Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-04-20
LOCAL NEWS.
THE MADISON PLACE MURDER.
Trial Of Daniel f. Sickles for the killing
of Philip Barton Key.
CRIMINAL COURT. H. CRAWFORD, Judge.

ness stand.
TESTIMONY or JOHN CooNEY
John COOney test fed that he is now Mr.. Sickles'
goodman. Has been so since the Sth Of February,
80 Took John ThOmPsOn's place there. Had
been living in Washington previously. Never
saw Mr.. Key till the second day after he went to
Mr.. Sickles'. Met him on the avenue Mrs =
Tung the bell, and witness pulled up the horses
and hey got in and We drove To Douglass green
house. Afterwards met Mr.. hey in a back street,
and Mr. Key got in. Before reaching home Mr..
key got out. Always left the house for drive
about O'Clock. Saw Key every day. He never
drove away with her from her house, but would
meet her generally at Doug lass green-hOuse or at
Taylor Maury's book store. She was there gen.
orally before Mr.. Key, but he would come soon
afterwards. Witness never saw him in the house
When witness was at home was ALWAYS in the
upper part of the house. Has seen him about the
house Has seen him speaking to Mrs s.. who
would stand by the open window and he outside
Saw him the Thursday before he was shot. at five
O'Clock, at Mrs GreenOugh's. Mrs. Sickles, Mr.
key and Miss Ridgeley Were in the carriage
Mrs. Sickles visited Mr.. Thompson's, and Key
soon came, and shortly left and went To Governor
Browns. She followed him very shortly after
wards From there they went to Airs. GTeenough's
They stayed here about an hour. and then drove
To Fifteenth st. and Key got out. That night, at
III o'clock, witness drove Mrs. s, Miss Ridg eley
and lady and gentleman To Willlrds' Ga the
sunday he was killed slw him in front Of Mr.. Sic
kles's house. Fifteen minutes afterwards SAW him
by the house. and was tired Of looking ut him
did not notice what way he went.
CrOss-eNamined is now in MIR. Sickles's ser
vice.
TESTIMONY OF GEO. 2. WOODBRIDGE, (RECALLED)
Mr.. W Woodbridge was shown 4 letter and a yellow
envelope and stated that he had seen them before
Saw them on Friday before the shooting, at the
Capitol; was shown the letter by Mr. SickCs
Read the letter at that time after Sickles had read
IL, all but two or three lines. This was about
O'Clock in the day. Witness has seen the letter
once since on which occasion he placed 4 mark
on il, which he now recognizes
Mr. Brady here proposed to read the letter to
the jury.
Mr.. Ould asked to see it first
II was handed him. and after a few moments IL
was handed To the Court.
Mr.. Brady stated that it not proposed to offer
the letter as evidence of the truth of its state
ments. but merely as having been received by Mr.
Sickles.
The Court decided that it might be admitted on
this ground
Mr.. Brady proceeded to read the letter. a. fol-
lows. iii being the same as already published in
the starr:
WASHINGTON. February "a, 1889
Hon. DANIEL SCALES: Dear Sir With deep
regret enclose to your address the few lines; but
an Indispensable duty com pels HE SO To do seeing
that YOU are greatly imposed upon.
There is fellow, may say. for he is not gen
LEHMAN BY amy means by the Of Phillip Barton
Key, and I believe the District ATTORNEY who
rents house of Il negro man Ivy tho name of Jno
y Gray, situated on 18th street, betw'n & l.
streets for no other purpose than to meet your
wife, Mrs. Sickles; he hangs a string out Of the
window rs signal to her that he is in, and leaves
the door TnfaStcncd, and she walks in, and. sir
do assure you lac has as much the use of your wife
YOU have.
With these few hints leave the rest for you to
imagine.
Most respectfully, your friend. RPG
Mr.. Brady now proposed 10 Mr. w. to take up
his testimony when he had been interrupted ON
the day he was last the stand. This testimony
being TO the point OF the expressions made Use Of
by Mr. Sickles on the Sunday of the homicide at
the time he rushed in the study and exclaimed
That villain his Just passed my house, and de-
tail what expressions followed the remark above
quoted.
