Year: 1869

Was She q GuAIty woman or Not


A writer in the New York World,
who is familiar with the dying hours
of the wife of Daniel Il. Sickles, has
furnished to that paper the following
interesting account, which will
strengthen the doubt concerning her
guilt, or, Mt least, raise a question in
the minds of many who are yet famil-
lar with the memorable scandal with
which her name is coupled


i, for one, do not believe Mrs. Sick
les guilty of the charge made against
her. / believe Sickles TO have been as
vile in his treatment of his wife rs he
was in every other respect; perhaps
more vile, because he could wrong her
with impunity, and sweep from the
earth, covered with odium, man
whose graces created envy in his own
mind, and whose manly sense of hon.
or was n reproach to his own vileness,
and whose intellect and culture were
far beyond. bis own reach. and whose
only sin was in his sympathy for, and
kindness 10 u neglected, ill-used wife.
/ admit that it is dangerous ground,
this sympathy for u married woman,
who better be content to suffer, endure
and die than touch the tempting cup.
Let this suffice on this head.


That Mrs. Sickles was lovely in per-
son, simple and child-like in character,
all admit. Such characters nre not
easily degraded. Were she the de-
graded creature he has led the world
to believe, her sensibihties would not
have remained so acute that she died
i'll less than two years Of broken
heart


She was weak and cowardly, I adj
nit Alas. these defects would have
made her sacred in the eyes Of man
~ man, and he would have done his
utmost TO shield her from evil


Let me depict the few last hours IN
the life of this injured woman.


Stung, it may be, by an irresponsible
feeling of remorse, he pretends in the
eyes Of the world to have restored her
to favor. / will not discuss the pro-
priety of this kind of klopstock senti-
ueHL. SPEAK OI the IhcI.


She was placed in handsome house,
with the ordinary appliances of wealth.
/ OF the secret history Of the two al
this time nothing need be said. She
wns ruined In character, broken IN
health. utterly lost TO the world as on
| II women can be lost-left without
society, and without sympathy, except
| from the few who were related to her,
and who loved and pitied her. She
had long intervals of nervous prostra-
ton, when she would lie for hours like
"A dying person. She sat day after day
with her head leaning upon her vast
cd hand, and eyes listless, seeing and
caring for little in n world whose sun
shine 10 her had been so darkiy eclips-
ed. She sighed faintly, but said little
or nothing. She was a sad wreck
She knew she was dying, and express
ed no thought on interest in anything
but her absent daughter.


One day she suddenly turned to n
young friend and asked: do YOU
think me a guilty woman?" and with.
out waiting for al answer, she went
on, Il wish to speak now while can.
| was so shocked au9. terrified at that
horrible time thet / did not know what
l said. But ] an not guilty of any
SIN. Mr.. S4cklcs was very violent
was afraid of him-he brought me q
paper, which he said must sign-he
said he should be hung II / did not
sign it. / never read one word of tina:
paper did not know one word writ
ten in it. | put my name where he
told me, and TO save his life.


She was sinking rapidly, and was
carried to her bed from her long faint
ing turn. As she opened her eyes, re-
viying slowly, they fell upon the face
of Daniel L. Sickles, painted and
framed, hanging before her. Lifting
her pale hand, she said:


Take it away"


Those about her demonstrated but
the second anu the third time she muir
INJURED:


lake lake it away"


| The picture was removed. "Nov
place my daughters face there" she
said, with q sad smile. This was done
and she gazed with longing, wistfu
look upon the young face, and sighet
heavily. The poor weary eyes closed
and she was gone to Him unto whom
is opened the secret of her heart.