, 1859-03-03
4 DREADFUL TRAGEDY.
The ': Homicide. ;: at Washington:
Sad Story Of Domestio Ruin and Bloody
Revenge.

Sad Story Of Domestic Ruin and Bloody
Revenge.
HDee1d DIspateh to tho N. r Tfue11
l., WAsH1Ho7ox sunday. Yeb q, 1865,
The vulgar monoton5 of partisan passions and
political sqaabbles has heen terribly broken ia
upon to day by IN onsburst OF personal revenge,
which has ulied the city With horror and conster.
naslon-l cannot unfortunately add, wath absolute
surprise.
.At21 o'clock to-day, HI. Philip Barton Key,
the linked States Attorney for the District OF Col
umDia, was talking with Mr.. Rutterwo1th, Of New
York, at the corner Of Pennsylvania avenue mud
Sixteenth atEeet. near The south entrance to the
Executive Mansion, and some twenty yards from
the Club House on Presidents Squire, when he
WIS accosted BY the bon. D. E. Bickles, Of New
York. Nj. Sick1es charged Ar. Key with destroy
Ing the honor OF bis wife aud his OWN happiness,
Que ball, entering in At the left eide, passed COM
pletely through the body Of Nj. Key a second
was lodged In lis thigh, and third, glaDoing in.
hlcted R1gEt bruise. Mr. Key fell, imploring
LII. sicklea not to kill him, and died IN very few
minutes.
. For months past the social world Of Washing
ton, always as quick 10 relish the details OF pfi-
vote scandal as II Is la1 in its judgments Of those
| By whom such scandal may BE- caused, has been
busy NTH the names 0f Mrs Sickles and Ar. Key.
Their intimacy was OF that mlrked and peculiar
kind which may pesfeetly we'll consist IN tho ia
nocence Of any absolute guit-=since while it was
open to PUBLIC observation, It was hardly concealed
from NJ. 6iekles himself who haying married bis
vile, Mis- B1gloll, Of New York, In ler early
youth, bad always treated her with extreme kind.
ness and tenderness, and doubtless looked upon
her relations with Mr. Key as the mere expression
Of girlish lore OF admiration, and Of nifty de-
lighting in the sense Of power over man of fine
presence, graceful address, and certain local re-
nowa IN the District for high spirit, resolution anl
gGlantry.
During the whole Of the last session Of Congress
the tall figure Of Mr. Key vas constantly to be
Washington residence; aud Ars. sickles vas as
constantly In bis company at all places Of public
| e1terta1n1eut In the interval Of the Congress
sionAl reoess, Mr. Key nude short visit to New
York, still without exciting any absolute suspicion
Of positive mproprfety In the mind Of Ar~ sukles;
although other friends Of the unhappy Lady, a26
among them her mother, repeatedly warned her
Of the fatal precipiSe on the brink Of which she
was permitting herself to tribe. Il WAS hoped
that he afflr would come to an end O. itself, and
and that one or both Of the parties most nearly
implicated, would perceive the real diff Ct their
conduct in time to avoid i.g almost inevitable con-
seguerqe4,
But IN the reassemhling Of Congress, and the
return Of Mrs. Sick1es to Washington, Mr. Keys
attentions, and the scandal consequent upon them,
were revived with greater ardor than before. Ar.
Key was particularly noticeable man in Point of
personal Appearance tall, welI.fomed, q much
more athletic MN than Mi. Sickles. snd especially
fond OF exercise on horseback. He rode an iron.
gray horse and scarcely day has passed since
the return Of Mr. Slck1es to the capital, on which
bis tall figure, his white ridlng-cap, well trimmed
moustache, and iron gray horse might not have
been seen two or tlree times in the course of the
morning on the circuit OF Presidents Square, or
at the door Of Mr. Sfckles' house. which stands
quite alone On the north side Of the square, and is
very conspicuous building Of white stucco. 1t
was but on Tuesday. last. {so sgift and fearful
dream does the whole story seem), that, on vi.it-
ing Hrs. Sckles, Tuesday being her day Of recep-
ton, found LII. Key there, his horse whiting tor
him at the door, The rooms were filled with
plaasaat company; the soft Spring sunlight poured
in at the open windows; and 4ra- Sekles herself,
Of s7oeuses, the rstlin Of the year, seemed the
very incarnation Of Spring and youth, and the
beautiful promise Of life. What Is the twilight
what the house that then was the synonym Of hos
pitxlity, thu most frank, and generous and easy!
: In the early part Of the week before last, Iii.
| Sickles vent on to New York. Dn1ing his ab-
senca the busy spies Of socety observed that the
attendance Of Mr.. Key at bis house Wls even more
unreulittlng than usual. Mr, Sfckles returned to
Washington on the morning Of the day Of the Ma
| pier bali, aud from that time up to Friday last
nothing occurred to make the matter oI his wite's
minent in his mind. So tar was he from manifest
| ing anything like inoldina,e or tyrapuical sus-
| picion; that be allowed LII. Key to escort Mrs
Sickles as usual on Pennsylvania avenue, and 1
saw them, in company with 4r. Henry Wlkof, at
the theatre on Wednesday night On Thursday
HI. and Hrs. sckles cntertaiaed large party It
dinner. Over that gay and brilliant company
how near and fearful doom impendeat
On the next day {thc day before Yesterday Mr.
