Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-04-15
THE WASHINGTON MURDER.
TRIAL OF DANIEL f. slCKLEs FOR THE KILLING OF
PHILIP BARTON KEY.
rpyyyyJI COEP7-T II Or UFOHD. JHtY,.

CRIMINAL COGR7-T H. CRAWFORD. '"''''
SEVENTH DAr-MoSp,r. ArRrL II. 1sD.
The Courtroom was again crowded this morning. Among
the witnesses in attendance to-day Is Nj; George b: WOOL,
movements Of Key and Mrs. Sickles. He has crutehes by
his side and appears TO be crippled. He Is 70 testify to the
state or mind with which Mr. Stckles was afflicted from the
,tn ha ,...iyni the ANONYMOUS note on Thursday night. 10
the period Of the homicide. ""oi'r'hIr was WIN Sleh'e,
from lO% o'clock on sunday morning uiti a',,r NY passed
,. hons. hut h. " a in another room when Sickl"- ran out
~ consror, K.y Mr. Woodbridge had n house opposite the
,ry.,in. place. hi, did not see anything our OF 'he way
Their. The adultery will be proved by oiher wi'hes'r'' ana
,hs n,o..rn,;on will at,eup, TO break down the testimony
of Mr. Woodbridge. Its doubtful WI ~ W. WV
. be called as a witness, a, counsel diaer upon b" PROPHECY
Mr.. SIckIes, il Is stated, says he does not remember any
Of the circumstance. Immediately preceding The r''ni.ho'
thing bu; the afray itself: tina; !e rccole'ts veg "'s.'i'
Is. lIr says. and 10 does Mr.. Du,terwor'h. max ever! VII
nrs. ,hu. Tar I. wrong in some one material par:icular-
Mr.. Sicklcs says tina, he does not remember h"aNihE Tue y
c!ama,ion sworn to hy the three ClGh House witnesses. lie
saw, that. when asked by his counsel why ;lb, or that err
cunstancc was nottold 20 them beforehand. he con'd oN'S
answer that he had no remembrance thereof. The rr'"'''F'
he says, had been loaded for three months.
The defence say that they will Prove, chat Mr.. hey. on
the :'ih Of March, 4 year ago. rcpel!ci The riin"r men
characterized IL a. n disgusting rt!n'nny. AMI that he pre-,
tended to seek the author with III" expressed intenti'n oil
challenging him. According 10 Mrs. Sickle. tine iutriru.
commenced In the April following.
The defence rely much upon judge Crawforis charge in
the case Of Jarhoe, who was tried FOR shooting the ,clncrr
II his lister. This was Keys La; cause; auI It va. ruled
then thai, such a declaration a. tina; of Mr. Sickle. about
a di.honored bed. nigh, h. admitted in proof witt! the cir
rrn.,ances which tended either 20 explanation or ronlrns-
ton. The charge also made the state % mini on the ia !
Of the prisoner = question FOR The jury. The rr.ul; IL 'hi>
case was a verdict OF arqnit,al after oaly fifteen minutes
Elaboration. Mr.. Graham -hoIieas his argument by read.
Ing from thi, charge, where all IL. argued and .ettiei ci.c.
are collected.
The trial will lat all the week. ani perhaps longer. Ru;
the time will depend upon the amount, of rrc-s-examna,ioii
/ and the ruling Of the Court. The defence ,ay that they will
b. through with their witnesses in Nv" lay-. Mr.. Graham
will close for the defence with I! picture Of the relations Of
the parties.
the regular panel not on the pending jury, who had a, tie
commencement Of the trial been dismissed until this mora
in., were called, AMI dismissed INIT! mex; Monday morning
al IN O'Clock.
The prisoner having been placed in The dock. AMI the
jury answering to their names, ;lic trial OF the case was re-
sunied.
xR. GRAHAM wF-rMES f"A pEfEScE.
Mttwcn;y five minutes To II O'Clock. Mr.. ''ral.ain arose
to continue the opening TO the jury. lie stated that he va.
drawing near III. Close. lie feared that he had already
taxed not only the patience OF the Court and jury, a. well
ash exhausted himself. Mr. q. went on ,ir,t rchcarsin-
some u the principal points stated IN h.. address OF Sa,nr'
dayl to say that every crime was divided into Two part. fir
the Corpus dstirf. AMI second the intention.
