The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-12-09
A Sequel t the sickles-Key Tragedy.

The elopcment of General Sickles' daugIl-
ter with a married man and an adventurer
named Mccarthy, from Paris, is a very pain
full affair. AT the same time, it recalls that
deeply tragic event in the Generate life which
some years ago ~convulsed, not only the soci-
ETY. of New York, Washington and Baltimore,
but the entire country. General Sickles' wife,
the mother of the present erring daughter, be-
came criminally intimate with Mr.. Barton
Key, of Washington, a near relative Of the
author of the "Star Spangled ann
Sickles finally was made aware of their rela-e
itions, and laying in wait for Key, without a
warning, shot him in the street, in one of the
most fashionable quarters of the national
capital. 1t was charged at the time by the
friends of Key that Siekles knew of the rela-a
tions in which Key stood to his wife, and only
shot him Upon discovering that they had be-
come society gossip. Sickles was tried for
murder; his wife wrote a confession, admit
ting her ~criminality with Key and after a
long, most exciting and most painful trial, the
defendant was acquitted. Public sentiment
was very much divided on the occasion. Key
was very popular in Washington Sickles was
a prominent Democratic politician Key was
a Southerner, on which account the entire
Southern coterie at the capital sided against
the man who took him off. Subsequently,
Sickles condoned his wife's ~offense, and again
took her to his home and hearth. 1t is stated,
however, that the poor creature-she was
represented as a weak though cultured and
beautiful woman, who loved society and the
admirtion of the other sex-neverr got over
the terrible affair, and finally died broken
hearted. She was of French extraction. 1t
has has since TRANSFERRED that General Sickless
allowed her mother to assume charge of not
only his erring wife, but, after that wife's
death, of her daughter. The grandmotherof
the latter died a short time ago, and Miss
Sickles has since been under the charge of
her step-mother, a Spanish lady, whom Gen
eral Sickles married, while representing this
country as Minister at the Spanish Court. It
will be remembered that General Sickles lost
a leg during the first days fighting at the fam
Gus battle of Gettysburg. He led the divis-
ion which he commanded beyond the position
to which General Meade had assigned it. The
! consequence was it was driven back with
great loss upon the general line OF advance, by
which, at one time, the safety of the entire
army was imperiled. General Sickles is now
reported to be very ill in Paris. OF late
| years he has made a great deal of money
specializing in Erie and other railroad shares.
| He came over to this country representing the
| British owners of the road and succeeded in
gushing Jay Gould from Its management. He
is a man of extraordinary natural ability as
a soldier he exhibited a reckless bravery,
which went a great way to atone to the gen.
eral public for his, to say the least, question
able method of rightlne bis wrongs in the in
stance of the Jason between the debauchee
Key and his weak but wicked wife.
Later kilograms say that the friends of Miss
Sickles deny the truth of the story of her
elopement, but it seems to have a foundation,
nevertheless. "N" .h.H#