Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-09-29
THE REPUBLICAN.
The Last Hours Of Mrs. sicklea.

Mrs. CloWc. ~ tttnlh " NV A"' ''l1
femnle scandal--mongcr, we have IN
this country. II would seem from
tho story Of q lady friend Of the late
Mrs Daniel T. Sickles, that that lady
allowed herself TO be scandalizcd aud
TO die Of grief in order TO save the
Honorable Daniel from being hung
for the murder OF Philip Barton Key.
The seduction story was concocted
by the valorous Dan. after no had
killed Key in drunken tit.
A correspondent of the New York
World docs not believe that Mrs Sick
les was guilty Of the liaison with Key
She says:
l for one do not believe Mrs, Sickles
guilty of the charge made against her
/ believe SicSles TO have been as vile
in his treatment of his wife as he was
in every other respect; perhaps more
vile, because he could wrong her With
impunity, and sweep from the earth,
covered with odum, man whose
graccs created envy in his own mind,
and whose manly sense of honor was
reproach TO his own vileness, and
whose intellect and culture were far
beyond his own reach, and whose only
Sin was in his sympathy for and kind
ness TO a neglected, illused wife. ]
admit that it is dangerous ground,
this sympathy for married woman,
who had better be content TO suffer,
endure and die than touch the tempt
ing cup. Let this suffice on this head
That Mrs. Sickles was lovely in
person, simple and childlike in char
acter. all admit. Such characters are
not easily degraded. Were she the
degraded creature he has led the
world to believe, her sensibillies
would not have remained SO acute
that she died in less than two hours
of a broken heart.
She was weak and cowardly, /
admit. Alas these defects would
have made her sacred in The eyes of u
manly man, and he would have done
his utmost to shield her from evil.
Let me depict the few last years in
the life of this injured woman.
Stung, it may be, by an irresistible
feeling of rcmOrse, he pretends in tho
eyes Of the world to have restored
her TO favor. l will not discuss the
propriety of this kind of klopstock
sentiment. lspeak Of The fact.
She was placed in a handsome house,
with the ordinary appliances of wealth.
OF the secret history Of the two at
this time nothing need be said. She
was ruined in character, broken in
health, utterly lost to the world AS
only women can be lost-left without
hope, without society, and without
sympathy, except from those who
were related to her, and who loved
and pitied her. She had long inter
walls of nervous prostra.ion, when she
would for hours act like a dying
person. She sat day after day, head
leaning upon her wasted hand, and
eyes lstless, seeing and caring for
little in world whose sunshine TO her
bad been so darkly ecipsed. She
sighed family, but said little or moth
ing. She was n sad wreck. She
knew she was dying, and expressed
no thought or interest in anything
but her absent daughter.
One day she turned suddenly to a
young friend and asked: "Do you
think mo guilty woman Z" and
without waiting for an answer she
went on, al wish to speak now while
l can. ! was so shocked and terrified
at that horrible time that | did not
know what | said. But | am not
guilty Of any sin. Mr. Sckles was
very violent--I was afraid of him
be brought me a paper, which he said
l mus sign-he said be should be
hung if | did not sign it. / never
read one wor6 OF that paper; | did
not know one word written in il. /
put my name where be told me, and
te save his life"
She was sinking rapidly, and was
carried to her bed from long fainting
turn. As she opened her eyes, reyi,
wing slowly they fell upon the face of
Daniel E. Sickles, painted and framed
hanging before her. Lifting her pale
hand, she said:
"Take it away"
Those about her demonstrated but
the second and third time she mur.
INJURED:
"Take it away"
The picture was removed. aNow
place my daughters face there" she
said, with a sad smile This was donc
and she gazed with a long 'ng, wistful
look upon the young face, and sighed
heavily. The poor weary eyes closed,
and she was gone to Him unto whom
is open the secrets of the heart OF
such is Grants minister to Spain.
What cay you, "loil millions p