The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22
A Cause Celebre in Days Before
the War.
SUCClNCT ACCOUNT OF TRIAL
Great Array of Legal Talent IN Defense Of the
Avengiug Husband-The Laws and
Penalties of Adultery.
From The Washington Times.

Tor the most pant tilled with dry cove
nan.s," "precea. lcs," monotonous de
cisions'' and heavy legal points mex
plicably explained, the writer the othes
day came across portion of sten0gra-
phic report of the trial of Daniel e.
Sickles for the killing of Phillip Barton
Key, nearly fo.ry years ago. Probably
no trial that has ever-9 aiken place in he
district excited the attention that this
one commanded throughout it's dura.i ion.
The prominence of lhe principals, the
beauty and social position of the cause of
the tragedy and the starthngly sensa-
tional features developed made it of keen
interest to people in all sections of thu
country. Out of he district 1t was uni
versatility spoken of as the washington
tragedy" From this report and a score
or more of equally reliable sources the
following facts in connection with the
trial have been cleaned:
ITO the older residents they will bring
back flood of m mories. Hon Daniel
e. Sickles M. c., from New York, Lived
and entertained wi h his wife Teresa on
the west side fSixteen-and-a-ha street.
Their home was commodious and hand
some, and located as it was nearly mid
way between the avenue and Gen. B Gales
house, society had not far to go. In 1859
Mrs. Sickles was twenty-three years of
age, ard singularly beautiful. She was
of Italian origin, with the Italian depth
and luster of eye, united With delicacy
of figure. an active mind and a charming
vivacity. She was the daughter OF Bag-
holi, the composer and teacher of music,
then located in New York. Mr.. Sicl1les
had loved her from boyhood and when
he went ito London as secretary of the
American legation under Buchanan's adj
ministratfon she accompanied him lhere
as his wife. Universal admiration was
accorded her. A short time after thu.
return to New York Mr.. Sicklee was elect
ed to congress. This, of course, brought
the wips to Washington also.
Philip Barton Key, the friend of Sickles
was at 1his time a man to excBe interest,
even more, in a suso ptible womans
breast. He was the son of Francis Scott
Key thu autInor and brother of the wife
of Chief Justice fancy. His social po-
stltion in consequence was high his
office of district attorney gave him ad-
ditional inf1uepca; he wals only forty
years of age and of fashionable and OF
agreeable appearances. He missed be-
ing handsome only through the existence
of a. facial ralor brought on through a
heart affection of several years stand
ing While to men he was often peevish
and fir: tful. sometimes eccentric, To wo-
men he was elver gallant In debate he
was calm and deliberate.
For some months previous to the
shooting all gossiping Washington had
been busy linking together the names
Of Mr.. Key and Mrs Sicklcs. Significant
glances want the rounds OF the clubs
and Hobbies whenever others name was
mentioned. They had been seen to-
gether many times in the Sickles car
rlage; they had been seen to meet, ap-
parently by Encouragement, In ceme-
tery. When Mr.. Sickles was known to
be engaged at the capitol Key had been
seen to enter the Siclles home But,
while the servants winl,ed and jokad
about these meetings the husband trust
ed. OF course, he was aware that his
wife displayed much interest In his
friend for h was always invited to her
receptions, and was often asked to din
ner But he had seen only woman,
perhaps little vain, taking pleasure In
exercising a harmless influence over a
man of distinction.
Daniel e. Sickles was awakened from
his dream of happiness on February 25,
1859, through the receipt of an anony-
nous letter, In which he was told that
his wife was in the habit of meeting al
most daily Philip Barton Key at house
on Fifteenth street. in a negro neighbor-
hood, and that the writer had been in
formed that Mr.. Key had rented the
mouse from a negro man, but did not
occupy 1t at any time excepting when
he was met by Mrs. SiclSles. The writer
described the dress which Mrs. Sickles
wore on her last visit to the flous=. After
investigating the neighborhood, and sat-
isfying himself that at least a part of
the story was true, the husband con-
fronted his wife with the facts. At first
she denied everything, weeping violent
ly, but on having the dress she last wore
to the rendezvous described, she ac-
knoweldeged her guilt, and swooaed
away. Some hours later she sent her
husband a written confession IT had
been prepared without menace from her
husband or hope of his forgiveness.
The wronged man now became slave
OF agony The overwhelming shame ex-
perienced In being obliged to proclaim
his dishonor to his friends frenzied him.
He sent for Mr.. S. F. Butterworth to
come and take his wife back to her pa
rents in New York. Butterworth came
and tried to calm the man. AS he left
the house he passed Key Unconscious of
the discovery walking up the street. At
the same time Sicl1les heard a servant,
who was looking out of the window in
an adjoining room, say: There goes
Mr.. Key"
a glance through his own window re-
yeaied TO him the destroyer of his homes
s>.nctity. whirling and twirllng his pock-
It handkerchief, as was his custom when
passing this house This was the usual
signal for meeting. Key tried to dis
guise the movement by apparently wav-
ing the handkerchief at a little dog trot-
ting near him. THE day was Sunday
February q. 1859. But twenty-four hours
had elapsed SINCE his wife had made her
,s.4ysss sss