Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-04-14
l. A Il + S II N f. w S.
The Sickies 'rsisl.
ny TEI.EGRAPH.)

WAsHIveroS, April la.-The interest in
the Sickies tragedy seems to be - deep and
inteose in this community today. as it was
the day Of the homicide At Madison place
1t 10 the even topic OF conversation when
ever men meet, or women either The thrill.
ing scene which tranepired yesterday when
the wounds Of Mr. Sickles were opened
sfresh by the touching evidence Of Robert
J. Walker, when his emotiors completely
overpowered him as to render his removal
from the courtroom necessary. He appealed
in the most eloquent manner to the hearts
Of oil. There was hardly dry eye in the
Courthouse, and certainly not q heart re
D,ained unaffected by it. This scene--the
confession Of the faithless wife. and the die
cription given Of the agonies which Mr..
Siekles suffered wliAn the appalling truth
forced itself upon his mni. have woI fr
HIN the sympathy Of the whole community,
and his Counsel might, with the utmost
confidence, submit the case to thes Jury
without another word Of testimony or
word of summing ,up. The moment the
doors were opened this morning lthe crowd
poured in and fillednr the spaceset apart
for the audience.
The New York Illustrated papers are cir
culating among the lawyers and others. and
are creating considerable amusement by
the absurdity Of the sketches, and the ab.
sence Of similitude Of the most Of them to
the persons and things represented.
Judge Crawford took his seat Mt 1920 A.
~, when the court. was duly opened. Short
ly after Mr. Sickles was conducted TO his seat
He appeared to have recovered his compos-
ure though his face was marked with the
lines Of recent sorrow and suffering. The
counsel for the defence, Brady ard Stanton
occupied chairs in front OF the desk and
conferred with Mr.. Sickies occasionally The
names Of the Jurors having been called and
all answered to their names
Mr. Carlisle proceeded TO argue against
the insdmissibility OF the confession OF Mrs
Sickles. Mr.. Carlisle presumed that the
Judge had already consulted the authorities
and had made up his mind on that point
Still he. Mr.. Carlisle, } would not have dis
charged his duty fully did he not oppose the
offer. it was Of the first importance, an i'm
pOrtanceIwhich went to the length Of deter
mining whether Justice was to become u
contemptitle shame, that his Honor admit
ing the evidence 1T all would expressly limit
the uses To which it was to be applied. 1t
the minds Of the counses for the defence
As to the purpose for which the evidence
was offered, and for which it was admissible.
The counsel who offered it. proposed it for
one purpose ard the counsel who succeeded
him offered it for another--it was offered
as bearing on the state Of the prisoners
mind and not rs proving the facts stated in
it. but his colleague, Mr.. Graham showed
q hat L. Al tla1 a. "a
pealed was fact which ought to be Legally
appealed to for the ascertainment Of the
condition Of the prisoners mind at the time
of the homocide not conteut with that, he
claimed that the fsct in question was a fact
proper with either facts to show the ire
sstible impulse under which the prisoner
moved forward to the consumation Of the
scene.
Mr. Graham thought this fact was almi.-
able as tending to show something short oi
insanity in respect to the prisoners mind
and appealed 20 his honor to relax still fur
ther the rules of evidence on such point
He argued that as il may be proved in
particular case, that the prisoner quatfed
the Intoxicating bowl go in this case it
might be proved that the prisoner drained
to the dregs a figura,ive cup filled with the
bittercst draught. In all cases the question
is not whether the prisoner drank liquor to
make him drunk. but in point Of fact is
whether he was drunk either from little or
much drink. Mr.. Brady had however indi-
Gated while confining himself to strictly
legal language that he had some euiogical
ideas about the question Of insanity and re
ferred to case where his homer had spoken
Of q prisoners mind as being some what un-
hinged. he regard that to apply not to an
exhibition Of passion but to nnsoundneps Of
mind, to insanity. as to all the grounds dis
tinctly taken and the arrangements inciden-
tally made. he submitted that they must all
come down to the tes. Of the Law and resolve
themselves into the simple question Of IN
saEity.