but on her husband's
asking her whether, on the Wednesday previous,
she had not entered the house in Fifteenth-street
in a certain particular dress, and concealed by a
hood, she cried out, ' I am betrayed and lost,' and
swooned away. On recovering her senses she ad-
mitted her guilt, and besought mercy and pardon.
Mr. Sickles calmly said he would not injure her,
since he believed her to be the victim of a
scoundrel, but that he had a right to a full confes-
sion. Two ladies in the house were sent for as
witnesses, and in their presence Mrs. Sickles made
a full confession in writing, stating that her con-
nexion with Mr. Key had commenced in April last,
under Mr. Sickles's roof, but that Mr. Key had
since hired the house in Fifteenth-street, in which
they had constantly met. Mrs. Sickles's confession
was made in the midst of the bitterest contrition
and misery. Her husband simply asked her to
give him back her wedding ring, and desired her
to write to her mother to come and take her
from his house for ever. Mrs. Sickles made
no objections, admitting the justice of her
punishment in the most affecting language.
Her mother will arrive to-morrow to remove her
from this fearful scene of guilt, remorse, and blood.
Once having quitted the presence of his wife, Mr.
Sickles gave way to the most terrible emotion, and
passed the night in a state bordering on distrac-
tion—a feeling which was worked into madness
this morning on seeing the cause of his misery, Mr.
Key, with gay audacity pass opposite the window
of his wife's room and wave his handkerchief—the
usual signal for assignation. Asking Mr. Butter-
worth, who was at his house, to follow Key and
engage him in conversation, so that he should not
get out of sight, he rushed up stairs for his pistols,
and quickly following, found Butterworth and Key
together, at the corner of Sixteenth-street, where
the tragedy took place. On coming up Sickles
walked directly to Key, and said, " You have dis-
honoured my bed and family, you scoundrel; pre-
pare to die !' --at the same time drawing his pistol.
Almost simultaneously Key placed his hand inside
his vest, and drawing what appeared to be a pistol,
but what 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 followed, and Key,
catching his arm, endeavoured to prevent him
from firing, but Sickles disengaged himself, and
firing againigh, , shot Key in the upper part of the
right high, close to the main artery. Falling
on his hip and supporting himself with his hand,
he cried, ' Murder ! don't shoot !' Sickles still fol-
lowing, fired again, with his pistol close to Key,
the ll passing through his body below the
breast: In the meantime the report of the pistol
and Key's cries startled those in the neighbour-
hood. Mr. Thomas Martin, a clerk in the Treasury
Department, who happened at the moment to be
leaving the club, rushed back, and calling out' Key
is murdered !' Mr. Doyle, Mr. Upshur, and Mr.
Tidball, who werein the club at the time, proceeded