New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-28
rrsu. an Occasional Cons.Pondent.

IN the Prosecuting Attorney hode vi ueaHNs VII"
Lis witnesses
preuu an Occasional Correspondent
Whatever may be alleged to the contrary, no i'm
,.-,;.l man can 20 back to the beginning OF tins
S.~edy without being convinced that every effort
81 ingenuity perversion, and misrepresentation was
unoyed 10 PREJUDICE its merits, and progresses the
nubc in favor Of the prisoner. Nearly every account
f the murder was an extenuation of the chief actor,
and a condemnation Of his victim. Hardly voice
IN, raised for the dead And from that hour to tins,
tlere has been a persistent policy 20 exaggerate
every incident and TO color every fact, that would IN
m ary wny contribute toward the acquta OF Slcke7
And 20 ar as the prosecution is concerned, it must
be admitted 10 have broken down long before the
conclusion Of the trial Mr.. Carlisle's position
throughout as the representative OF hey iriends'
has been il ksome and constrained. IL Mr. Qua ier
the necessity of assistance was obvious AT the out
set he ought to have appiad officially. Such an ap-
phcstion was never made by him. One was pre-
sentsd TO tie President by Mr.. Howard ana other
connections Of Key, but was promptly refused.
Hence he did not appear on behalf OF the Govern
nent at all as seems to be supposed. The prosecu-
ton in frrt refusing to admit the socaled COMES
sion Of Mrs.. Sickles--who signed the paper Teresa
Bagioi-and aiterward proposing to admit 1t, com
uited bunder which they have not repaired. That
afro cious publication bore every line OF internal
ard conclusive evidence that II was written under
duress and in to ineogatores put 10y Sickies'
No woman. however sunk or degraded, could, under
ssch or indeed under any circumstances, have con-
seiyed such revelation of infamy, and, in the first
flush of her detection cooy registered deeds OF shame
that would have shocked the commonest street
walker. That paper has done more 10 produce
reaction against the prisoner than every other event
connected with this tragic affair. And so 1t ought
The defense knew better than TO accept the propo-
Ition Of admitting the confession.
Another md more recent incident Of the trial has
excited much comment. On Thursday last, private
conference between the Judge and the opposing
counsel in regard to certain testimony, was witnessed
N open Court The jury, even, were not let into the
secret, though they had been entertained with in
Hanmatory hsrangues, at every stage OF the
ease. upon points of evidence bearing against Key.
There il good reason for believing that this confer
epce related to testimony which in Court ready
10 prove that Sckles at Barnum's Hotel
last Winter several times, in company with
woman registered as Mrs. Sickles,
when the real Mrs. Sckles was in
Washington. Every shape of evidence has been adj
utted TO show a frenzed condition Of Sckless mind,
upon the pretext that it was unhinged by the dscov-
cry of his wifes nfdehty. This fer more peril
lent than much that was allowed showing his own
familiarity with the very crime in question: aud thus
rebutpp the theory of the defense. Yet, was OUT
city considered in private. Why the prosecution
failed to present the point and discuss it, as the de-
Tense had done in regard to the testimony excluded on
their side has not been explained except in the dra'
matte scene which occurred then or thereabous, when
Mr. Oud and Mr. Stanton reconciled their differences
The prefer by the defense of submitting the case
10 the Jury without argument was a stroke of dex-
terity-nothing more. Mr.. Graham had summed mp
in the opening, and got the start with the Jury, be-
fore witness was called to the stand. And his col
leagues in discussing the legal Instructions have fol-
lowed up the course. Mr.. Bradys speech to-
day, though professedly addressed to the Judge on
technical propositions really directed TO the
Jury. II was in the highest order OF his peculiar
style, and attracted the earnest attention of a
thronged auditory.