Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-11-13
A FAMOUS INTRIGUE.
"reminiscences 0r the Famous Sicklcs-Key
Scandal.

"reminiscences 0r the Famous Sicklcs-Ke
Scandal.
Two houses below this is the Gle
clubhouse, now used for Offices, il
which Payne tried to asSassinate Sew
ard, and where Barton Key was takcr
after he was shot by Gen. Sicklcs. !
is big double brick house of thre,
stories, with two old.fashioned bIicl
chimneys rising like sentinels from il
either end. From its second-stor,
window Barton Key used TO wave hi
handkerchief to Mrs. Sickles, witt
lived in II great palace on the Othe
side of the square. She would repl,
with her handkerchief whether tn,
coast was clear, and the two thus car
lried on one of the most famous in
trigues in our history. Lafayett,
square is now so full of luxuriantly
peaved trees that such signals coulC
not be seen if they were made to-day
But in 1851 the trees were small, anC
in time this open signalling attracted
attention. Gen. Sickles had married
his wife in New York. She was tn,
daughter of an Italian music-mastcl
in that city, and at. the time of Sickles
marriage to her insidious remarks
were made about her in the papers
She was very beautiful, and was, whcr
she married Gen. Sickles. only II
years old. The advent of the couple
TO Washington inaugurated wild and
fashionable life for this Italian girl
and no money was spared in her hus
bands entertainments. The house in
which they lived was elegantly fur.
nished, and it is. still fine mansion
At present the Spanish embassy are
using it,and its rent must be, | should
say, 81, 900 Il year. Barton Key, though
he had lovely wife at Baltimore, fell
in love with Mrs. Sickles, and the in
trigue was carried on for months be.
fore Gen. Sicklcs suspected anything
was wrong.
At last he discovered the intrigue,
and found that Key and his wife were
in the habit Of frcquenting a little
house on Fifteenth street in Il negro
neighborhood, and that Key had lent
ed the house for the purpose. On
Friday, Feb. %, Mrs Sickles and Bar
ton Key, by prcarranged signals, went
to this house and staid there two
hours. That night Sickles charged
his wife with her guilt, and she broke
down and confessed the whole crime.
Sickles was terribly broken, but he
made her write out her confession and
sign il in the presence of witnesses.
These things transpired between Sat
urday and Monday. On Monday Bar
ton Key, knowing nothing of this ex-
pose, again signaled Mrs Sicklcs from
this house. Gen. Sickles saw the sig.
nal. As Key started to come over to
his house Gen. Sckles went to meet
him. They met on the corner of this
square just below this house. Key
put out his hand and said: "How are
you, Mr.. Sicklcs,' when the latter,
refusing to take it, replied: "You
have dishonored my home and family,
and you must die
He then drew revolver
Key threw up his arms, and begged
him not TO shoot.
Sickles shot, and the ball lodged in
Keys groin.
Key staggered to tree, which has
been since cut down for relics, and
fell upon one knee Sickles shot him
aga'n ana again, and Key fell crying
Murder!
Sickles then walked of, saying, it
was reported: 81 think the scoundrel
Is dead. lie was arrested that night
and tried some OF the most notorious
lawyers IN the country taking part IN
the case. lie was freed, and lived to
40 brave service in the late war, and
Is now practlclng law IN New York.
Barton Key was carried bleeding
and dying into the old club house. and
from thence his body was taken TO
Baltimore for burial, He was fine
looking man, and his father was the
author of "Thc Star Spanglcd Ban
ne" He was nephew of Chief JUS
tice fancy, who was on the bench at
the time, and he had brother who
had been killed before this in a duol
over n woman.
1t was in this old club house that
Wormley, the caterer, who died last
week, did some of his first epicurean
cooking. After KEYS death in il
hA hAt,gn al ,,t -, IL