The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-01-02

his handkerchief as q signal to some per
son whose attention he wished TO attract
In addition TO his daily visits TO the
Siokles residence, II was also noticed that
Mrs Siokles and Mr. Key were frequently
seen driving together. Anonymous let
ters were sent to the husband, telling him
that his wife was in the habit of meeting
Mr.. Key at well known assignation
house in the negro quarters, on Fifteenth
street.
MIR. Slokles employed detectives to witch
his wife and Key, and their stories excited
him SO much that no disguised himself and
accompanied them TO verify their state
monts. The result of this investigation
was to confirm the truth of the anonymous
letters and TO tptensify the jealousy and
hate of the husband.
1t has been said and we again affirm we
know not the reason for the statement,
that the intimacy between Mrs. Sickles
and MIR Key began in London, and that
the husband then had equally strong proofs
Of his wife's infldelity presented TO him,
but that lIe had ignored them.
On the 27th day Of February, 1860, Dan,
lei E. Siokles, instead Of leaving home
after 10 20 clock, as had been his habit, re-
mained in the house. He sat near the
frontwindow and had not been long there
when Mr.. Key passed on foot and waved
a handkerchief in tho direction of the
house, which might or might not have
been signal Half an hour before this
tifpe Sickles had confronted his wife in
her own room and charged her with inf
deity. AT first she strenuously denied It,
but when he named the places and the
times she cried out:
"My God, l am betrayed What you
say is true. 1 love you, but have been
| false"
Before taking his place at tho window
TO watch Sickles had armed himself with a
revolver
Key had not yet returned his handker-
chief TO his pocket when Sickles, throw
ing ON his hat as he rushed through the
hall, dashed across the street. and pistol
In hand, confronting his victim, shouted:
"Key, you id scoundreli You have
dishonored my home, and you must diel"
Key, who was undoubtedly a brave man,
| was for the instant dumfounded. 1t was
claimed by the defense, though not proved,
that he tried TO draw a pistol, Sickles fred
at once, the first shot taking place in Key 8
groin. Key, who was as powerful a man
as Sickles, leaped forward and tried to dis.
arm him. Siokles got away, then leveled
his HlSJOl hRhlIl, anu WIFI d&bUhl eueOU UrOu
straight at Keys heart. Withla groan Key
fell to the ground and was carried into a
clubroom near by, where he died within
two hours.
Sickles delivered himself up and was
sent TO prison. The coroner's jury brought
In verdict charging him with the murder
of Philip Barton Key, and the United
States grand jury subsequently indicted
him for the same offense.
Up to this time there had not been O
murder in the United States that created
such an intense sensation. At first an at
tempt was made to show that the cause
was sectional, and that Sickles represented
the north, as Key did the south; but, for
tunately for the good sense of the people,
this failed.
Sickles was released on bail, indicted
Thursday, March "a, 1859, and the tria
was set down for Monday, April 4, of the
same year
A majority of the characters who tool
part in this famous trial aftGrward became
distinguished in the civil war. Judge II
ii. Crawford of the criminal court of the
District of Columbia presided. The dis
trict attorney Robert Ould, was afterwarC
commissioner of exchange for prisoners
and one of jefferson Davis most trusted
friends. He was ably assisted by J. M
Carlisle, who, when the civil war broke
out, took the side Of his chief.
Scores of the most prominent lawyers oi
the north volunteered to defend Daniel K
Sickles. From these he selected three
men then well known to the American