Litchfield enquirer., 1859-05-05
From the Albany Evening Journal, April 2s. A STRANGE PHASE IN THE
 SICKLE,S TRIAL

rroh the Albany EVenlng Journal, AprlI 70. | A STRANGE PHASE IN THE
 SICKLE'S TRIAL
 Mir Carlisle (says the report of the Sickes trial) informed the Court that the prosecution had sub- mitted to the counsel for the defence offer of ey- idence and were waiting for the result of their animation of it.
 It is surmsed that this offer of evidence is con- nected with the inquiry of Mir. Sickle's own con- duct, and particularly into the matter of his visits with lady to Barnums hotel, Baltimore. The pro- prietor of that Hotel is in Court.
 Messrs Brady Graham and Ould stepped up to the bench, and in low tone of voice discussed the matter With the Judge, evidently submitting the matter to his decision Authorities were submit ted on both sides and some time was spent by the | Judge in consulting them.
 The Judge-For various obvious reasons the Court will do no more than merely state his opinion on this point and that opinion is that the evidence is | not admissible.
 This trial is to become memorable in more aspects than one. The press has worked the public up to the point of warm sympathy for, if not positive admiration of, Mr. SickIes. His miserable wife, upon a written confession, sub scribed by two witnesses, is branded and cast off It was not enough, in her case, that the Court and Jury should be satisfied that she had criminal conversation" with Rev, but her shame must be confessed on paper, and scattered broadcast over the world For this erring sister," therefore, there is nothing left but reproach and infamy.
 But in the progress of the trial point is reached which affects the conjugal character of Mr. Sickles. Testimony, as :" is surmised," was offered establishing the offence against the husband for which the wife was sent away to be stoned" On that point the "Coun- sel" consult the "Court in a low tone of voice." And the question seems to have been settled, privately, against admitting the testimony i The court and the counsel for the people may think proper to dispose of that question in this very delicate and tender manner But, if, after the wanton and public exposure of fallen wife, court of justice intcrpose to shield husband, guilty of the same oftnce, from exposure, it will not do so with impuni- ty. Let it be conceded that the testimony was inadmissible, does that fact justify its re- jection by arrangement and privately 1 The confession" of Mrs. Sickles was reject ed, as testimony, but it was openly discussed, and given to the world as damning testimony against her for life.
 Barton Key was shot down in the street, ! and has gone to answer for his offence before another tribunal. Nobody complains of that. Mrs. Sickles was required to write herself harlot, in the presence of witness sses, and is now without the pale of society. There is neither sympathy nor charity for her. But witnesses are summoned to prove that only few weeks before the Washington tragedy, Mir. Sickles came to Barpum's Hotel in Bati- more in company with a female who passed the night with him as his wife.
 Key forfeited his life, and Mrs. Sickles lost what is dearer than life, for an offence which it is alleged was simultaneously committed by Mr. Sickles. MT. Key and Mrs. Sckles were charged with the crime of adultery. Mr. Sickles upon evidence satisfactory to himself, took the law into his own hands, assassiiating one of the parties and "putting away" the other. Now if, while two of these persons were offending in Washington, the other was transgressing in Baltimore, why should the lat ter escape, not only unpunished, but without exposure
 It need not be answered that one sex is to be judged by higher standard of virtue than the other. We know how much more is ex- acted of the weak than of the strong We know how much more precious chastity is in a woman than ill man. We know with what relentless, unpitying severity men punish the victims of their own per6dious, brutal selfish ness. And we know how much better, and truer and purer how much more selfsacri- cing, forgiving and loyal, woman is, than those lords of the creation who, designed to protect, so frequent oppress, betray and desert those Iwhom they swear to love and cherish.
 The copjugal fidelity of Mir. Sickles cannot be urged as bar or set-otf, against the offence committed by his wife But if the man who took such terrible vengeance upon others, him. self came fresh aud reeking from the hot-bed of public prostitution, court that only sup presses the testimony, but keeps the knowl- edge of it's existence from jury and public before whom every damaging fact and circum- stance against the other parties has been spread upon the record, will not escape cen sure.
 
 THE ELDER BUSH PREVENTIVE OF IN- sEcTs.-lt IS not known to many persons that the common elder bush of our country is a great safeguard against the deyastations of insects. If any one will notice, it will be found that worms or insects never touch the elder. This fact was the initialpoint of ex- periments of an Englishman in 1894, and he communicated the results of his experiments to a London magazine. Accident eXhumed his old work, and Kentucky correspondent last year communicated to the Dollar News paper copy of the practical results as assert ed by the English experimenter that the leaves of the elder, scattered over cabbage, lcucumbers. squashes, and other plants subject ed to the ravages of insects, efectually shields them. The plnw, and other frnits subject to the raYages of insects, may be saved hypla- cling on the branches and through the tree punches of elder leaves H0kimeT JouT. l A man who got tight at an election, said it was owing his efforts to put down '' party spirit