, 1859-03-04

de11ruu6 OF placing hla ConduEt III 1!Eu* "AaG4
| will acquire for him the public sympathy, md
| to divert that sympathy from the victim Of hla
crimo-the JounR man who Tas doubtless ~ n
| to live as Sickies, but who il
"Cat od even in tie blossoms Of h. .ta.
Unhncselltd 4. 4:o.nted. nnaneAtd;
e ssfen s IN I'D ,9t e. account
From The Philadelphia Bulletin.
A session Of Congress Without murder, Or
something approaching it, would be an2moly.
The murder Of Philip Barton Key, q. s. Astor-
ney for the District Of Columbia, By Daniel E.
| Sickles, Member Of Congress from the Third
District of New York, occurs just in time to
sustain the character Of the se5aion Of 1859,
which narrowly esoaped from being bloodiess
one. The particulars of the crime that ssartles
the metropolis in the still honrs OF the Sab.
bath, are spread before our readers to day.
Doubtless rualor and gossip have embellished
and colored them. Bat the story, in its uua~
dorned state, is one Of sin and horror. lady
of distinction for bsausy aud accomplishments,
who has o[ten figured In the letters OF the WASH
ington Jenkinses, the wife Of prominent mem-
bsr Of Congress, who is one Of the main sup
portozs Of the White House party, 10 detected
b7 her husband in a criminal intimacy With
government fupctionary, q WidoNer OF mature
aye and the father OF daughters. The injured
husband meets his hetrayer in the street, and
drawing plstol, shoots him down Ti,hou. warn
ing. The trst shot not pro7ing fatal, he Tres
others at his victim, In spite ot his entFeatles to
be spared. uatl he lies bloody corpse on the
pavement The tragedy occurs On Sunday,
in clear daylight, and within sight Of the Pfesi-
dent's House.
II is not fair to charge Washington With s1l
the vice and crime that are seen there. Adul-
terry and murder are not peculiar to the Nation
there during the sesaiona of Congress IL such
n 10 provoke to sin and stimulate to crime.
American hotsl lie, where there Is none Of tbs
privacy, the purity, or the sanctity OF home is
most rividly seen at Washington. The Member
of Congress who takes bis vile to Washington,
and while he is engaged for half the day At. tho
session, or at 8 caucus, or a11ong the 1ep1rt.
mems, leaves her in big public house, crowd
edwin sivsasu1ego, 4Ale and female, IRON sli
parts of the couhtry, ruEs great r:tk Of being
dishonored. The balls routes, hops. receptions,
dinners; and general e1citemeuts Of Washing.
ton, bring women into contAct With many dam
geeous companions. The naiural modestgg g 81
tue sex is soon worn CT IN e-.a scenes; srd
when rnoe:-y noea:.-:y oegius to fail. Tlrt7e uuds no
lack Of tenp,s,s. the Yretched woman, whose
fail il saidt 10 bare led to this last tragedy waa
not at all peculiar iustsoce Of ain in fashions
BILE circles Her singularlty consists in her
being detected. Her penalty is that her lover
il dead. her husband is murderer, and herself
disgrsced. Hundreds Of others, who have
Nuue III &u6 Qlu, bbl1 A10AIaH IL " FA3AAA4so4t
and doubtless in otner cities Hie3.
There ia much q}oVauLe TO be made TOR tbs
feelings Of nian outraged and wronged in bis
nearest aud dearest reisuous- But, in spite of
part acquista!s Of musderers who had been taus
wronged. We must regard the man who killed
Philip Barton hey as murderer. Adultery
does not justly killing. There aro lava ior tho
srorn for adulterers, male and female, that ia u
severe as any punishment, as terrible a. the
fearful Scarlet Letter Of Hester Pr]ene. To
these We should like to refer all auch cases ss
this- But there Is no reasoning with q u1sn who
haa just learned the iufamy Of his wife aud the
name Of her partner 10 guilt, His revenge waits
not for law, il consults With no fsiends, il aaks
for no explanations. The pistol or the dagger
il tho ready viudcator, and "ith this be destroys
the life Of The man who has destroyed his wife'a
and bis own honor. Unhappity, Juries Of this
country arc too ready to excuse crime, and
the many Acquittals Of men who hare slain 70.
ducers, show that The crime is no logger n.
The s.stute books, The common practice Of
Courts and Iuries sets the written Law Al deh-
ance. This il lsmentable state Of thlugr, nut
it's true. There can he no doubt that Daniel
z. Sickes committed murder. But there Is Just
u little doubt that Washington Jury will &C.
quit him
Bpectl Dispatch to the rsx Fosk Tribune. dated
Waabins.onll]
Mrs. bickles is Represented as being yery
penitent, and is overwhelmed With ariet, She
declarea that she ha9 had enough Of tasbfonahla
life in Washington, and praJs for oblivion. She
describes he husband, when he returned to the
honae after having accomplished his bloody
work, % entering her room looking like mar
hle stasue, only utterlng the single sentence:
II have Killed him."
Mr. Sickles VAS accompanied to his house By
two subordinate officers Of tbs District who
made him pledge his word Of honor, before
they would consent to allow him to enter his
wife's room. thss he would do her no harm.
That he sti!l entertains for her feelings OF the
atropgeBt Affection, thsre Is no doubt. He be-
iieres that Key eedueed her from the path Of
rec.itude, and thst but for him she would never
have proved false. When gentleman remark
to ars- sietles." be Exclaimed. pressing his
hand upon his brow. " Tos, poor child poor
child} and walked AwRy.
When Rr. Sickles procured the written cob.
tession Of guilt from hia wife, and directed her
to send for her parents to take her home, he
determined thst she enould not take with her
their chlld. beautiful daughter Of six years;
but to day he has consented that tho child may
go with her, aud remain until his case il deter-
mined hare.
The wedding ring which he demanded and
obtained from her hsa caused her the greatest
Rr1ef. and to Day he directed that 1t be returned
to hsr.
Ara- Siekles concedea that her husband has
done right, and slater that Nj. key received m
aanony yuoaa letter on Thursday night last,
which hs showed to her, unrning him sgainst
continuing his visits n Nj. Sekles house, call
in9 his attention 10 the fso. that be va much
older than Msa- sekies. and ought not to pur.
sisies @oaa % dessos i him. an.a md tss: Ssi IL
such N event tho consequences would be H.
t'oas, il not fatal, to ona or both parties. 1t il
believed that this letter WAS found upon the |
body Of Ar: Key before the Coroner'a inquest
Hrs. Sckles' mother arrived in this city from |
nav fork this evening, and will accompany !
her daughter back 70 har home.
It il reported thst Mra. 8ickles il <nc.snt< and
has madd IN affidavit that shs became 10 ia
eonseqanee Of her inte.eon RIO with Key.