5ickles received tron some enemy Of ma7kiad an
anonymous letter, stating with precision 20 minute
as to make suspicion imperative, that Mr. Key had
rented house on Fifteenth street, above street.
from negro woman, and that be was in the habit
OF meeting Mrs. Sigk1es thers two or three times
week, Or ottener.- The person and dress Of Mra
6ickies were accurately described, and th, usual
time Of the Interview specified. Accompanied by
friend, Ar. Sirkies went to the house designated
and found every statement Of the ANONYMOUS
writer corrobonlted. Mr. Key had taken tho
house and be lad constantly met there lady
answering very closely in description to Mrs.
Sickles.
Mr. sickles still clupg to the hope that the per.
sou Who lad stopped to the baseness Of .saling
such charges under tne yet! Of secresy might hare
thoroughly deceived him, and that sMrs. Gickles
Was not the lady in question. He accordingly re-
quested bis friend, III. George Woodbridge, o!
New York, to watch the p.ace from the window Of
house just opposite.
On Saturday, no meeting took place, and Tho
woman in charge seems to have stated that noue
had occurred since Wednesday.
On Saturday evening, 1T. sicklea, resolved no
longer to play the spy 9Rnu bis honor, determined
to confront bis wife directly With his terrible eus
pclon5. At first Mrs 6ickfes strongly denied ler
guilt hut on her husbands asking her whether,
on the Wednesday previous, she had not entered
the house Fifteenth strcet, in certain partlcu-
lar dress, md concealed By hood, she CRED out,
II am betrayed dnd lost !" and swooned away. On.
recovering her senses, she admitted her guilt, and
bssonght mercy and pardon. Mr. Sickles calmly
said be would not injute her, since be believed her
tue victim OF scoundrel, but that he bad right
to full confession. Two ladies in the house weEo
sent for as Witnesses and in their presence, Nrs.
that her connection with Nj. Key had commenced
in April last, under Iii. Sickles roof but that liz.
Key had since hiled tue house In Fifteenth street,
in which theJ had constantly met Mis-. Sickles'
confession was made IN the midst Of the bittere,s
cootrstion and misery. Her husband simply ask.
ed her to give hin back her wedding ring, and de.
sired her to write to her mother to come and take
her from bis house forever. Mrs. Sickies made
no objections, admitting the Justice Q! her ppn-
lshment in the most affecting language. Her
mother will arrive to morrow to remove her from
this fearful scene Of guilt, remorse, and blood.
III. Slckes gave way to the most terrible:emotion,
aud passed the night in a state bordering On dis
tfacliun-a feeling which was worked into mad.
ness this morning on seeing the cause OF his mis-
E}t 141s At$t httu kd} AQuIClly paS9 opposite the
w!udoF 81 his Wigs room and wave bis handker-
chief-the usual signal for assignation.
Asking Lit. Bntterworth, who was ut his house.
TO follow Key and engage lin in conversation SO
that he would not get out Of sight, he rushed M
stoirs for his pistols, and quickly followed found
Butterxorth and key together, at thu corner Of |
Sixteenth street, where the tragedy took Mace.
On coming up Sickle walked directly 10 ke7,
and said, ''Yon have dNhonored my bed and
family, you scoundrel-prepare to die at The
same time drawing his pistol Almost ainults-
neouslJ key plaeed his hand inside his vest,
And drawing Ehst appeared to be pistol, but |
what Eas in reality An opera giass, said, = You
had better not shoot!"
Sickles at onca fred, Key at The sAme time
throwing his glass at him. This shot only |
gre1sd Key, alghtly raising ths akin of hia side,
and be Immediately lesped behind tres to |
aTold smother shot Sckles followed, and KeY,
oatchin. bis Arm, endeavored 10 prevent him |
from firing, but Siekles Giaengaged himself and |
firing sgaln, shot Key in the upper part of tho |
thigh. close TO the main artery.
Falling on his hip, and supporting himself On |
bis hsnd, be cried, Murder! don't shootl" |
Sickles, st} following, fired again, with his
pisto! CLOSE to Key. the ball passing through his
body be!ow the breast.
In the meantime, the report Of the pistol snd /
key'a cries startled those in tho neiRhborhood. |
Ar. Thomas Martin, Clerk in tho Treasury
Department, who happened at the moment 10 be |
leaving the Club, rushed back, and calling out
"Key 10 naurdsredt" III. Doyle, Nj. upshur /
and hr. TIdbs1l, who vero in the Dlub ii ke /
tiuie proceAded haxti1t IN fha1 6not vhau th.~