Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-01
THE WASHINGTON TRAGEDY.

we make the following extract from the Wash
ington correspondence of the New York Times,
beginning at the point when Mr.. Sickles's
fears were first aroused:
On Friday Mr.. Sickles received an anony-
NOUS letter, stating with precision so minute
as to make suspicion imperative, that Mr. Key
had rented a house on 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 week, or oftener. The per-
son and dress of Mrs. Sickles were accurately
described, and the usual time of the interview
specified. Accompanied by friend, MIR. Sick
les went to the house designated and found
every statement of the anonymous writer cor
roborated Mr.. Key had taken the house ;
and he had constantly met there lady answer
ing very closely in description to Mrs. Sickles
On Saturday no meeting took place, and on
Saturday evening Mr.. Sickles resolved to con-
front his wife directly with his terrible suspi-
cIonS. AT first Mrs. Sicklcs strongly denied
her guilt; but on her husbands asking her
whether, on the Wednesday previous she had
not entered the house on Fifteenth street, in a
certain particular dress, and concealed by a
hood, she cried out, 81 am betrayed and lost %
and swooned away. On recovering her senses
she admitted her guilt, and besought mercy
and pardon. Mr.. Sickles calmly said he would
not injure her, since he believed her the victim
of scoundrel, but that he had right to a
full confession Two ladies in the house were
sent for as witnesses, and in their presence,
Mrs. Sickles made full confession IN ocTiting,
stating that her connection with Mr. Key had
commenced in April last under Mr.. Sickles's
roof, but that MIR. Key had since hired the
house in Fifteenth street, in which they had
constantly met. Mrs. Sickles's confession was
made in the midst of the bitterest contrition
and misery. Her husband simply asked her
to give him back her wedding ring and desir-
ed her to write to her mother to come and take
her from his house forever. Mrs. Sickles
made no objections, admitting the justice of
her punishment in the most affecting language.
Once having quilted the presence of his
wife, Mr.. Sickles gave way to the most terrible
emotion, and passed the night in a state Dor
dering on distractions feeling which was
worked into madness this morning on seeing
the cause of his misery, Mr.. Key, with gay
audacity, pass the window of his wife's room,
and wave his handkerchief-the usual signal
for designation.
Asking Mr.. Butterworth, who was at his
house, to follow Key and engage him in con-
yersation so that he would not get out of sight,
he rushed up stairs for his pistols, and quickly
following, found Butterworth and Key to-
gether, at the corner of sixteenth-street, when
the tragedy took place.
On coming up, Sickles walked directly to
Key, and said, "You have dishonored my
bed and family, you scoundrel Il prepare
to die pat the same time drawing his pistol
Almost simultaneously Key placed his hand
inside his vest, and drawing what appeared to
be pistol, but what was really an opera glass,
said, you had better not shootp
GioyIoc oto Al,
throwing his glass at him. This shot only
grazed Key, slightly raising the skin of his
side, and he Immediately leaped behind tree
to avoid another shot. Sickles followed, and
Key, catching his arm, endeavored to prevent
him from firing, but Sickles disengaged him
self, and firing again, shot Key in the upper
part of the right thigh, close to the main ar
terry.
Falling on his hip and supporting himself
with his hand he cried, Murder! don't
shoot" Sickles still following, fired again,
with his pistol close to Key, the ball passing
through his body below the breast.
The parties involved in this sad story all
lived within the immediate circle of our daily
Washington life; two, at least, of them being
also as well known in New York as in the fed
eral metropolis. Key was about forty-two
years of age tall in stature, about six feet, with
an easy and fashionable air, but by no
means prepossessing in appearance otherwise.
His face had a sickly hue and he had been for
some time suffering from heart-disease, or i'm
agined he was, which gave him a soured and
discontinued look. Otherwise he was ex-
tremely popular and those who knew him best
sad his eccentricities Of manner covered very
kind and generous heart His father, Francis
D. Key, was the author of the national song,
the ''Star-Spangled Banner" He was wild
over with four children. On his marriage he
narrowly escaped a duel with Colonel May,
who conceived that he, had unfairly ousted him
from the affections of the lady who became his
wife, and who was beautiful and charming
woman.
Mr. Sickles, the member for the Third Dis
trict of New York, is native of this city, and
was originally printer by occupation He is
man OF nearly forty years of age, of good
presence and graceful manners As a men,
Der OF the State Senate, as well as in the House
OF Representatives, he had made himself re-
marked by quite unusual GOODNESS and self.
possession, which gave him great advantage in
debate, and had acquired for him well-de-
served reputation as rising young leader of
the Democratic party. In 1853, Mr. Sickles
was married to his wife, now ruined and heart
broken, then a young girl fresh from her
scEoo-life, and remarkable then as now for
something especially soft, lovely, and youthful
in the type Of her very peculiar beauty. She
is OF Italian origin, and possesses all the Italian
lustre and depth ofeye, united with singular
candor and delicacy of feature.
MIR. Sickles had seen her grow up from child
hood, and was attached to her with an almost
idolatrous affection. Shortly after their mar
riage, MIR. Sickles was appointed Secretary of
the American Legation at London, in the
household of Mr.. Buchanan, and his beautiful
bride won universal admiration abroad, not
more by her charms Of person and manner,
than by the gayety and innocent joyousness of
her character.
Mrs. Sickles may be 49, and has two chill
dren. She is the daughter of Bagioli, the
celebrated music teacher, of Fourteenth street
Popular sympathy as usual in such cases, is
almost unanimously with Mr.. Sickles, the
provocation being deemed ample justification
for the deed, and when the facts yet unknown
come to be developed, this feeling will grow
still stronger, and read fearful lesson to those
who may attempt to invade the honor and hap
piness of another's home.
The Hon. Robert j. Walker and Messrs.
Carlisle and RatclifF have been retained as his
counsel. They will bring him before Judge
Crawford tomorrow, on a writ of haJeds corpus,
and move his discharge upon bail. There is
little doubt that it will be allowed, and he be
released from custody. The general opinion
seems to be that no Grand Jury will ever in
diet him.