Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-07
THE sICKLEs TRAGEDY.

The New York Tribune's correspondent c.,
Robert Carter since the excitement of this
affair was over, writes to the Tribune letter,
from which we make the following extracts
Public opinion at first set strongly in favor
of Mr. Siczles, almost every man feeling that
he himself would have acted substantially as
the homicide did under similar circumstances;
but as more and more light has been shed up
on the previous history of the parties, the
current has changed land men ask whether Mr.
Sickles was the man to cast this stone, or his
wife, the woman in whose behalf so bloody a
revenge is excusable. Against her and Mr..
Butterworth the tide sets more strongly than
ever.
That the intimacy between Mrs. Sickles
and Mr. Key was brought to her husbands at
tention year ago, is known. A Mr.. B. of
New York, whose name it is unnecessary to
give in full, being rather susceptible young
man, last session fell violently in love with
Mrs. Sickles, who was always free in man
ners, and fiattered by devotion, as what wo-
man is not He soon became jealous of
District Attorney Key, and watched him. AT
length he found what seemed to him a suff-
Gent basis for his suspicious. 1t came to his
knowledge that the guilty pair were locked to-
gether in private room in one of our hotels.
He communicated this fact to Mr.. Sickles,
who, to his kind informant's surprise, assaied
him with abusive language and forbade him
his house thenceforward. Mr.. B. returned to
New York, crest-fallen, and Mr.. Key remained
master of the field, continuing to be intimate
with both man and wife, as heretofore.
Last Summer, Key was in New York, on no
ostensible business. 1t was noticed that he
daily left his hotel at precisely the same hour,
and it is now conjectured what his regular ap-
pointment was.
Having been told somewhat in detail what
the arrangements for the meeting were, had
the curiosity to visit the house in Fifteenth
street, which Key hired three months ago, at
$50 month 1t is queer building, two sto-
ries in height, narrow with roof slightly
sloping toward the sidewalk, small porch
and an L running back to a muddy alley.
A wooden stable stands next door. A man,
who was grooming horse in front of it, said
he had almost every morning at or 10 o'clock
seen Mr.. Key, whom he knew by sight, enter
the front door of the brick house. He came
generally on foot but sometimes on horseback,
hitching his iron-gray to a convenient post.
Others had seen Mrs. Sckes go in at the
same door rarely; but he never had. This
tallies with my information from another quar-
ter.
1t seems that Key was in the habit of signi-
flying his presence in the house by red rib
bon hung from an upper window III the rear,
WHICH GILL De seen from Tue cross SlTeeIS. MIS-
Sickes would walk down one of these, usually
X street, which is nearest her house, and upon
catching sight of the welcome signal, would
dart between the negro huts, up he blind al
ley, along one side of which runs path, COM
paratively dry, and by back gate would
reach the trysting-pace. Sometimes she was
in her morning dress, sometimes disguised, of
ten with her face enveloped in a close hood
The house is conveniently near, being only
two squares northerly and one easterly of her
husbands residence, which used to be occu-
pied by Judge Woodbury., and is about equi-
distant from the White House, the War De-
partment and the jackson statue in the center
of the Park on which it fronts. In the direct
line between the two houses, between Latay-
cite square and the negro quarter, and not
much more than a sharp rifle-shot from each,
are the most sumptuous residences in Wash
ington-Mr. Corcoran's for one, Senator Sid
ellis for another The contrast is even more
striking than that between Broadway and Mer-
Ger street. But Washington is a city of con-
trasts. BY lengthening her walk little, Mrs.
Sickles could go or come by a different road
every day for fortnight; and her proper and
lawful errands might lead her within a stones
throw Of her lover
However, they could telegraph to each other
across the Park, he being an hdbitue of what is
called the Washington Clubhouse, a misno.
mer now, the club having been dissolved
year ago. The building is still used, however
as private restaurant, and is much frequent
ed by the fashionable young bloods of the town
and their friends from abroad.
All these circumstances were calculated to
work upon the imagination and to fire the
blood OF romantic young Italian, such
Mrs. Sickles is And Key said last summer
who, although to one intimate with him, did
not then suspect him of this-that he was for
"French intrigue. A fig for common license
French intrigue and romance, with good
spice of danger in it p
A person who saw the two leave the house,
after one of their meetings, somewhat more
than week ago, he by the front, she by the
back door, also saw a man closely wrapped in
shawl, standing where he could see, and ap-
parently observing them. This man is be-
heved to be an inmate of Mr.. Sickles's house
1t would be injudicious to publish his name,
since the anonymous letters are ascribed to
him. Letters, / say-for my information is
that the one received on Thursday or Friday
last was not the first nor the second but the
last OF series, and was more explicit in its
statements than any of the preceding. If this
be so, as is affirmed upon apparently good au-
thority, it will materially alter the aspect of
the case; and not in favor Of MIR. Sickles.
People still wonder how Mr.. Sckles has
been enabled to live as he has been living in
Winter. 1t is said that he received absolutely
nothing from his father or his wite's relatives
1t is undoubtedly for Mr.. Sic1les interest
that the trial should take place as soon as pos
sible. His evidence is on the spot, while the
prosecution will be obliged to look to New
York for theirs, unless they confne themselves
to the facts attending the deed itself, and make
no inquiries into character.
From statements that have gone abroad, it
might be inferred that Mrs Sickles occunied a