The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-03
L Fl E DISPATC III.
THURS BAY MORNING MARCH q. 1889
T He VA SHINGTON
TRAGEDY !!
y tate ement OF Mr.. Butterworth-Af
fectfng scene in Prison, &c.
FUNERAL OE Mr.. KEY.

fecting scene in Prison. &c
FUNERAL OF Mr.. KEY.
Mr.. samuel Z. Bntterworth, of New York, who
was present at the killing of Phillip Barton Kew,
IN Washington. aud acted as the friend of MFR.
| sickies, has published a card defending hims.I,
nom the charge of having engaged the deceased
IN conversation uutil Mr.. S. could oyertake and
shoot aim. As a part of the history of the s,d
ah'ir,we give II as follows:
| STATEMENT OF Mr.. EurTERwosrH.
IN consequence Of erroneous and false sta.eme,,s
"hId' nave appeared in the public press, in rela-
| 'ion to the death OF =. Barton Kew 70 Co.,
That IT Is necessary that | should stato' ,ha 60
so lar as L am connected with the orrurrarna
4 on sunday morning. about IL NJ rsroivaS .
tue mouse OF frlsnd with whom 1 am staying,
no'e rom the Hon. d. +. Sckies, sayin. .iDaar
H., GENE TO me right away" which i sbnwaj .,
Hon Robert J. Walker and Senator Gwin. win
; whom was then copversing. asked the bearer
of the note who was there. and said IN nv tr;o,a
what can Sickles desire" ] immediately went
Z TO the house of Mr.. S. On my arrival I fonnd Mr.
Sck!es in his bed room. lying on his face on tho
| pillow, overwhelmed with grief. Some time clans
! cd before l could obtain from him An account Of
the cause of his affection. lie kept exciaiming-
| Il am dishonored and ruined man. and cannot
look you IN the face" Finally he disclosed to me
| the following circumstances:
| oh Friday, Mr. Sickles received an anonym nous
|
meeting Mr. p. Barton Key at a house on 18th
street, in a negro neigh borhood. Through an
agent Mr.. Sckies had ascertained that Mr. Kew
| had reated house in that neghborhood. and was
| 10 the habit OF meetinga lady there correspond.
] ing in dress and Appearance to the wife Of Mr. s
Being possessed of these facts he stated them to
HE wife on Saturday uighk She said at once "that
| she perceived that she was discovered" and
thertupon made q iuil confession of her guilt in
/, writing.
/ BY this confession it appeared that this crimi
nal intercourse had beeu going since April
1883, sometimes. in the absence Of Mr.. S. at the
house OF her husband; and that at the commence
ment OF the present session Of Congress Mr. Kew
had hired an unteuanted house on 18th street
where they were in the habit Of meeting fire..
quently.
After hs had epprsei mo of the foregoing
facts, he consulted me as to the course he shouId
purEne. / advised him 10 send his wife TO her
mother, at New York;. that as it was now near
the close of the session, it would excite no re-
mark; that during the time Intervening between
the close of this session and the commencement
of the next. he could 60 20 Europe for a few
months, and in the meantime a separation could
be arranged between himself and his wife: that |
presumed the efair was known only TO one or two
persons, beyond mere surmisp; and that for the
honor of his little daughter ani his wife's friends.
| this course should he pursued
To this Mr.. Sickles replied. any friend, | would
gladly pursue this course, but SO abandoned so
reckless have Key and MY wife ksep that all iL,,
negroes in that neishborhoCd and dare not saw
how many other persons, know ell about the cir
cnDstances."
then left Mr.. s in his bed room, and, on going
down stairs, met in the library Mr. Georpa r :
Woo!drige, clerk Of the House of Representa-.
tives | said to him: "This is a terrible afftir -
ile then handed me the written statement made
ty Mrs. Slckles of her guilt, which was written
and II gne8, as | was then informed hy Nrs & in
the presence of two females and witnessed by
them. read the statement. laid il down on the
table, and said will go down town for q while
ana feturn here again, and requested MIR. Wool
drige TO say &c TO Mir. il be should iuguira f,r
me. ! Immediately left the house aud w.lked to
the Club, on 10th street drank glass cf ale with
Hlend, aud slowly returned to the house of Tr
Sickles. On entering the library again, Mr.
| Woodbridge informed iRe that SIr Rev had .v:ca
passed the house during the morning and hal A
short time sirce waived his handkerchief three
times as a signal. Whilst conversipg with him.
hr: sickles came into the library aud said that
he had "seeu the sCoundrel making signals" and
he added, MY God this is hcrrible!n 7 s,id.
