The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-08
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REPORTED ron THE DAILY PRESS.
The Sickles Trial.

Inc SlC1eS AflHis
WASHINGTON, April 7.--Thc trial commences
in earnest to-day, and the interest in it becomes
intensified. As soon as the doors were opened
the court t.room was filed with a throng, press
ing and crushing to obtain glimpse of the
| prisoner, who sits in tho barbarous- looking
arrangement to which he is consigned by the
usage Of the Court, though he sits throughout
the proceedings apparently calm and unmoYed;
| yet, when he gets back to his prison apartment,
he shows signs Of exhaustion, and when alone,
which is not often, he is said to be prey to |
sorrowful reHections-not that he regrets tho |
| act for which he is now on trial, (no cOmpunc- |
tous thought of that visits his mindO but |
when he thinks upon his blighted home, and |
the ruin that has been wrought by the villainy |
Of false friend, his habitual self-possessiou
gives way, and nature asserts her supremacy |
The Washington papers have published q
statement that Mrs. Sickles is now in the city.
There is no truth whatever in the statement.
The lady's father contradicts it in tho most
positive manner, and says that since she left
her home here she has been residing under his
roof in New York, under the protection of her
mother, and hopes that her name will not he
wantonly or unnecessarily dragged before the
public. He and Mr.. Sickles' father remain to-
gether in Court all the timo.
Mr.. Graham complains that letters passing
between himself and Mr.. Sickles, have been
tampered with in the post-ofice, some opened
|
nation.
The Court opened at fifteen minutes after
ten o'clock this morning.
After some delay the jury was called and all
answered to their names.
f Judge-After the jurors were dismissed yes
to-day, one of them came up to the bench and
asked if he could say o word to mo- [ told him
not about this case. However, he went on to
. say: answered the questions put to me, but
s since / have been sworn into the jury-box 1
n have been rejecting upon this thing, and 1 am
not quite satisfied with myself. On which 1
said, can not believe you, and he Immediately
= turned around and went off. think it right to
O mention this publicly, in counsel may think
, it proper to move about it. So little impression
did the mans appearance make on me that
: can not recognize him now, but he is one of the
y eleven.
g Mr.. Moore, the juror, standing up, said-I
was impressed with the responsibility that
S rested on me, and felt a kind of shrinking
70 from the duty.
Judge-I hope you were.
Juror-It made me feel unpleasant, but this
in morning can say to the Court that l feel per-
fectly satisfied in my own mind
3, Judge-Very we'll, 1 am glad to hear it. II
i'd was the duty of the Court to state this.
n Juror am very glad have this privilege
,a of making this explanation.
81 Alphonso S. Wright, the twelfth juror, was
vi then sworn, and took his seat in the jury box
at when the twelve juroos were called and an.
swered.
Clerk, to the prisoner-Stand up.
er Mr.. Sickles stood up in the box.
,s Clerk-Daniel E. Sickles, look on the jury
while the indictment is being read.
70 The indictment was then read.
es Cerk-Upon this indictment the prisoner ha
ed been arraigned, and upon this indictment ha
plead not guilty, and has put himself on hi
country. That country you represent, and thi
~, indictment you are to try.
1e District Attorney 0uld opened the case 70
'at the prosecution, by making an eloquent an
n effective statement of the circumstances of tn
he murder, amid the breathless attention of tn
judge, jurors and audience.
The Judge said that it was unusual her
NM to have openings on both sides made befoi
''' any of the evidence presented, but pre-
m sumed that the counsel for the defens
est would prefer to reserve their opening till til
III case for the prosecution closed.
Mr.. Brady replied that the counsel preferre
the latter course.
mt The Judge said that, while the former WI
9 the usage of the Court, the wishes of the coui
sci were always consulted by him.
ar The witnesses for the United States wei
be- then called into Court.
TIL The following persons answered and we
severally sworn, such being the practice her
DR.. R. H. Coolidge, R. R. Stone, Richard
Downer, F. Doyle, T. E. Martin, P. V.R. VI
y Wycke, Jas. Dubrow, Abel Upshur, Edwa
last E. M. Tidsall, Cyrus Mccormick, John
Who Seely, Jonah D. Hoover, Robert j. Dillo
!. Thomas Woodward, Reuben Worthingto
Henry Hepburn and Edward Delaield.
of Some delay occurred which the District
100 torney explained by saying that he was waitii
for a witness whom he wished to examine fir
and who was now in Court. He had sent
him.
This witness was James II. Reed, polio
orto II .,,k,
sworn, and took the stand.
Q.-Were you present at the time of t
death of Mr.. Key? Al was near by.
Q.-Be good enough to state all the circur
stances connected with the killing that y
j. saw.
Witness-I was passing on the Sabbath
ma the 9th of February up the street known
- part of Pennsylvania avenue, running by
n Presidents house, and got up nearly oppos
the street known as Madison Place. I W
hhe hn walking along leisurey, going westward, VIII
0 sH l heard a loud talking, as l imagined.
23l eye fell on two gentlemen on the corner of I
pavement; one was standing rather westwa
the other eastward. They seemed to be fir
. four to six feet apart l saw the arm of
.u one who was westward begin to raise.
A' rectly / saw there was something in it,
parently pistol. He raised the pistol grs
ually, and in the course of five or ten secor
q saw him take deliberate aim. Saw him al
ing at the man eastward OF nlm. Inc aim
deliberate. The man eastward was making
effort to get away from the direction of the P
tol. In two or three seconds the pistol v
fired. The man who fred the pistol moved
= little westward slowly, and the other advant
toward him. The one eastward followed
rapidly, but did not gain upon him till IL
reached the place where the first firing tC
- place.
Q.-Do 1 understand you to say that IL
went to the middle of Madison Place?
6. Witness-They went westward, and lii
sEN. on the southwest line. When they reacl
OLD within about eighteen or twenty feet fr
where the first fire took place, the man v
II. was shot at retreated, and went somew
,LTC northwardly and eastwardy, up Madi
mesl Place. The other followed him up, thol
!: It not SO closely, perhaps. The gentleman '
p@seS p@soS was shot at up and got behind tree
Ider. commenced shouting "Murder-don't sh
AT Of me-" The man who had the pistol came W
Il, o. about five feet of him, and there he attemp
NJ a to shoot, but his pistol snapped. He then
liant treated back little, the man who was sho
side, following him up, and they went into