Year: 1859




by Key. While there, on Friday, he understood
that the woman had last been at the house ON
Thursday. Having made his arrange
ments for the room on the following dav,
he returns and informs Sckles that the
woman had last been seen at the house on Thurs
day. On Saturday, in pursuance of this arrange
ment he went to the house opposite the one in ones
ton, and availed himself of the room which he had
engaged for the purpose of watching. He watches
some i've or six hours, and then returns to his
boarding house. When there he learned that Mr.
McCluskey, page at the Capitol, had been there
with note for him. McCluskey returned and de-
lvered the note in which Sickes tells Woodbridge
to be exceedingly tender in the prosecution of Ills
Inquiries, for he had to believe that his wife
was innocent, and he wanted her to EMERGE from
the ordeal without any suspicion of the imputatiop
which the anonymous letter had cast upon her
Woodbridge goes to the Capitol and sees Sickles and
was under the necessity of disabusipp Sickles mind
and disappointing his fondest hopes as to the con-
sancy of his wife. w. tells him that while at this
house opposite he had learned that it was on We'd
nesday instead of Thursday that the woman had bean
there with Key. OF course, s.. having nv inon;rv
satisfied himself that his wife was not there on
Thursday, when the day came to be shifted tn the
true u day. all his confidence was taken from him.
lie became satisfied that it must have been his
WIFE, Woodbridge described to him the articles of
dress which the woman wore who accompanied
key, and Sickles at once in these recognized the
apparel OF his wife: Conviction, more and more,
fastens itself upon him, and he finds that the hope
that he had indulged, that she was pure, because
she bad not been to the house on THURSDAY. nroved
to DC fallacious. He returns home; his wife then
makes statement to him. On questioning her, he
charged her guilt upon her in such a wav that she
thought she had been exposed and under the pres
sure OF guilt, she acknowledged her dishonor, and
furnished him with written confession of it. He
then IN 81 sends note to Woodbridge to come
being absent from his boarding house and not return
ing until nearly midnight he did not 90 until about
i? 10 or II o'clock the next morning He then found
n nnrfa f1vy
comes in throws down the written confession of his
wife, tells Woodbridge that the whole story has been
acknowledged, and Woodbridge, with his own ewes.
reads the guilt of Mrs. S. as it had been embodied
IN that statement. What must have been the grief
and anguish of Sickles' mind might be IMAGINED
but could not be described The testimony Of
Wooirldge would show what transpired on that
Sabbath. Sickles was in most restless state.
unable to tasten his mind upon any subject; he was
nothing more than walking and moving bodv
Beyond the indications of his grief there was moth
ing to show the possession of that immortal part
which distinguishes man from the brute creation
Mr. Butterworth came in, and Sickles proposes
tnat ne should see that his wife sent home to her
parents. The jury would from this narrative
now the frenzy of Sickles mind was gradually being
puiit up: 1t was not only the knowledge of her
guilt in his own mind, but the necessity which
oogeo MN to imPart it to his friends, by one,
as tney entered his mansion. This raised his
frenzy to greater height and if he was not per
lecty demented at first he must soon have become
SO. When the icy hand of death has sealed in that
sleep the eyes OF relative, we delight in imparting
our anguish TO those who come with warm hearts
and cordial hands to administer to us the balm of
consolation; but when the provoking cause of the
grlet Is shame, man hides his diminished head for
ne feels that it is diminished, because the cause of
his suffering is the shame which has diminished it.
The scene which took place while Butterwortb was
at the house will be described. Butterworth leaves
the house. While the servant was at the front
window, Key passed the house with his handker-
h1af fryor


vicinity. The servant remarked, "there goes MIR.
hey. Woodbridge looked out and saw that it was
so. Key was then perfectly desperate. He had
not seen Mrs. Sckles since Thursday, and he could
not get any signals to her. He had hired his
house, but had not been able for three DAYS to ap
ply 1t to the use he desired Days had gone by
and he had not had an opportunity to rifle the
casket of his friends affections Like all bertines,
ne was eager for the prey of his passions