Mr.. w. about to proceed when
MIR. Ould remarked 10 the Court that he did not
See how the expressions of Mr.. Sickles. whether
made NJ this or any other time, could be regarded
evidence after the ruling of the Court.
Dir Magruder argued for the admission of the
evidence, and proceeded to contend that after the
reflections which had been made by the other side
To the conduct Of the defence ii was due to them
that they should take advantage Of every circum-
stance tending To the fullest explanation Of the
unhappy position in which the prisoner placed
IL was notorious fact that the President Of the
hIted States WIS applied To To set apart assistant
counsel in this case ior the Government, and he
iiid ref,Iscd
The Court here admonished Mr. Mayruder that
Ia, must not alludr to the President of the Untrd
States; that was not Il part of the argument. The
President had nothing whatever to do with the
case.
Mr.. Carlisle thought the gentleman had better
reply Ia his argument than carp at his presence
here.
Mr. MIgrrdrr resumed Murder could only I've
committed 10y a man in sound mind III the de-
fence could snow that the prisoner was not ia Il
sound mind when he committed the homicide
should not they have the privilege Of doing ST.?
These declarations showed part OF the imnledi-
ate facts. and explained the character Of the deed
Here the speaker read from the SerOnd volume of
Harris Mckenny's reports u cas-. in point To
show that the declaration Of the prisoner antece-
dent To the act. had been admitted evidence
under precisely the circumstances as the.
present case afforded.
The evidence offered also on all Of the points
OI the case, as prOyOcatiOn. rs part OF the res
: sta, aud TO the STATE of the prisoners mind
With reference to the prisoner state Of mind and
10 show that this proposed evidence covered that
point Mr.. Magruder read from LIST sec GreenIeafs
evidence. page lOl.
IL IS proper To be left with the Jury what were
abe facts and declarations Immediately preceding
tne act. In W hartOn's Criminal Law section 2f
Il IS laid down that in order to constitute a crime
the prisoner must have sufficient possession of his
mind 10 know the character Of crime he is COM
Initting. lie referred tai authorities defining the
question 81 the legal elect OF the mental status in
which the act WIS committed. and how that
inental status should he shown; and that to be
murder the act must have been done deli berately
with the mind unclOuded by the excitement Of
insanity
Ifiers. the jary took a short recess
Mr.. VI Igrudrr continuing Another definition
of tue crime Of murder is that the person killed
Inust be at the time in the peace of the common
wealth. The defence proposed Ia show that the
deceased WIS not in the peace OF God and his
country, aud that therefore the prosecution could
not Claim the projections Of Tie law fOE him.
To make out this point, Mr.. VI. quoted the L.
- Criminal Law, pages g. and lI9. wherein
u is laid down that in certain killing is JUS
uhable-in cases Of selI-leIrnce and burg larry
The deceased WAS engaged in manifest effort aud
Intention to do the ccus-d the greatest cOncc val
injury against which the latter could lawfully de-
Irnd himself Ia the extent Of killing the de
ceased. The wife of the accused WIS bone OF the
bone, and the flesh Of the flesh Of the accused
Ia defending her hr was therefore but defending
himself Tue law Of self defence the law Of
nature. and was ri 5ht that society could not take
I~ay from any Ii mig at take the life Of
bur lar ia self defence. could il be said he could
not thus defend his ri hts Ia his nearest and dear
st relations
lie further quoted Vattel's Law discussions page
l42 At length, wherein they hold that il was not
proper 20 punish an army officer for defending his
honor by taking life in a duel. &c. Though the
iApOrtanCe Of the marriage vow might be a Chi
Inerl. the inlrmity of the human ind upon the
subject Of marital rights was great and import
ant 10 tue well-being Of society, that il should
be respected. Society had not devised the means
for the projection Of those rights. No pecuniary
compensation was ade Iuate 10 that end The law
here imposes only line Of Sd many pounds of To-
blcCo. All know that such u compensation as that
Is but mos kerry to the husband outraged by the
adulterer la this case. the deceased had outraged
"A n. "A