Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-04-19
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The NEW YORK TINES AND THE WASHINGTON
% SrAR.-The New York Times is indeed unfOr-
tunste in its various efforts to misrepresent the
truth Of the circumstances connected with the
homicide of Philip Barton Key, and the cur
rent trial of Daniel +. Sickles for that act Its
malevolent perversiOn of facts to the end of
prejudicing the public mind in favor of the
prisoner have of late been persistently directed
against the Star, the highest compliment it
could accord to this journal. On Friday last,
we had occasion to expose the utter falsity Of
its former allegations; and now it is our duty
to truth, as well as to the Star to say that
there is naught but falsehOod in the following
extract from its issue of Saturday last
at 1.-THE New York Evening POST has been Just
rs unfortunate with Mrs. Sickles's confession IA
with the Washington reporter Without waiting
To inquire at all into the facts of the case IL flew at
once TO the conclusion that Mr.. Sickles was re-
sPOnsible for the publication of that most painful
document, and after exercising a cheap virtue by
suPPrssslng in the evening what it very well knew
that yerbody had seen in the morning underworld
10 make the prisoner odious by fastening upon him
this exposure OF his unhappy wife Had the Post
enjoyed the means the disposition to keen itself
Informed Of the facts in this matter ii would ha,
learned that the publication of the confession is
due to the proprietors of petty w ashington news
paper, the Star, of whose views throuphout this
case the Evening Post itself has been the dociIe
journals had consented to withhold Mrs Sicklesis
statement from the public, the persons in charge
OF the Star positively refused to do so.''
The circumstances connected with the ap-
pearance of the paper purporting to be the con.
fession of the wife of Sickles in the newspapers
are as follows. Viz: 1t was offered by the de-
fence, in evidence, without being read to the
court and jury. As soon as the court (haying
perused it) handed it back to the counsel for the
defence, and the argument upon the question
OF Its admissibility was commenced, one of Tie
counsel for the defeRee began to eopv 1T for
fhe reporters of tire associated press; and as he
handed to them each page of the copy. they
sent 1t down to the telegraph Office, where it
wasinstantly telegraphed, as each page arrived.
to the New York Times and other New York
journals, for publication on the same afternoon.
Seeing little chance to obtain it otherwise for
the Star in time for the issue of the same af
ternoon, we requested permission of the report
ers Tor the associated press to copy in the tele-
graph ofhee the slips thus furnished to them by
the defence for publication after the contents Of
each succeeding slip had been duly sent over
the wires This request was chcerfully acceded
10, and the reporters granting it have our
thanks for their act of courtesy
mus, almost as soon as the counsel for tho
defence had finished copying it for publication
In the northern newspapers generally. We had
it''in hand" in the Star Office Subsequently,
another copy, manifolded, was handed to ns
1t was made by & gentleman to whoir. the co,n.
sci for defence handed the original who made
half dozen copies for such othe, iournaIs a.
proposed to publish il ut once, i'm the nres.nc.
OF all IN the courtroom, and i'm mediafeIv n,dor
the eyes of the defence.
As for the story about tie STIR, r.f,s.r J.,
suppress 1.-THE repres, natives of the o,bor
journals present havins, consented TO UitbbcId
it-a more sweeping and deliberate faIsebood
was never penned. No suggestion Of the sort
was made to US, ond VIC never saw more nervou,
anxiety unaffected in a similar case than was
generally eyTnced to get the earliest copies of
it for publ cation.
1t wss further understood among the renro.
sento' ives of the press, that the defence w.,
quite as ANXIOUS TO get it instantly before the
public, as n desirable end TO be accomplished for
their cause, as the reporters t. obtain copie.
Tor instant publication. We have no comments
TO make upon its procurement from the woman
or upon the taste manifested by the defence in
thus putting 1T before the world Thew d;5
that thing doubtless for the benefit of their
ellent. The idea of finding the act now repu-
dated by the newspaper mouth-piece of the
prisoner as none of their work. strikes III.
newspaper men who attend the trial. oddly
enough, however