Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-04-14
The sickles Trial

Drags along slowly at Washington. 1t is
impossible for us to lay the evidence before
our readers. The defense, thus far, have been
principally occupied in proving rhe friendly
relations existing between the defendant and
deceased, up to the time Of the unhappy oc-
currence; and the stale Of the prisoners mind
Just previous to the homicide. The written con-
fession of Mrs, Sickles was laid before thu
Court, but was not allowed to go before the
Jury as evidence. OF this the N. Y. Tribune
O. to-day, says
THE prosecution yesterday achieved a suici'
dial triumph in the exclusion Of Mrs. Sickles's
confession from the testimony allowed to
90 before the Jury. The fact that Mrs. Sick
les made a confession duplicating Mr.. Key is
known to the Jury, as to every body else;
they are only debarred from knowing that
Mrs. Sickles, in this confession, virtually takes
all the blame upon her own shoulders, or at
least places none on those of Mr.. Key, be-
yond the fact that he was the partner of her
guilt. There is no assertion, even, that she
was not equally culpable with her paramour
from FIRST to last-no shadow of corrobora-
ton of the story that she was constrained to
meet Key at his negroleased house by threats
Of exposure, or anything of the sort-no word
even of reproach for her paramouF. Assum-
ing that there is law for the exclusion of this
confession, then we say that such law was
most unfortunate for the prosecution, and
should have been kept out of sight by it, il
possible. Mr.. Sickles's case looks much bet
ter than it did two days ago"
Mrs. Sickles does not attempt to justify
herself in any way-acting as she did a vol
untary part-no threats of any kind were
used to induce her to continue in her course Of
wickcdness and shame; in fact, she takes the
whole blame upon herself; and our only won
der is, how Mr.. Sickles, with such evidence
before him, could act the part he did.
The progress of this trial is watched with
intense interest throughout the whole country
1t is looked upon as deciding as to whether it
be a sacred duty of the wronged to punish
the adulterer by death ? Upon this point,
the Tribune says:
"The defense set up in Mr.. Graham'e open
ing, is that Mr.. Key was an adulterer-there-
fore, he should have peen killed, He had Sc
ducel Mrs. Sicklcs-therefore, Mr.. Sickles did
right in killing him. Without prejudging this
case, Or assuming that the assertions of the
defense are justified by facts, we say that the
killing of an adulterer by an outraged hus-
band, is not essentially murder. Culpable, 1t
may be-; it may be legally what you please;
but no man will regard one who has shot, in
open daylight, in a public square, the Sc lucer
of his wife or daughter, as morally on a level
with the skulking, plundering, midnight assas-
sin. Of course, the prosecution in such a
case would urge many and weighty objections
to the acquittal of a manslayer arraigned for
murder in the premises.--as, for instance: If
gentlemen, lawyers, Members of Congress,
may shoot GU sight, those whom they undoubt-
believe guilty of adultery to thor person
al prejudice, will you allow the same privilege
10 draymen, coal-dealers, sailors, hod-carriers,
and even negroes +! If not, oOhy mot2 And
if you do deny this privilege to any class,
do you draw the line? Let us know
precisely who are entitled to the benefit Of
your new gape-law, and who are not. And
the injuredV husband may right himself by
Derringer or OWlt, how will you deal with the
of the lgreen-eyed monster who goes
about shooting and stabbing when nobody has
even meditated an invasion of his martial
lights ?
Again: If men may punish adultery by
Re red right'hand, why not women as well ?
are many injured husbands, doubtless;
re there not more injured wives? If it be a
acred duty Of the wronged to punish the
dulterer by death, why not of the wronged
wife as well as the wronged husband 7? If her
erves are not so steady as to render her ex-
with the pistol, may she net daal out
ustice through the fundamentally of poison.
must she be restricted to the dagger?"