| Mr.. SickIeE, you must be calm and look this
matter square in the face; if there he possible
~ ST keeping the certain kuoweige of this crime
from the public; you most do nothing to destroy
that Feasibility; y0u inaJ be mistaken in your
oei!ef thatit Is known 10 the whole city"
He instantly replied, NO, 10, uy friend; I am
not; it is already the town talk" | then said if
| thar be SO, there is but enc course Jeft for ven
as a man OF honor-yOu need no advice. After a
fsw moments silence, Mr. s. said that he ..yas
satisfied that Mr. Key had been in the habit OF
making bis signals from q window of the Club
House opposite; and what surprised Kin, yerv
much was that his vie strenuousIy denied this.
though freely contessing her guilt" lie then
walked into the ball aud said to me- .'Comc 90
over with me to Stewards room, in the Club
| House, and he may be able to inform ma uh.th,r
Key has u room there, and for what purpose he
uses it, l asSented, and walked ont into the
street supposing that Mr.. Sickes was following
ma. iett the house for ths sole purpose
| When | lett Ir. 5 in the ball, | am satjafad he
| had O his He
bis ovcrcoat. He said nothing to me about wea.
pons, or the probability OF encounteriue Mr. Kew,
walked slowly down the Aveuue on the south
side, to the corner, and as | was CROSSING tn.
street saw Dir. Key advance few stems towards
me. He salu'ed me, saying "Good mjrning, Mr.
| Butterw0rth, what a fiue day We have" | re-
spouded, aud said Have you come from the
cUb?' lie said, Il have" I asked us Mr.
, Stewart in his room!'' lie answered. ives and
he is quite nuwell.' | then said II am going IN
to see him; good morning. and turned to leave
him. As did so, saw Mr.. Sickles for the first
tine after leaving his house, coming RAPIDLY down
| 10th street, on the side next the square, and
then near the corner l bad walk ed about thirty
feet on my way to the club when heard Mr. s
exclaim i'll a lond voice, "hey,you scouudrei, you
have dishanored my house-you must die"
| | turned Immediately and aaw Mr. X. thrust hi,
hand III his vest or side coat pocket, take step in
the direction OF Mr.. Sickles, and simultspeous,y =
| 1 heard the discharge OF "A pistol Mr.. Key then
| rapidly advanced on Mr.. Sick les seized him with
his efi hand by the collar of the coat and seemed
to make An effort to strike with something in his
right hand, which then supposed 10 be wes.
pom. Mr.. Sckles backed into the middle of the
street, when he succeeded in extrica:ing himself
from Mr.. Keys grasp, drew pistol from his over
coatpoCket, preseute il at Mr. Key, " no retreat
treated backward up 10Th street toward the Club
and threw something at Mr.. Sickes Mr. Sickes
followed, and when within ten feet fired. | saw
Mc- Key was wounded He staggered towards the
sidewalk, saying, Don't shoot me-" He leaned
for moment against tree, when Mr. Sickies ad
vanced upon him, exploded cap, and then fl red
third time. As Mr.. Key was falling, Mr.. s. fre-
queu;ly exclaimed, You william, you have dis,
honored my house, and you must die. He uttered
these words again, while standing over Mr.. Key
with his revolver in his hand. took no part in
| the contest
believed them both to be armed When left
Mr.: Siekies house had no though, of meeting OF
seeing Mr. Key, my object being to visit Mr. Stew
art. had no arms with me. 1 did not know Mr
oickies intendedwTske arms with him. lie LEFT
from me came etowardsA@NHeouhs on north side o.
the square. When Mr. NSyv16sSa Jne. did moi
know Mr.. Sickies was approsehirE nor did sec
him until turned TO leave Mr.. Key did not Sec
| Mr. shoot Mr.. Key after his fall nor place is
pistol III contact with his head clothing. AfteI
the third fire advanced and took MIR. Sickies
arm, walked with him up 10th street, and sd
vised him to 40 to his house or to the Attorpe,
Generals. He did SO. Ireturned to the scene, ant
picked up opera glass from ths middle of tho
street and gave it to Mr.. Sickes. This is tn,
whole OF my connection with this unfortunate oc
currepce. it is not true that either sought oil
detained Mr.. Key. He f rst addressed me, and ou
interview did not last one minute. have known
] the late Mr. Key, In New York and in Washington
durDg tho last ten years, and reationi
have ever been ofthe most friendly character.
did not anticipate collision on the Sabbath, ,thongi
| did not doubt but that il would take place at a.
early day. SAM r. BUTTERwoRTH.
Ex.Goy. Robt J. Walker, of Kansas, publishe.
q card confirming Dir. Butterworth's statement
He says that he visited MIR. Sicke's house aftel
the killing, and adds:
| met Mr.. Butterworth fiere alone. He appeared
dsepiy distressed. This fact, together with my