Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-04-15

I saw Mr. sickies on Sunday, February q, abou. p...
saw him in the back room ofSiekles' house, on N, q, >. ~
Sickles came In; his manner was excited ther. go, !.
thing unusual In his manner; his voice was greatly = ">-
advanced and took witness by the hand. spoke "a ~ is~
then became very much convused indeed. sr.t- =;
himself on a sofa and broke forth. into a variety OF En- sfH
sounds. Witness thought At the time that il ,h. las.ef
lie, would become insane. Sickles frequently hro.. +.
violent EXPLANATIONS about the dishonor which ~ I,
brought on his wife and child. After q While ~. ~. -:
of hs grief subsidized. Witness, at one time, naS n, w.
of going for "A doctor. Wltness accompanied II, ~.
jail In senator OWNS carriage.
By Nj. Ould: M,he interview only Nj. Bu,,srv,-.
present. Subsequently the Mayor and Mr. GotI,,S~ 10
in. Found Bl,,erwOrih IN The back room when ) -
went in. Sicklr- came ia soon aaerNArd. W,,-f
yer, deeply excited himself. AID asked for a Do. .Ler''n
In reference To- his testimony.
Al dis poln, Mr.. sickles was 50 overcome gnh Az,
that Mr. stanton was compelled TO Request the COM. 7.
low him TO he removed from the court for 4 few taon..., =
For some time hc had been sitting In tie dock Win ~.
buried in his handkerchief. b, As the testimony 80
Walker progressed. his grief appeared TO becons, 4, =. ,
control. lie WAS led out 81 the room. ltanlns he.pI.., S''.
the arms 81 two Others. and sobbing Ike a child. In
moment, hc returned, his intense agony having apns,..'
somewhat subsidized. During ,h- scene a ,rel!.. ..
dcrpe-, interest and sympathy was manifested ~ al /. -,
court.room.I
The Judge let a.. courtroom. but. hayin, re.r.-.
examination Of Mr.. Walker was continued.
By Mr.. Ouid Believed that Mr.. Sicsies. or ,or.n
friends, sent for Mr. Goddard, chief OF police. Aner . +, , -
Mr. Sicklc- became calmer.
BY Mr. Carlisle shortly after witness entered ,ts...
Sicklrs WAS overcome by n perfect agony o, t-b,,
Thought that II /; had continued Sickl,s would h,y. -
p.rmancnily insane. lIs screams were o. A mos, r,...t
/ character. Ills grief exhibited symptoms ,Eorc ,,,.--
than witness had ever seen. The passionate c,eIar,,5.
o! Sickl-- were principally in reference. 70 the d.,,,-
broush. IN hi, daughter The calming down o. Sickle r.
very gradual. Impression q! witness wa that Mr Boz
worth proposed going before a magistrate, a. .oor
! Sickle. had recovered from hi commissions Of grief hs.
that he was prepared 10 90. witness accompanied srT
the magistrate. for fear that the paroSysm OF despair -
return. saw several persons IN the froG; room, bu; dt "a
r-roilrct who they were. Witness went into the back -
through u folding door which communicated With the -
room.
DID not know the Hhcreabou.. OF Mr. But,erwors q,
him la, In ,his city the latter part Of La, week ~;ae.. ".
Ia the city several days after the death OF Mt ~ y.
7 prrhap., III. 81 Of March; visited the prisoner 10 o'.,
times in Jail; was no, certain Of the tine when be t..
Sicsles' house on February -.
Ey Mr.. Brady: Knew Stckir> well. Siclles hal a ,-,..
Of hi, convulsions OF rric! Il short time aner r~e.sh!ss ..
Jail.
By Mr. Carlisle. This happened not long after ;he et,-
nation. the outburi Of grief lasted I'VE Or ia nHg.,,. b.
; not 10 he compared 10 that which took place al he hs.,.
/, was deeper than that manifested this mora!as BY q.
rranci, Mohun Wa. mex, called. Resided in wa&'a..s
and had done % for about forty years. Knew Nr. Sel.-
,r abou, three years. but Was not intimate. sas h. -
Saturday. the day before Keys decease; saw hii near -.
down; witness WAS standing near Adams Express 04..
whole appearance Of s!ckles was very :''4nse, AIS
thought him crazy.
Ey Sir. oulG: saw Sickl"s 4 little before suai:v.
Sickles was coming from the Capitol: the Wild sppearas;,
u Sickle, excited his attention very much. DID no. s.
him lslil until he law nlIE III " upNh. sthlcs VIZ Ia
inr a, a more rapid pace than he had ever seen him Use
At thi. point a short recess WAS taken, aud the !sr!
the room for Refreshments.
