The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-27
TIdE WASHINGTON TRAGEDY.
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Trial Of Daniel E. SickIes for Killing
Philip Barton Key.
Argument Of Mr.. Guild for the
Prosecution and Judge
Crawford's Address.
The Case Given to the
Jury.
~-~~000~~~>~~>~~oo1~~ON-
THE VERDICT.
Unanimous Acquittal OF
MIR. Sickles.
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INTENSE EXCITEMENT,
DC, &C., &c.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1889.
There general feeling OF relief manifested this
ing by the Court, jury COUNSEL spectators and indeed
by all concerned at the prospect Of arriving 70 day at
Of this protfacted case 1t expected that,
If the rulings Of Judge Crawford the instructions
prayed for pc not very adverse 10 the prisoners cause
the case will be submitted to the jury without further
cumming up, in which event verdict win probably be
returned on this, the twentieth day Of the trial.
ARGUMENT OF MR.. oULD FOR THE PROSECUTION.
After Mr. Brady concluded, Mr. Ould, the District At
torney said he had listened doubt the Court had
with great interest and satisfaction to both the arguments
addressed to his Honor the pending instructions the
day before yesterday and to-day He admired particu
larry the ability and candor which marked the argument
Of Mr. Stanton, who boldly meeting and presenting all
the difficulties in this Gaze, marched up to and con
tested them in all their strength Not only did he admire
the candor Of the argument but the brancy power and
pahos which characterized it, After saying this much,
would not be amss for him TO remark that the proeccu
tiok stands position tho same rs taken by the
other sde-to wit that Of denouncipg the offence OF
adultery The question: however, is not Of adultery but
one Of murder and whatever vice and criminaty may
attach adultery does not relieve this other and higher
offence OF murder from the condemnation which the law
passes upon IT, We admit in all their funess, the justice
Of the denunciations which have been made agains.
adultery, and that il is an offence which cries
aloud to Heaven for condemnation, and TO
the sacredness Of the family relations which have been
pahetcay alluded to by the gentlemen the other
snd Of Society but deeper far and below ali
such questions, lies another, upon which all questions
Of this kind rest and from which they all spring, name
ly the sacredness Of human life The family relations
eloquently portrayed by gentlemen on the other side
spring out Of the human le they are such relations as
II out Of he Of so
life is the shaft around which all such poe!res as this are
wreaihed. It is the grand trank which supports the
bloesoming glores Of the family relations There has
never civilized nation, code Of laws, hu
divine, where the sacreiness Of human life did
FIRST and foremost receive all the sanctions which
human society itself could gather around it. The Law
made human life its first care, and all concur that
sanctions TO lite will best its preservation.
II truly and well said by the learned gentlemen on
the other sde that adultery drives wife from her hus
bands side and sewers those whom God has joined 10
geiher II is true that such nquty may render desolate
the hearhsone, bx is it not equally true that by taking
away a human life household may be wrecked2 Is
be cured by the other? has been commended the
counsel the other side that adultery is sin NAHUM
but he (0ud) had seen no books, no treatise relating 70
modern society, where il is so registered SO, then the
right Of punishment not only belongs TO the injured hus
band himself but to any psrson no matter hor much
stranger to the husband wn6 might become witness TO
the adultery 1t has been contended, the oher hand
that there Is no mitigation by the provisions Of the New
Of Christianity which has been read in the hearing of the
Court taken from the record Of the loved disciple the
principle, the soul which breaihes through ii, is TO
y.
