Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-04-04

court for protection, statlng who he
+ was. Butler replied, 20, yes. we
f hanged one of you fellows the Other
+ day"
: General IIckIes' Ease.
, The Thaw trial now going on in
! New York brings to mind announcer
, case somewhat similar which caused
, great pubic interest some years ago.
Major General Daniel E. Sickles, &
retired officer of the United States
army, still lives in the city of New
, York. at the age of IS years. Feb,
ruary 27, 1859, he shot and killed o.
the sidewalk in Washington, Philip
Barton Key, for alleged improper i'll
timacv with his wife. The tragedy
,made great excitement all over the
country. Genral Sickles was then
serving his second term as member
of congress from one of the districts
of the city of New York, and had
considerable prominence In political
life. Mr.. Key was a son of Francis
s. Key, author Of the Star Spanged
Banner" He belonged to a very
prominent family in Maryland, and
was a great social favorite in Wash
ington. Mrs Sickles was a woman OF
great beauty and very prominent III
social affairs in the capital. The
shooting of Key resulted in almost in
slant death. 1t occurred On the side
walk directly in front of the door o.
a house which was even then, ard
later became rather noted in Wash
,ingtOn 1t was the old-fashiOned red
brick house which long stood on the
east side of Lafayette square. In
that house lived at various times
many eminent men. Secretary Sew
ard was living in it when the attempt
was made to assassinate him in his
bedroom the same night that Presi-
dent Lincoln was slain. Later, for
some years, Mr.. Blaine lived in iC
Now, [ believe it has lately been
| taken down.
Sickles was tried for murder, but
was promptly acquitted. The public
sentiment of the country seemed to
justify the verdict. The following
year he was for the third time elected
to congress, and by a great majority
and the occurrence seemed to leave
no particular stain upon his name.
When the civil war came on, Sichles
went in, and speedily rose to the rank
of Major General of Volunteers, losing
a leg at Gettysburg. Then he entered
the regular army, rose to the rank of
Major General, and has been living III
retirement for many years in he
city of New York.
Fisk-Stokes.
Jim" Fiske, as he was Universally
known, was very noted-or, rather,
notorious-character in New York for
a number of years. He was the part
ner of Jay Gould, and together they
were the first great railroad wreckeTs
this country ever knew. Both OF them
were originally peddlers, but entering
Wall street, they soon began to show
their mettle. They were very unlike
in most respects. Gould was a very
quiet, domestic man, of strictly cor
rect personal habits, while Fiske was
spectacular, loud, SNOWY, and what
was called rather fast. They made a
very large amount of money out Of
the Erie railroad, and other like en-
terprises, and both became quickly
very rich men.
Once, many years ago, while these
men were astonishing the country
with thoiJ "
way to New York, in company with a
friend who was a native of that city
and he spent most of his life there.
From Cleveland we went by the Erie
road. There was a private car on the
rear Of the train, and as we stopped
rather showily dressed men, three or
four of them, came from that car and
sat down at the same table with my
friend and myself He quietly Whis-
pered to me that these were jim!
Fisk and some of his chums. There
: was a good deal Of loud talk by
them, while we kept our eyes and ears
We'll open. FiSke was a heavily built
: young man, rather corpulent, and on
sitting down, tucked a big napkin
carefully under his chin as if to say,
now see how l am going to dribble,
but l shall protect my clothes all the
same" At one time, he told a stpry
of himself. He said, do you know
how | earned my first dollar?" Tie
substance was that, when he was g
boy his father wished him to clean out
the COW stable. He objected that lie
was too small. His father insisted
but he still urged that he could not do
such work. A day or so later, the old
man told him that if he would clean
, out that stable he would give him a
= dollar. The boy jumped at the chance
and made a good job Of it. Then the
father said to him, Now, | see that
: you can do it, and so you may do it
, right along" Edward 6. Stokes was
a young man about town, with more
money than sense, and who was ad-
: dicted to courses of life somewhat
similar to those which young Thaw is
said 70 have followed. Fiske and he
| QuarreIed over a common acquaint-
ance concerning whom decent men
: could have had not the least trouble,
) and with whom decent men would
, Rave had nothing whatever to do. The
| consequence was that January %