He was shamelessly, in the soft gush of that Sab
bath sunlight, watching the castle of his neighbor
ou can account for the conduct of Kew on that
memorable Sabbath in no other way. After while
Butterworth returns to the house. The remark was
made that Key was seen near the house. Woodbridge
and Butterworth were both desirous of concealino
this fact from Sickes and not let him know that Kew
was prOwing about. Sckles comes down stairs
hey passes the house with lady and gentleman,
waving it at little dog. That is the explanation:
but that will not do. He must have imagined DOGS
for on most OF these occasions he waved his hand
kerchiet when there was no other object in sight
except Ars. Sickles. Sickles saw Kew wave his
handkerchief, and rushed down in a perfect frenzy
80 sudden was the occurrence that the inmates of
the house did not know until thev heard that Kew
bad been shot that Sickles was out of the house.
Sickles had passed the night in sleepless sobs-
Friends had come in to whom he was compelled
to unbosom himself: and then, to crown all. he
saw the adulterer with his flag flying and waving
Tor the purpose OF inviting his wife to leave the
mansion. 1t would be for the Jury to consider.
from these facts, what must have been the condi-
tion of Sickles' mind. Why was Kew constantly
in the vicinity of Sickles' house2 He lived far
away, in remote part of the city. But he was in
the habit of riding by that house frequently ON
horseback so that he could show himself off to the
greatest advantage, and practising all those bland
lshments which adulterers cultivate for the pur-
pose OF reaching that target at which they aim
How did he make his designations He took ad
vantage OF your parlors If he encountered Mrs.
Sickles at the Presidents levee he made assigna-
tioDs there; if he met her at the house of Senator
he made designations there. He tainted the atmos-
phere with these vile appointments, which your
wives and the yrtuous women of this District were
compelled to breathe. Upon the street he met her:
and whenever he met her, the whole object of his
will appear from the evidence that he followed
her everywhere she went. She could scarcely pet
more than few hundred feet from her house. be-
fore he was by her SIDE If she was walking, he
walked with her; If she was in carriage, he got
in and rode with her, and the driver was directed
to go through the back streets. In fact so open
and shameless was this intimacy that it became the
subject of kitchen comment. He went by the name
OF disgrace" among the servants. On one occasion
the remark was, 'Here comes Disgrace to see Dis
gust" Even the servants felt the dishonor that
this man was casting upon the house of their master
In February they seen to enter the house on
Fifteenth street from six to eight times-sometimes
through the front door, and sometimes by the rear
door, through an alley way. If Kew went there
first, he left the door ajar for her to come in On
one occasion, about two weeks before Keys death,
they went In through the alley, when the mud was
so deep that it out of all character for ady to
be out On another occasion, in February, Kew
was spoken to while walking with Mrs. Sickles
and he had his night-key in his hand then, waiting
for an opportunity to go into this house. On DIFF
ferent occasions, when they were seen together
the streets were crowded with people looking at
Them; for although they thought they were unob-
served, they We're the "observed of all observers,'
in that neighborhood.


On or about the 23d of February they were at
the drug store together, at the corner of Vermont
avenue and K street, and they disappeared when
they left that drug store under such circumstances
as to show that they must have entered this house
After Keys death his shawl was discovered in this
house, upon the bed which he had defled with
adultery with Sickles' wife. A week before the
Sunday he was shot he in Lafayette square
shaking his handkerchief He was also in the
habit of waving his handkerchief whenever in
that neighborhood, unless he was horseback
Wherever she went, he went; she could enter no
house but he would follow her. On the Thursday
before his death he was seen walking with Mrs
Sickles and her daughter, and he had a letter
which he was reading to her, so that people could
see him. Probably it was the same letter which he
received apprisng him of the danger he stood in. if
he did not desis from his pursuit of Mrs. Sickles
The day before he shot, he was discovered
waving his handkerchief while Mrs. Sickles and
her daughter were standing upon the stoop of her
house. He even went to market with Mrs. Sickles
and, on one occasion, when the family marketing
was being provided, much to the amazement Of
the butcher, Mrs. Sickles handed her port-mon-
ME to Key, directing him to pay the amount of
the butchers score. Key was her constant gallant
He was about her and around her paying ali those
attentions which, had her husband been olsen
have bestowed upon her. By one, and perhaps
two servants, they were heard in aa. srous inter-
course in the library of the house. On one occa-
sion be was known to be in the house as late as four
O'Clock in the morning, Mr.. Sickles being at that
time in New York. 1t also known that Kew
was in the habit of carrying weapons. He was once
aomonlshed by some person that he had better be
careful, and he stated that he prepared for any
contingency. But it was unnecessary to 90 into
these facts further at this time. An effort had been
made to have Sickles turned over to Executive
cemency. 1t has been said, render your verdict
and he can apply to the President for clemency
But he asked them not to divest themselves of their
rights as jurymen They never occupied position
surrounded with the honor which environed their
present position, and were never called upon to
render so solemn verdict expected of them
in this case. The same feelings which should in
fuence the Executive in granting clemencv should
also influence them in rendering their verdict If
the Executive should inter fere at all it could only
be on the ground that Sickles at the time of this
act was an instrument in the hands of God for the
purpose OF executing in summary way the judg-
1F