In hi, case Mr.. Sickles was not a party 10 the origin -
the prOvocation, AMI h. stood apar, from The action % ihr
alul,erer in all respects; and the first knowledge h- had Of
that action was the moving cause of III Subsequent 'c' IN
I DESTROYING the life of him who hail b. Iii, action im:lan-i
lryaIins,ruciion. II .Ju Igc Crawford To- the jury In H." ca..
Of the United States agains: John Day 10 show that ~"
Judge charged the jury that II -!isinc (Which wa merely
one III III. emotions cTnw'ing upon Mr. Sicklcs' mind bad
80 frenzicI the prisoner that hr acted under IT, iniSi"ncr a..
a ucr. machine then he was "NonoTa;e'i from responsible.
ty,,
dition Of mind Of a." prisoner now being tried. Mr. Il.
also quoted from the cas-" ~ Jarh0c who Killed Na!iy In
this city. for sedrcins his sister AMI afterwards. refusing 10
marry her. II - brother assumed TO redress ,ie injury 10
hi sister. AMI wen, geo, free, how could the distinction ~.
Isl with reference TO u husband who Stays the man who ir-
s.luc.d from linn hi wife and destroyed forever the peace
Of his household. Here reference Wa made 10 Araslls
and ilathe,d's cases. In l.; Belief and Heard. leading c.-e..
and l. state trials, 90. We needed no books here Got II
the jury with what affections the human mini was endowed.
II wa, for the jury 10 say what frenzy existed in Mr. -.
kle>' mind at the time h. slew the deceased.
II Mr.. Sickles had thrown gu, a bait. ar invited ICY 10
the nei:hborIood, then there might he a feature III The ca'-
To appal ne. Blu, hey WAS in The neirhborhGcd, beat on
the execution Of his Infamous purpose, AMI Mr.. ;. "ncOuu'
tered him Ms though II" hhf met Tie 'rFlcst stranger; AMI
the fcroci,y 81 the assault; was the fact on which 20 rely %
show the frenzy which actna,ci the mimi OF the man who
committed the act.
Under these circumstances dill reason assume any sway
Wa it possible for his mind To bend TO the Influence Of rrH:
son: The question of cooling time wa, then con'nrh'e''
on, and 4; was urged that there could be- in Mr.. Sickle ease
no cooling time. Mr.. Graham referred 10 lIollins' cI>r. ~
laid down in l. State Trials. and Is So: forth In harrington,
page l>2.
There might be- a parallel hc'wren he cases quoted and
the pcnding case hal SIR Sichi.S been seeking for IN. 10.
ceased through the entire rrecriin: night. Who were the
parties to this transaction hey was u man ah-r, forty
years Of age. lie had been a married man. lie hal A.
.rmrd the marriage vow AMI knew II, s"lcmnity. lie lad
Children also TO remind hin Of his Igty. His profession Wa
sucl, a. should have impaired some gravity To hi, chsr,c-
ter. A lawyer, above all Others was entitled 10 the least
charitable consideration. lie was the prosecutor II his
District. liz was sci cte,l to cnn.ery. the moral, ~ ih-
community: aud Vet he wrapped himself Ia The irar-ry Of
hypocrisy, and came into ,hi- court and hunted down with
almost unparalleled success thu vcri-si AFFECTS 81 luuani.
". and then stalkcd forth, 4 full grown man. IL the exercise
IL Infamous crime ~nnrchrkeI.
Who was the woman in this casr9 Almost young rnou.h
20 he his daughter. WHO wa. the husband Il" caIne from
Nm. commercial metropolis 81 the nation to iii. city. acc-r.
Lurd "A A member Of IN. councils Of the nations. Rv way
ni showing TO this community the confidence he placed in
the law, OF the District. he brought here his wife and child.
What was the relations between the deceased and the Ii.
-on.r? These relations we're those Of risnd,hip-Mr Sickle.
had in,ereeded TO have Mr.. key appointed to the position
which hi. private life 50 discraccI. There was no: unly
friendship. but professional relations between them.
Mr. Sickle, In the discharge Of hi. duty, T., compelled To
leave his wife TO the guardianship 81 her own chastity. and
Mr.. Key goes Int" ia. house Of this friend to practice those
Establishment. Of cai!antry under which he perfecis his in
fanny. The defence should show tina: rs far back ~ March
%, ISIS. Mr.. Key was charged with hishonoring his friend.
and lac characterized II a. ridiculous caluinny. Yet. at
,ha; time. or within a few day. afterwards. had been com.
mencrd this intimacy which led to this trial. Within 4 few
days befor" his death. Mr.. Key accompanies his sister and
her husband t" the house OF his prostitute.
