The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-21
Opening Speech Of the District Attorney
In the sickIes Case.

May it please your honors, gentlemen of
the jury, the indictment which has just been
read TO you charges Daniel +. Sickles, the
prisoner at the bar, with the wifull murder
Of Philip Barton Key. shi II narrate to
you, as briefly as can, the chief incidents
come. ted with this tragedy, as believe the
evidence will disclose them. The parties
are doubtless well-known to you already, at
least by reputation--one being Represen-
tative in the Congress OF the United States
Of the great commercial metropolis Of the
Union and the other having long and honor
ably filed the post Of public prosecutor in
this District. Perhaps in the hearing Of
several Of you he has discharged the duty
which has fallen to my lot this day. The
place where the crime charged in this in.
dictmsnt occurred, was the City Of Wash
ington--the time, the 9th OF February
last. 1t was the Sabbath, day which for
more than eighteen hundred years has been
set apart in commemoration Of that divine
mission from God, OF peace on earth and
goodwill towards meH." In the soft
gush Of that Sabbath sunlight, at IN hour
midway between the morning and evening
hour of Christian sacrfce-at time almost
when the echoes Of the church bells were
lingering on the air, the deceased, all uncon.
scious Of the tremendous woe then sus-
pended over his house, met the prisoner at
the bar on one Of the thoroughiares of this
city. lie must soon have seen from the at.
titude movement and all those other evidences
of deliberate intent which rounded into
completeness that scene OF horror, that the
prisoner at the bar intended some deed of
blood.
All unarmed and defenceless as he was,
he used the poor and feeble means in his
power to save his life. How Intellectual
they were, even in delaying the terrible tate
that overlook him. the evidence in this case
will show you. The prisoaer at the bar
had come to that carnival OF blood fully pre-.
pared; be was walking magazine; he was
not only fully provided in the number OF his
firearms, but had also taken care to supply
himself with their different varieties, each
one Of which. no doubt l should say, pos
sessed its particular excellence for murderous
work. As nice and close calculator, the
contingency Of An anticipated collision might
call into requlsitiou both Derringer and re-
volver. II before the time Of meeting any
such idea passed through the mind OF the
prisoner at the bar as would seem TO be in
Dictated. not only by the number and variety
Of bis firearms, bu, ty the temporary
armory with which he WAS proviied--to Wit
a convenient ovcrcoat % an inconveniently
warm day-it would seem that be did not
reason carefully. Against this moving Dat.
terry, which could place itseli in any position
like piece OF flying artillery upon fed OF
battle, the deceAsed in,erposed nothing. be
had nothing to interpose, save q physical
strength which when governed by presence
Of mind even was but ieebse at the best; a
poor and futile opera glass. which even when
thrown with well-dlrscted aim was COMPARE.
lively harmless: and las, Of oil. the piieons
exclamations, which however ihey nigh,
have moved other men. in this cas- isll upou
ears OF stone.
The evidence will show 10 you. from tn
first in this tragedy down To It's close. through
each and every sucSssiye scene OF borrIr
DOT ooiy that ,hc deceased Was ursrmel
bu, ,ha, the prisoner at the bar knew tba,
sucA vas the Tact. lie must have known u
When TIE 'ir,, shot Was Sr,d a, the eOrutF
b. mus, sun y have known II when, sloS.
quenjy the exclamaiious ~ The iec7ls,l