Tie sin there spoken Of by Divine Master and If
the could receive his forgiveness could on the
same principle extended TO the aduerer No evidence
has been suggested that previously the aduerer himself
had been sezed by an enraged multitude, or by the
husband and slain. There is no suggestion in Divine
record that any such thing occurred Bat the learn
ed gentlemen, the Roman law prevailed there. Does
that alter the caseY The Saviour there speaking Of
the nature Of the sin, aud not interpreting particular
law. Besides, the Roman and jewish law, far the
parties caught in the act, and identical In
both the sin visited with the penalty Of death,
rent from the New and Old res,aments. In proof
Of this he referred TO Deuteronomy, where the
very method Of trial, through each successive step,
and in this extending 70 GONE extent 70 the prnci
pies of our very law AS TO him accused Of adultery
which beinols 10 the Hebrews, required the e
timopy of two witnesses 10 convcs him, and the esti
mony to be given before judicial officer In illus
tration Of the fact be quoted from the thirty st
chapter OF job eleventh verse where In speaking OF the
offence of adultery the following language is used
For this hsnous crime yea is niquiy 70 be punish
ed by the Judses
He next quoted from the eighteenth chapter Of Ezekiel
tenth to show that not only the aduerer and the
murderer, but any who became roboer ora she'd
der OF human BLOOD or an doa.er or usurer, should
receive the same punishment at the hands OF the law
an adulterer Not only rs there command TO keep the
Sabbath holy, but on particular occasion party vno
went out and gathered sticks the Sabbath stoned
to death. II has been considered by writer's both
Divine and civil law that this peculiar judicial system
was S,,.. e0nhned 70 the Hebrews given Sy GOD
ouch Divine sanction as TO be expressly
manded 10 be observed by men in all future time.
In the very chapter Of Jevcus where the penalty
Of stonng 70 death expressly written the 10
the sae chapter visits the punishment, without
qualification on parties possessed with familiar spiriis or
for being witch or wizard and yet denunciaons
launched against incompatible Judge and jury OF Eng
land because when ne sat the bench carrying DOT the
witches and wizards who were brought up for judgment
IT. from the fact Of this divine order among the Jews
was 10 be considered as authority so far as adultery
concerned, and s spirit 70 be observed In this age
and under system OF law, the eminent urst
only correct in his Judgment but in this day becomes
wizards as we'll as On usurers No man can take up the
Old and the New Testaments, and look into them with
spirit Of candor without coming TO the conclusion that
there is the greatest and marked distinction between
the Gin OF adultery and that Of murder. An ,ustra
ton was given in the chapter quoted by counsel for the
Defence OF Simeon and Levi authority conferred by
the divine law for the punishment Of the offence Of adu
terry they having killed the ravsher Of their sister Dnah
i bad occurred 70 the learned gentleman 70 read fur
her he would have found that when the aged father
about gather up his feet, that he might depart his
fathers when be was inspired by prophecy and his
lips touched as II were with coal from heavens altar
be said, "Cursed be their anger for fierce, and
their wrath, for IL crueln Where Ia tho language
for other offences or crmes2 II Ia written all through
the Good Book In ouch language that there quail
ton attached 70 H. He referred Exodus chapter 81
H. she that smteth that he die, shall DO
surely put TO DEATH and Levtcus, chapter "a,
IL "And he that killcth any shall surely be put
DEATH and Numbers, chapter 80, verse l6 "Aud IL he
smte him with an instrument ofiron SO that he de he 70
murderer-the murderer shall surely be put 10 deahp
Nay The avenger Of boodihimself might follow him
and put him TO death, &c. reaches back earlier than
all that II almost the 6rst Divine decree made by
the Creator with regard 70 the offence He referred to the
9th chapter Of Genesis 9th verse; and Of the peculiar rea
con which given BY the mouth Of Jehovah why the
penalty should be Inflicted tho shedScr OF human blood
Whose sheddeth mans blood by shal bic blood be
she'd for in the image Of God made lie MANI che the
temple Of the Holy Ghost, says the New Tapent and
he who pursues him for the purpose Of ling him.
commits sacriege against God az well an offence
against man. He says what He hmsef ca.H divine and
has made His temple With regard to the punishment In.
cted In former ages adultery he (OuId) preferred 10
stand on the great monuments of law, with the
sanctions and authorities which had been given 70 Them
lie did not read the ancient law qnoted by the
Defence and read from tho first book OF Blackstone az
follows "n takes another In the act OF adultery
with his wife, and kills him directly upon the spc though
this was allowed by the laws Of soIon and likewise By