Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-03-11
The sickles and Key Affair.

The Washington correspondent of the N. Y
Times gives the following account of the
domestic difficulties of Mr.. Sckles, which
led to the killing of Key. Mr.. Sickles receiv.
ed an anonymous letter stating with precision
80 minute as to make suspicion imperative
that Mr.. Key had rented house on 10th
street, above K street, from negro woman
and that he was in the habit of meeting Mrs.
Sickles there two or three times week or
oftener. The person and dress of Mrs,
Sickles was accurately described, and the
usual time OF the interviews specified
Accompanied by friend NJ. Sickles went
to the house designated and found every
statement of the anonymous writer corrob
Grated. Mr.. Key had taken the house, and
he had constantly met there lady re.em-
bling very closely in description Mrs. Sick
les. Mr.. Sioxles still clung to The hope that
the person who had stopped to the basenes.
ofmaking such charges under the veil ofse-
crecy might have thoroughly deceived him,
and tha: Mrs. Sickles was not the ly in
question. lie accordingly requested his
friend, Mr.. Geo. Woodbridge, of New York,
to watch the place from the window of a
house Just opposite. On Saturday no meet
ing took place, and the woman in charge
seems to have stated that none had occur
red since Wednesday. On Saturday even
ing Mr.. Sickles resolved no longer to play
the-spy upon his honor and determined to con-
front his wife directly with his suspicious.
At first Mrs. Sckles strongly denied her
er on the Wednesday previous she had not
particular dress, and concealed by hood,
- ia hot
and swooned away. On recovering her
senses, she admitted her guilt, and besought
mercy and pardon. Mr.. Sickles said he
would not harm her, since he believed her
the victim of scoundrel, but that lie had
a right to full confession. Two ladies in
the house wereSent for as witnesses, and in
their presence Is. SickIes made q full con-
fession in writing, stating that her connec
ton with Mr.. Key had commenced in April
last, under Mr.. Sickles' roof, but that Mr..
Key had since hired the house in Fifteenth
st, eet, in which they had constantly met.
NJ s. Scklcs' confession was made in the
midst of bitterest contrition and misery
Her husband simply asked her to give him
back her wedding ring, and desired her to
write to her mother to come and take her
from his house forever. Mrs. Siokles made
no objections, admitting the justice of her
punishment in the most effecting language.
Mr.. Sickles married his wife when she was
sixteen years of age. She is the daughter
of Antio Bagioi, an Italian music teacher
of New York, where he has resided about
thirty years. Mr.. Sickles took his wife to
England with him when he was Secretary
of Leg aton at London under Mr.. Buchanan;
introduced her to the Queen carried her to
the Continet and introduced her into the
most fashionable society. He loved her with
great devotion, and lavished all his means
upon her. They lived in elegant style at
Washington, occupying house Of $4,000
rent. Mrs. Sickles rode in splendid car
riage with outriders; wore jewels to the
value of 5000, and seemed to want moth.
ing that she did not have.
Mr.. Key was a nephew of Judge Taney,
and brother-in.law of Mr.. Pendleton, Mem
Der of Congress from Ohio. The father of
Mr.. Key was the author of ''The Star Span
gled Banner" Key and Sickles were both
the intimate friends of the President Mr..
Sickles has one daughter six year old, and
Mr.. Key leaves four motherless children,
one daughter about fifteen years Of age.