Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-04
A MURDER AT WASHINGTON.
PHILLIP BARTON KEY sHoTBY
DAN SICKLEs.
GREAT EXCITEMENT,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 1850
This forenoon Dan Sickes, member of
| Congress for the city of New York, shot
Phillip Barton Key, Attorney General for
| the District of Columbia. and son of the au-
thor of the "Star Spangled Banner" Mr.
| Key lived but short time The ARRAY took
place in the vicinity of the Presidents house.
in which ncghborhood the parties reside -
The reported cause of this sad tragedy is fe-
male infdclity. Mrs Sickles is very like
Mdllc Plccolomini in personal appearance,
and report says has been a much INDUCED
and pettcd wife. The greatest excitement
prevails.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-Thc community
is thrown into an intense excitement to-day
by the killing of Phillip Barton Key, the
United States District Attorney for the Dis
trict Of Columbia. at the hands Of Daniel f.
Sicklcs. According to report Mr.. Sickles
becoming convinced of the truth of certain
scandalous rumors involving his wife, rcsolv-
cd to redress his wrongs
Al about two o'clock this afternoon, pro-
ccoding from his residence near the Presi-
dents house, to the southeast corner of La
iayctte Square, in the same neighborhood.
where MIR. Key was engaged in conversation
with Mr.. Buttcrwortli of New York, he
charged Mr.. Key with having dshonorcd him
and destroyed his domestic peace, and shot
him with revolver. One of the balls enter
ed the left side of the body, and passed
through to the corresponding point on the
opposite side lodging under the skin.
Another shot took effect in the right
thigh, near the main artery, when Mr.. Key
fell, imploring Mr.. Sickles not to kill him
The third shot was in the right side, but
glanced from the body, innicting only
bruise. Death cnsucd in few moments. Tho
body was taken into the National Club
House, when jury of inquest was held, who,
alter an examination into the circumstances,
OF some honrs' length, returned verdict,
merely stating that the death of Mr. Key
was from the effect of pistol shots, as above
stated, fired by Sicklcs
The premises of the Club House were
crowded with people anxiously inquirns all
all the circumstances of the event
Alter Mr.. Sicklcs had killed Mr.. Kew, he
repaired to the residence of Attorney Gene
raj Black where he was advised to deliver
himself into the hands Of the officers, who
subsequently conveyed him to Jail, to which
he was committed for further examination
tomorrow. The facts which led to the trag-
edy will then probably .iudiciylly tran,prc.
The inquistion of the Coroner was merely
with reference to the causes which produced
death.
We compile from the various accounts of
the Sicklcs and Key tragedy, the following
account of the affair:
For more than year there have been float
ing rumors of improper intimacy between
MIR. Key and Mrs. Sickles. Thursday even
ing MIR. Sckles received an anonymous let
TER informing him Of the infdclity of his
wit. Mr.. Sickles placed the letter in the
hands OF two of his most intimate friends
who possessed themselves of evidence that
MIR. Key had rented house of negro, in
l5th-sIreet, which he used as place of rem
devious with Mrs. Sickles Mr.. Sickles, in
the presence of two witnesses charged his
wife with having had illicit intercourse with
Mr.. Key. At first Mrs. 5. declared her inno-
ccncc. Mr.. 5. then paraded before her the
evidence of her guilt She tainted and final
ly confessed her guilt. Mr.. S. desired Mrs.
>. to make confession in writing. She COM
piled. She also informed him how often Mr..
Key had been in the habit of seeing her, and
his mode Of tclegraphing to her, by wave of
his handkerchief when he wanted her to
come out. About two o'clock, Sunday, Mr..
Sickles saw Mr.. Key come out of the Club
past his Is. - house two or three times. lie
made the signal for Mrs S. once or twice,
when Mr.. S., arming himself with IL FIVE
bore six-inch revolver and two single barreled
Dcrri gers, which carry each ball double
the size Of the revolver. went out of his house
and walked down past the Presidents and
met Mr.. Key. The latter greeted the form
or, and was about Offering him his hand,
when Mr.. s., refusing to take it, said, ''Sir,
you have dishonored me- Prepare to die ~
Mr.. Key started back, cxclaimins, "W hat
for " hat for Don't Don't" and made
movement, as If seeking for weapon in his
left brc lst, but which proved to be an opera
glass, which he threw at Sickles. Mr.. ;.
then drew one of the Dcrringers and shot
Mr.. Key, who staggered some. Mr. 5. shot at
Mr.. Key again with his second Dcrringcr,
which sent him rceling against a tree. lie
cried out "Mardcr ~ when Sicklcs fired a
third time, from his revolver, and Mr.. Key
fell. Key was the son eff the Hon. Francis
Bond Key, author of the "Star Spangled
Banner, md nephew to Chief Justice Ia
ney. His late wife WAS the daughter of II
wealthy and powerful family in Baltimore
lie was thirty-scven years old, and leaves
four children, one of them girl OF fifteen
Mr.. Sickles has for some time been noted
politician in New York City. He was Mr.
Buchanan's Secretary of Legation in Eng
land, has been State Senator is just closing
one term as Member of Congress. and has
been reelected for another lie married his
wife in New York several years ago. She is
of Italian origin, and possesses all the ltal-
ian lustrc and depth of eye, united with
singular delicacy Of feature Mrs. Sicklcs
may be %. and has two children. She is the
daughter of Bngioli, the celebrated music
teacher of Fpurtcenth street. Mr.. Sicklcs
loved her with great devotion, and layishcd
all his means upon her They lived in ele-
CANT style, occupying a house of $4,000
rent Mrs. Sckcs rode in a splendid car
riage, with outsiders wore jewels to the
value Of $4,000, and seemed to want nothing
that she did not have.