Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-05
The Suppressed Evidence In the Sickles Case.
We take the following concerning the sup

We take the following concerning the sup
pressed evidence In the Sickles case from the Bal
timore Exchange:
THE SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE IN THE SIcxLRs
CAsK.-It will be remembered that the prosecu-
Hon in this case privately submitted to the Court
certain rebutting evidence which they Were pre-
pared to Offer and upon the refusal OF the Court
to admit it. the case Of the United States was closed
The evidence was not rendered publicly, in con-
| sequence Of the following proposition made to
Mtssrs. Carlisle and Ould by the Hon. Reverdy
Johnson:
or; you and the District Attorney still think Il
proper to offer the evidence we talked Of permit
me to suggest this
THAT You put The offer in writing show II to
any one OF the counsel for the defense, and that
the Attorney and that counsel take it to the Judge
and take his opinion as to its legality and IL he
decides against its validity that public offer be
made or the fact made known during the trial.
:" As the United states cannot, suppose, take
an exception, they would lose no right 10y this
course.n
This proposal, together with the three following
| statements, prepared by the prosecution, were
handed TO the Court which decided that the proof
rendered was inadmissible:
ave now offer evidence. the particulars Of
4 which we will state, IL required, touching the
prisoners marital relations at and Immediately
preceding the homicide, and extending back to a
period antecedent to the alleged adultery between
the deceased and the prisoners wife, for the pur-
pose OF showing that the prisoner set value upon
his wife's affections, and attached no sanctty TO
the marriage relation; and this is offered to rebut
the defence of insanity, caused by the alleged
THAT the accused reached Barnum's Hotel In
the city Of Baltimore, on the evening Of the 10th
| Of January last, where and when lie engaged a
room; that he left said hotel at or about ocloc
OH the following Sunday morning, and pro-
| ceeded to the Philadelphia depot and was at said
depot on the arrival Of the Philadelphia train of
cars; that then and there he met woman, other
| than his wife, whose name. unless insisted on by
| the defence, shall not be divulged, whom he car
| ried to said hotel and kept there until Monday
| morning, and with whom then and there he had
adulterous intercourse; and, further that at differ
| ent times during his married life the accused
| committed other acts Of adultery.
"The court having already permitted the de-
| fence to offer evidence Of the Communication TO
the accused Of certain alleged acts OF adultery be-
| tween the deceased and Mrs. Sickles, on the
ground that such evidence might tend to prove
| the insanity Of the accused, the testimony now
proposed to be offered is properly rebutting evil
dence-
First-Because its tendency. if not its neces-
| sary effect, Is to exclude any such conclusion az
| has been insisted on by the defence.
4 - Secondly-Because no such evidence though
A consistent with u state Of anger revenge upon
the part Of the accused, is inconsistent with state
of insanity.
s'Or, in other words. that such evidence tends
to rebuff any presumption Of insanity arising from
the nature Of communicate ns made to the acc used
relative to the adulterous Intercourse between his
| wife and the deceased
1t is understood that IL this testimony had been
| admitted, ii would have been followed up by
| other evidence from New York, bearing upon the
same points, and showing the utterly abandoned
| and dissolute life and habits Of Sickles.
| We also learn that the aspect Of the case might
have been still further affected lad the characters
OF some of the witnesses for the defence been made
| known to the jury-tbat of one Of them in parteu-
Lar, ian intimate friend Of Mr.. Sickles) being no
| toriously worse than disreputabe The record Of
his and sentence to the penitentiary for
publishing obscene and disgusting pa per, was we
believe in possession Of the counsel for the prose-
| cution.
The Baltimore Sun adds, upon the same subject:
cit is due to the proprietors Of Barnum's Hotel
TO say, that upon the discovery OF the fact alleged
| to have TRANSFERRED at that establishment proper
| measures had been taken TO put Il stop to further
proceedings Of the sort, and that had another at
| tempt been made, it would have been prevented
| and the parties dismissed the house
:. The case, in all its aspects, is shameful one
| and In none less 30 than the bloody revenge and
| the acquittal OF such perpetrator OF such deed
10 the honor and glory Of this last chievement
| tatiously aspired.''