Bridget Duly was mex, called.
Mr.. BRADY "You had better raise your veil, We ea se.
better"
witne.. i a nurse and la~dy's.maid. and partly chaab-
maid IN Sickles' family; has been there over a year. kr.t
Key. saw him , short time before the family came 20 Wa,
inrtou, la,r winter: remembered the Saturday before he,
leccase: Sicsies CAME home between n'e ana SIX n p
evening: ;itrr vas no particular hour for dinner; vs.
SfrLf.- ,yus al hOmr that AFTERNOONS. did not see SCki..
dinner; on Saturday night saw tina; some unhappy !e,i:,
existed between Mr.. and Mrs. Sickles. Dir. Sckles went :
10 III. dining room, but did not eat anything. ~ a'rf'
n-.s 10 bring him up something to eat. siekl's .e---
! troubled. Half an hour afterwards saw Mr: ad Va
sickle. in the bed room. Witness went out AMI "eni H.
her own room about d o'clock. Mr. sicklss' door ~. pa
Is open; heard loud talking in the room, listened foI "a
moments, and then went To the kitchen: staid n Ions In
and repeated what she had heard up stairs; went up 'A'
again. and found Mr.. and Mr.; siSki.s sti, IN .hs' roy
talking Their room was At the head OF The 'front.' ,ns'
went into The room ut night about O'Clock 10 nS he ne
Mr.. Brady showed the witness a paper, win her ssfi
turr affixed. She signed her name 10 II at Mr. Sei.r
request. Miss Ridgeiy also signed II IN her presence. Ii
the room after signing the paper.
Mrs. Sickle signature was then shown 10 TIE "i,i''
per TO which wines. affixed her name. witness rei.rte :
he'd about II o'clock. Mr.. sickles and vile were IN ae.
ownroom up "a that time. Did not know whether eiihe'
chem went TO bed that night. Mrs. Sieklrs remained q
rI,. door all night. In the room adjoining the bed reon
saw her next morning. sitting on the noor with her hea
on 4 chair. Mr.. sickics had gone down STARS. Mr.
~tdlI on slc lDoF All tas. sue iH' ~
by her the day before.
During III. night heard Mr. Sickle. anil Mrs. sickles e7
Ing In the morning, about half.past eigh. . CLOCK, metN'
: on the stairs. and he was crying. His lace was IN u
hand. lie sobbcd. and frequently made eNclama'ion'
grief Witness went down TO the Kitchen, and began =
cry herself So.
Mr.. brady then handed TO the prosecution Mrs. SIeEti
confession. written on the night referred TO by the witness
THE wrc;chcd woman coBfrsses everything IN Ianglis
far from decent, and with unnecessary particniaf!y' At
shows that her intercourse with hey was oil the most AhAt
,onei and proiirate charactcr.J
Mr. Ould objected to the Introduction OF the paper =
testimony. and handed Il TO the Court for exsmiHaiien
Mr.. Brady said that the paper was offered as e''deht'
the inrrcas, NJ that state Of mind under which the pfsyEc
was laboring when he killed the deceased
Nj. Duli said that the evidence was inadmissibie on man
grounds. striking AZ the roots Of many Of the mos, cart
nal rule, Of evidence. In the first place II was mere here
say.
IL was also a communication passing between a hc'baL
and wife-thc husband being the defendant In this Gaze J
a wife could not be 4 witness In a case like this. 10 WIZ
her husband Is concerned. this evidence could not be Intro
duced.
admitted. rs proving an increase OF the state oil mihh o.
der the influence OF which. Il was alleged the prisoner ia
ed the deceased: II was no logical evidence that the pnsoi
err was insane when h. committed the act. The fact Of y
sanity should be- proved directly, and not indirectly. D.
means Of the paper which 10 was sought TO Introduce. II
paper could not be depended on As proof OF Insanity.
Mr.. Graham con,cnded n great length that the co.
mon law was changing. and required provocatioh 10 Ite'
causes and not Ac, with prrsumptions. He wished 10 'ho'
that the prisoner was hardened. Intoxicated, insane h!n
bowl from which he had quaded, and which was hsnfN
him 10y his wife In this confession. II was to show the sia
Of the prisoner. mind NJ the time he committed The deei
A. caused by these circumstances.
Mr.. Ould proceeded To reply: but II being near ilf-
o'clock. the court adjourned without giving It's decision G
the admissibiity Of this confession.