The speaker here went on 10 give. in detail. an accoun,
Of the immediate circumstances l-aiin: 10 the homicide
After the dinner party referred TO Mr.. :. goes 10 Wizards
Hotel to enjoy a hop, and Mr. s. on going there, finds Mr.
Sir. $. present he abruptly leave. h- position. with no other
reason for 50 doing than thu f-rins OF shame and basencss
home, opened an ANONYMOUS letter, where he read thai, Mr.
Key wa. a. mnclI In the possession Of the person Of his
wife A. Ii. himself. her husband, Wa.
Mr. q. went on To trace the illici. intimacy up TO the
house y. aSsi.naiion, the hiring Of the room by Woodbridge
oppo.i,e the house Of aS.ienaiion; the sending nf 4 note by
! SirkIas 10 Woodbridge asking him I" he exceedingly tender 10
hi, inquiries. a. he had reason to believe she might he limo.
cent; Of his frenzy upon asc-rtain!ng that she was really
! guilty; OF hi, charging lii wife with her ~tishonor: she con.
f.--rl her crime and gave Il written statement which would
be given in evidence. The speaker asked what must have
! been the accumulated anguish Of Mr.. :. when h. was fore.
ed to communicate 10 his friends, one by one. the shame
which had come upon his house. Nj. Sictirs proposed To
send hi. wife To New York by Mr.. Hu,'erwor;h. and that j.
the way VI. lutterworth came upon the scene on that sun
day.
Mr.. :. knew now tha; hs wife had been Lishonorci hy
hey. lie looked from his window and saw the aiul;crcr
ma. by waving his handkerchief, anI 81 swiftly was the sub.
..,n.ur net Committed tIls even h. pNn family did mol
know that lie had lelI his house.
WHY was Key constantly in the vicinity OF Sickle: lie
lived far distant from that nci:hborhood. How did he make
hi designations with Mis-. Sickles> lie took advantage Of
the parlor- Of his acquaintance. Ifhc met her In the park.
II wa an designation. No matter where h. met Mr.. ;. he
tainted the atmosphere with hi ahult-rous Establishments
I II Mr-. :. walked ont, hc was also on foot. II shc rode, the
carriage was stopped and Il" got in. and the direction 10 the
driver was to drive through back streets. Wherever SHE
went, he went. On Thursday before his death he was seen
with Mrs. Sicklesb by Greens furniture store. and wa. read.
Ing a letter, which was. probably. = letter warning him of
the danger in which he stood. u" even went with Mrs.
II would he shown that Key was prepared for defence
tina, hc was in the habi. Of carrying weapons. and when
warned Of danger, that lac had answered that he was pre-
pared for attack.
SicsIcs with Key. Mr. Sirklrs leaned hts head forward upon
! The rail Of the dock. with his face buried In his hand. AMI
thus remained until Mr.. Graham passed 10 another branch
It had been said in effect to the jury. thu, they should
render their verdict according TO ihc. law, and leave 10 the
executive clcrncncy she power Of pardon. lie called upon
! the Jury in this case no; - divs>t themselves Of one particle
Of their rights. 4 case was tried in PHILADELPHIA, where a
father slew his own daughter for marrying = libertinc. and
he stood acquitted hy twelve a. honest men a. ever set in u
iury box. The jury all remembered the cas-. Of Singleton
Mercer. who followed his sisters scducer for some forty
hours, till he Killed him. and the jury hell that not forty
hours nor forty year. was sulicien, in such Il case for the
passion to cool.
In this very court n case hal occirrel which the jury hal
a right TO pattern by. Tn. cas-" of IL" nian who slew hi
sister, seiucsr, and where the jury. in fifteen minutes. re-
turned a verdict Of arquittal. Should the abominabl" doc
trinr 20 out OF this court that a pecuaiary consideration
should sOothc the wounds OF an injured hn.'aHri: Were
W. 10 have a tariff Of rates Of the price OF 4 husbands
dishonor, Ia Gods name let the jury repudiate such a
doctrine.
Mr.. Grahaias speech Il regarded rs Of great ability. not
only for it, force, but for the alroiinrS. with which details
not strictly evidence were woven int" his narrative In 4
manner tn Impress y jury.
Upon the conclusion OF Mr. Graian's speech. the Judge
lct the bench for n few moments. anI the prisoner retired
from the dock In charge Of hai!in..
Mr.. BRADY proposed, in The first place. 10 produce Ger.
tain lrlters In the handwriting % Mr. hey. lie held six