Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-10
Tragedy at Washington,

OohSTceei tuo 4dliuhdl Ndpttt scSius u ndFo
gotten upa painful disclosure of the vices of
fashionable life. Aswe went to press last week,
the telegraph brought intelligence of the fact
that Hon. Daniel E. Sickles, NJ c., from New
York, had shot Phillip Barton Key, District At
torncy for the District of Columbia, for i'm
proper intimacy with his wife. The facts are
stated as follows
4" For months past the social world of Wash
ington, always as quick to relish the details OF
private scandal rs it is lax in its judgments OF
those by whom such Scandal may be caused,
has leen busy with the names Of Mrs. Sickles
aH95te VIZ. Key. Their intimacy was Of that
na AID peculiar kind which may perfectly
HHslFGconsist in the innocence of any absolute
g9gt-since while it was open to public obser-
yation, it was hardly concealed from Mr.. Sickles
| himself, who having married his wife, Miss
Bagioli of New York, in her early youth, had
ALWAYS treated her with extreme kindness and
tenderness, and doubtless looked upon her rela-
tions with Mr. Key as the mere expression OF a
girlish love of admiration, and Of a vanity de
| lighting in the sense of power over a man of
fine presence, graceful address, and q certain To-
cal renown in the District for high spirit, reso-
llut,9n and gallantry.
During the whole Of the last session Of Con.
gress the tall figure Of Mr.. Key was constantly
to beIseeu in Presidents Square, opposite Mr.
SicSky Washington residence; and Mrs. Sic S
was atonstantly in his company at all places
lof public entertainment, In the interval Of the
lCeEgresional recess, Mr.. Key made short visit
to MY York, still without exciting any absolute
Rsnsnsdn Of positive lnpropriety in the mind Of
SID n Tugh other friends Of theun
mong them her mother, RI
49, aleatll priepice on
"a which she was 7permIttiHg ilt,FaeI
to nae 1t was hoped that the ALTAR would
come 10 al end Of itself, and that one Or both
fof ths parties most nearly implicated, would
lperceiye tho real drift of their conduct IN time
to avoid its almost. inevitable consequences.
Butpn the re-assembling of Congress and the
returhof Mrs. Sickles to Washington, Mr. Keys
lattentbns, and tho scandal consequent upon
them, were revived with greater ardor than be.
fore. AIr. Key was o particularly noticeable
man ID point OF personal appearance; tall, we'll
formed much more athletic man than Mr.
Sickfes and especially fond of exercise on horse
back. lie rode an iron-gray horse; and scarce
ly day has passed since the return of Mrs
Sickles to the capital, on which his tall figure,
his white rlding-cap. well-trimmcd moustache,
and iron gray horse might not have been seen
two or three times in the course of the morning
on the circuit of Presidents square. OF at the
door Of Mr.. Sickles' house, which stands quite
alone on the north side of the square, and is q
very conspicuous building of white stucco. 1t
was hut on Tuesday last ESQ swift and fearful a
dream docs the whole story seem,) that, on visit
ing Mrs Sckles, Tuesday being her day Of re-
ception, found Mr.. Key there, his horse wait
ing for him at the door. The rooms were filled
with a pleasant company; the soft Spring sun
light poured in at the open windows and Mrs.
Slckles herself in all her almost grlish beauty,
wearing bouquet of crocuses, the frstlings 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 hospitality the most frank
and generous and easy
In the early part of the week before last, Mr..
Sickles went on to New York. During his abb
sence the busy spies of society observed that the
attendance of Mr. Key at his house was even
more umemittng than usual. Mr.. Sickles re-
turned to Washington on the morning of the
day of the Napier Ball, and from that time up
to Friday last, nothing occurred to make the
matter OF his wife's relations with MIR. Key more
than ordinarily prominent in his mind 81 flr
n waA-x frnk ihonifesting anything like nJEdi-
Vnate or tyrannical suspicion, that he allowed
Mr.. Key to escort Mrs. Sickles as usual on Penn
svlvania Avenue, and saw them. in company
with Mr., Henry Wikof, at tho theatre, on
Wednesday night. On Thursday, Mr.. and Mrs.
SEASes enterts.cad Q large party gtdipner -
Over FIAT gay and brilliant company how near
and fearful doom impended
On the next day--the day before yesterday
Mr. Siokles received, an anonymous letter, stat
ing with precision so minute as to make suspi.
cion imperative, that Mr.. Key had rented a
house in fifteenth street, above K street, from
a negro woman, and that he was in the habit OF
meeting Mrs. Sickles there two Or three times d
week or oftener. The person and dress of Mrs
Sckles wero accurately described, and the usual
time of the interview specified. Accompanied
by friend, Mr.. Sickles went to the house des
ignated and found every statement of the anon
ymous writer corroborated. Mr. Key had taken
the house, and he had constantly met there a
lady answering very closely in description to
Mrs. Sickles.
Mr.. Sckles still chung to the hope that the
person who had stopped to the bascness of max
ing such charges under the veil of secresy
might have thoroughly deceived him, and that
Mrs. Sekes was not the lady in question. lie
accordingly requested his friend, Mr.. George
Woodbridge of New York, to watch the place
from the window Of house just opposite.
On Saturday, no meeting took place, and the
woman in charge seems to have stated that mont
had occurred since Wednesday.
On Saturday evening, Mr.. Sickles resolved NJ
longer % play the spy upon his honor, deter
mined to confront his wife directly with his ter
rible suspicious At first Mrs Sickles strongl.
denied her guilt but on her husband asking
her whether, on the Wednesday previous, sh'
had not entered the house on fifteenth street, il
J certain particular dress, and concealed by
|, hood, she cried out, | am betrayed and lost!
and swooned away. On recovering her senses
she admitted her guilt, and besought mercy an,
pardon. Mn. Sckles calmly said he would no
Iiniure her, since he believed her the victim of
scoundrcl, bus Tint he had right to full con
fassion. Two ladies in the house were sent 70
as witnesses, and in their presence Mrs. Sickle
made a full confession in icriting-'
VIM Butterworth, who it will be seen wa
fully coneersant with the affair, makes the fo
lowing statements
4 OpSunday morning about IL o'clock M,
3receved, at the house Of friend with whom
wassstaying, tlH,te from the Hon. d, 3, Sicl
I. ls ssqyit, Per o,Ie y !, me z ligt
{ awsf," which showed o1Hon. Robert }
:. WalSsr and Sa7itor Gwin, with whom WI
then conyereing asked the bearer of the not
who was therd and said to my friends, Z Whs
! can Sickles deaire? | Immediately went
: the house of Mr.. S. On my arrival | foun
Mr.. Sickles ii his bedroom, lying on his fac
on the pillow. overwhelmed with grief Som
Q time elapsed before could obtain from him Il
: account Of his afiction. He kept exclaiming
am dshaaored and ruined man, and cam,
look you in the face. Finally he disclosed
me the following circumstances: On Frida
: Mr.. Sickles received an anonymous letter st
q TING that h;s wife was in the habit Of meetif