It is impossible to give a weekly newspaper the whole of the proceedings in the trial of Mr. Sickles, and, indeed, we have no disposition to fill our columns with such matter. But some of the evidence is quite interesting; and our readers will be pleased to read the testimony of so distinguished a witness as Governor R. J. Walker. He was examined on Tuesday of last week.
TESTIMONY OF R. J. WALKER.
Robert J. Walker examined. I
have resided in this District many years; I was in the city on Sunday the 27th
of February; I had known Mr. Sickles several years, but had not seen him for
six or eight months prior to that date; it was either three or twenty minutes
after three o’clock I saw him in his own
house on the afternoon of that day, in the back room of the first story; as he
came in, his manner appears excited; there was something strange and unusual
about it; his voice was somewhat different from the manner in which I had
usually heard him speak; he advanced and took me by the hand; I think he then
said a thousand thanks for coming to see me under these circumstances; had had
scarcely repeated these words, when I saw a great change in his appearance; he
became very much convulsed indeed; he threw himself upon the sofa, and covered
his face with his hands; he then broke into an agony of unnatural and unearthly
sounds, the must remarkable I ever heard—something like a scream interrupted by
violent sobbing. From his convulsed appearance, he was in the act of writhing
His condition appeared to me very frightful, appalling me so much that I
thought that if it lasted much longer he must become insane. He was indulging
in exclamations about dishonor having been brought on his house, his wife, and
child. He seemed particularly to dwell on the disgrace brought upon his child.
Should think this continued ten minutes; endeavored to pacify him. I turned
from him to go for a physician myself, but he seemed to stop a little these
violent exclamations, and finally they broke down. The spasms became more
violent till they ceased. I think I must have been there something over half an
hour. I accompanied him from there to jail. Mayor Berret, Capt. Goddard, and
perhaps Mr. Butterworth, were there. I was still alarmed at his condition, not
knowing when the convulsions would recur. I believe I drove with him in Dr.
Gwin’s carriage, with whom I came to Mr. Sickles’s.
CROSS-EXAMINATION.
At first, I do not think any person was present but
Mr. Butterworth; I was very much excited myself, but I will not be certain; I
think Mr. Butterworth and Goddard came in; when these terrible convulsions
occurred, I think no one was present but Butterworth besides myself.; I
remained talking with Butterworth for of five minutes, when Sickles came alone
and stayed with us some little time; I was, from a variety of causes, much
excited; I never was more so than on that occasion; when the convulsions came
on. I thought I would go for a physician.
THE PRISONER’S EMOTION.
A[t] this point, Mr. Stanton, who was near the
prisoner, asked that the cross-examination be discontinued for the present, in
order that the accused might retire for a few moments. Mr. Sickles, during the
statement of this witness, was violently affected, breaking out into sobs and
profusely shedding tears. E. B. Hart and Isaac Bell, one on each side, and Mr.
Sickles senior, together with others, accompanied him from the court.
The witness particularly, and many of the spectators,
were moved to tears. The scene was one of deep interest[.] In some few minutes
Mr. Sickles was brought back into court, his countenance still indicating
extreme mental suffering, and the desolateness of his whole appearance
awakening strong sympathy in the breasts of all who saw him. His father was
much affected by his condition.
CROSS EXAMINATION RESUMED.
The cross-examination of Mr. Walker was resumed by the
District Attorney. I do not know who sent for Goddard, the Chief of Police; my
impression was that it was Sickles, or some of his friends; after a time,
Sickles became calmer but did not resume his satural appearance; he quitted
sobbing and crying for some time.
To Mr. Carlisle.
Could compare Sickles’s condition to nothing but an agony of despair; it was
the most terrible thing I ever saw in my life; he was in a state of frenzy at
the time, and I feared if it continued he would become permanently insane; his screams
were of the most frightful character, there were unearthly and appalling, and
were interrupted by something between a sob and a moan; sometimes he would
start and scream in a very high key; he appeared in a state of perfect frenzy.
Ques. What do you mean
by that? Do you mean a passion of grief?
Ans. It was much
stronger than grief; it exhibited more alarming symptoms than any grief I had
ever witnessed before; I had seen a man a long time ago, under similar
circumstances, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, but his grief was not so strong as
this. Mr. Sickles’s exclamations of grief were more about his child than
anything else. I remained there for a bout half an hour; had moved to the door
to go for a physician, but there was some cessation in these paroxysms, and I
did not go; he gradually grew calmer. My impression is, that it was Mr.
Butterworth who went for the magistrate.
Ques. Do you recollect
that Sickles grew calm, and said he was ready to go with the magistrate?
Ans. I do; when I say calm, I mean comparatively calm.
I went with him to the jail, because I feared a recurrence of his paroxysms of
grief and despair; I remained at the jail from one to two hours; no physicians
saw him during that time, to my knowledge; there were few persons at the jail;
none but the magistrate, Mr. Goddard, Mr. Butterworth, and one or two others;
it could not have been more than four or five minutes between those paroxysms
and the coming in of the magistrate; the first part of the scene was witnessed
only by Butterworth and myself.
DIRECT TESTIMONY OF WALKER, CONTINUED.
The first part of this scene was witnessed only by Mr.
Butterworth and myself. I never was so much excited as I was on that occasion.
Should think that about ten minutes transpired, during which Butterworth,
Sickles and myself, were in the room together. I first went into the front
room, and afterwards into the back room. There were several persons in the
front room, but could not name one of them. The rooms communicated by folding
doors, and I think they were closed. I went through these doors into the back
room. The persons in the front room could not witness this scene, as the doors
were closed, at least during part of the time. My impression is, that the next
person I saw in the back room was Mr. Berrett, the Mayor.
Ques. Where is Mr.
Butterworth now?
Ans. I do not know.
Ques. When did you see
him last?
Ans. Some day towards the
close of last week.
Ques. In this city?
Ans. Yes.
SOURCE: The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
Thursday, April 21, 1859, p. 2
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