River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-12
a FAMOUS INTRIGUE.
Reminis eences of the sickles-Key Scandal
Revived by the Recent Death of a wash


Reminiseen of the sickles-Key Scandal
Revived by the Recent Death of wash
ington Caterer.
Two houses below this is the old club
house, now used for offices, in which
Payne tried to assassinate Seward, and
where Barton Key was taken after lie
was shot by Gen. Siekles. 1t is big
double brick house of three stories,
with two old fashioned brick chimneys
rising like sentinels from It's either end.
From its second-story windows Barton
Key used to wave his handkerchief to
Mrs. Sickles, who lived in great pal
ace ON the other side of the square.
She would reply with her handkerchief
whether the coast was clear, and tie
nous intrigues in our history Lafay-
cite Square is now so full of luxurant-
ly-leaved trees that such signals could
not be seen if they were made to-day.
But in 1851 the trees were small, and
in time their open signaling attracted at
tantion. Gen. Sickles had married his
wife in New York She was the daugh-
ter of an italian music master in that
city, and at the time of Sickles' mar
riage TO her insidious remarks were
made about her in the papers. She was
very beautiful, and was. when she mar
ried Gen. Sickles, only sixteen years
old. The advent of the couple to Wash
ington inaugurated wild and fashion
able life for this Italian girl, and no
money was spared in her husbands
entertainments. The house in which
they lived was elegantly furnished, and
is still fine mansion. At present the
Spanish Embassy are using IT, and its
rent must be, | should say, So. 700 a
year. Barton Key, though he had o
lovely wife at Baltimore, fell in love
with Mrs. Sickles, and the intrigue was
carried on for months before Gen.
Sickles suspected anything was wrong.
tlast he discovered the intrigue,
and found that Key and his wife were
in the habit of frequenting little house
on Fifteenth street in negro neighbor-
hood, and that Key had rented the
house for the purpose. On Friday
February ODD, Mrs. Sickles and Bar
ton Key, by prearranged signals,
went to this house and stayed there two
hours That night SiclIlos 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 it in
the presence ofwitnesses. These things
transpired between Saturday and Mon
day. On Monday, Blrton Key, know
ing nothing of this expose, again signal
ed Mrs. Sickles from this house, Gen.
Sickles saw the signal AS Key started
to come over to his house Gen. Sickles
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. Sickles?" when tho
latter refusing to take it, replied "You
have dishonored my home and family
and you must die"
He then drew q revolver.
Key threw up his arms and begged
aim not to shoot.
Sickles shot, and the ball lodged in
Keys groin.
Key staggered to a tree which has
been since cut down for relics, and fell
apon one knee. Sickles shot him
again and again and Key fell crying
'murderw
Sicl1les then walked off, saying, it was
reported, 81 think the scoundrel is
lead" He was arrested that night and
ried. some of the most notorious law
yers in the country taking part in the
IL fV,,l aud ifxrod n do
brave service in the late war, and is now
oracticing law in New York.
Barton Key was carried bleeding and
lying into the old club house, and from
thence his body was taken to Baltimore
for burial He was n fine-looking man.
and his father was the author OF "The
Star Spangled Banner" He was
nephew of Chief Justice fancy, who
was on the bench at the time, and he
had brother who had been killed le'
fore this in duel over a woman.
1t was in this old clubhouse that
Wormley, the caterer, who died last
week, did some Of his first epicu-
rean cooking. After Keys death
in it the house fell into dis
favor, and the club moved from it. 1t
vas then rented to William III. Seward,
who lived here during the war as Sec
rotary of State Before it was used as
a clubhouse Chief Justice fancy lived
in it while he was Jackson's secretary of
the Treasury, and it was built years be-
fore that by Commodore Rodgers, who
was then called the Nestor Of the Navy.
1t was high-toned boarding house dur
ing Tyler's time, when John Spencer, n
member Of the Cabinet, lived in it. At
ter his attempted assassination, Gov,
Seward was sick in the house for many
months before he recovered from the
effects of the wounds inflicted by Payne.
After he left it Gen. Belkn9p occupied
it as Grants Secretary Of War, when 1t
again saw continuous round of eayety
until the great BelknIp scandal oc-
CURED and it again degenerated into
boarding-h house. 1t is now occupied
by Government offices. Washington
Corr. Cleaveland Leader.