Year: 1859

no longer to play the spy upon his honor and determined to confront his wife directly with his terrible suspicious At first Mrs. Sickles strong ly denied her guilt but on her husband asking her whether on the Wednesday previous she had not entered the house on Fifteenth street in a certain particular dress and concealed by Q hood, she cried out:

 "I am betrayed and lost and swooned away, Mir. Sckles calmly said he would not iniure her, since he believed her the victim of a scoundrel, but that he had full right to a confession.

 Two ladies in the house were sent for as wit nesseS, and in their presence Mrs. Sickles made a full full statement in writing, stating that her connection with Mr. Key had commenced in April last, under Mir Sickles' own roof but that Mir Key had since hired the house in Fifteenth street in which they had constantly met

 Mrs Sickles' confession was made in the midst of the bitterest contriton and misery Her husband simply asked her to give him back her wedding ring and desired her to write to her mother to come and take her from his house forever.

 Mr. Butterworth states as follows, relative to the conduct of Sickles and the shooting of Key: l advised him to send his wife to her mother at New York-that, as it was now near the close of the session 1t would excite no remark; that during the time intervening between the close of this session and the commencement of the next, he could go to Europe for few months and in the meantime a separation could be ar ranged between himself and wife; that pre- sumed the affair was known only to two persons beyond mere surmise and that for the honor of his little daughter, and his wife's friends, this course should be pursued,

 1 To this Mir Sickles replied, " Ny friend, would gladly pursue this course, but so abau- doned, so reckless have Key and my wife been that all the negroes in the neighOorhood, and l dare not say how many other persons know all about the circumstances!

 then left Mr $. in his bed room, and on | going down stairs 1 met in the Library Mr; George B Wooldrrlge, Clerk of the House ! of Representatives. said to him this is ter rible affair He then handed me the written statement made by Mrs. Sckles of her guilt, which was written and signed, as I was then

 informed, by Mrs SickIes in the presence of two females and witnessed by them. l read the statement, laid it down on the table, and said II will go down for awhile, and return here again, and requested Mr. Woodbridge to say so to Mr. s. if he should enquire for me.

 saw Mr. Sickles for the first time since leaving the house, coming rapidly down Six teenth street on the side next the square, and then near the corner.

 hal walked about thirty feet on my way to the Club, when heard Mir. $. exclaim, in d loud voice, "key, you scoundrel you have dis honered my house-you must die!

 turned immediately and saw Key thrust his hand in his vest or side-coat pocket, and take step towards Mr. Sickles and Simultaneously l heard the discharge of pistol Key then rapidly advanced on Sickles, seized him with his left hand by the collar of his coat, and seemed to make an effort to to strike with some thing in his right hand, which I then supposed to be a weapon. Mr. $. succeeded in extrica

 ting himself from Keys grasp, drew pisto

 from his overcoat pocket, and presented it al

 Key, who retreated backward up Sixteenth street, toward the Club, and threw something at Siclles. Sickles followed, and when within ten feet, fired. l saw that Key was wounded

 He staggered towards the sidewalk, saying

 Don't shoot mel" He leaned for a momen

 against q tree, when Sickles advanced upol him, exploded cap, and then fired thirC

 time.

 The correspondent of the New York Times ! writes:

 "Mr. Key was particularly noticeable mar in point of personal appearance; tall, well form 5 ed much more athletic man than Mr. Sick = les, and especially fond of exercise on horse back. He rode an iron-grey horse; and scarce - ly day has passed since the return of Mir Sick

 les to the capitol on which his tall figure, hi white rding-cap, his well trimmed moustache e and ron-grey horse might not have been see . two or three times in the course of the mornin e on the circuit of Presidents square or at tn t door of Mir. Sickles house which stands quit

 alone on the north side of the square, and is d very conspicuous building of white stueco.