We brought our brief synopsis of this important trial
down to Wednesday last. On that day the court ruled that the confession of Mrs.
Sickles was inadmissible. Miss. O. M. Ridgely, who resides in Washington with
her mother, was an intimate friend of Mrs. Sickles, and spent much of her time at
the house, before and after the killing of Key. Her testimony, like that of
Governor Walker, which we elsewhere publish in full, goes to show the extreme
anguish of mind of Mr. Sickles. Bridget Duffy who lived in Mr. Sickles’s house
as nurse and lady’s maid, testified, as did Miss Ridgely, that Mr. Sickles spent
the Saturday night before the homicide in extreme anguish, weeping and sobbing
aloud. The witness also testified that she saw Key twirling his handkerchief in
a peculiar manner opposite the house of the day of his death.
William W. Mann of Buffalo, New York, met Key in
Lafayette square, near the Jackson statue, the same morning—spoke to
him—observed him twirl his handkerchief. A gentleman with him called his
attention to it.
George B. Wooldridge was an assistant to the Clerk of
the House [of] representatives. Saw Mr. Sickles at the Capitol ion Saturday, in
great agony of mind. On Sunday, the day of the homicide, was at Mr. Sickles’s
house. The testimony of this witness is interesting:
Ques. Did you see Mr.
Key that Sunday.
Ans. I did; twice.
Ques. Where and when?
Ans. First between ten and
eleven o’clock, going out of the gate of Lafayette square, on the corner of
Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, near the War Office, on the street
Mr. Sickles’s house was in.
Ques. In what
direction did he go?
Ans. He crossed the
street and went up the avenue, I presume; I did not observe in what direction
he turned his glance; the second time I saw him was about a quarter to two
o’clock, directly in front of the library window in Mr. Sickles’s house; there
was a lady and gentleman with him then; he was on the side toward the
curbstone; the lady was next the railing; and the three were in a direct line;
Mr. Sickles was upstairs at the time; he had left the library and gone up
stairs.
Ques. Did you observe
Mr. Key do anything while passing?
Ans. I saw him tike
his handkerchief out of his pocket and wave it three times; while doing so, his
eyes where toward the upper window of Mr. Sickles house; he kept his eyes from
the gentleman, as if he did not which him to see what he was doing; he parted with
the lady and gentleman at the corner, entered the park, and proceeded in the
direction of Madison Place; some five minutes before that Mr. Sickles had gone
up stairs; saw him enter the library door two minutes after; heard some one
coming down the stairs very rapidly, and come into the library; he said, “The
villain has just passed my house.”
District Attorney.
Do not state what he said.
Mr. Brady.
What did he do?
Witness. He was very
excited; he talked for a moment with Mr. Butterworth, who endeavored to calm
him; he appeared to resist these attempts to calm him, and threw Mr.
Butterworth off, and turned into the hall; he had not his hat on at the time.
This is the last I saw of him till he came into the
house with the officers.
S. S. Parker sworn.
I have seen Mr. Key in the vicinity of Mr. Sickles’s house; the last time was
on the Sunday he was killed, near half past ten o’clock; He passed me near
Fifteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, above Willards; I slowly passed up
Fifteenth street; he walked very rapidly; when near Nairn’s drug store, he was
entering the middle gate of Lafayette square; I saw him the Sunday before the
shooting; I saw Mrs. Sickles on the platform of her residence, he had over the
shoulder of a little girl, apparently trying to keep her from falling from the
steps; directly after, I saw Mr. Key at the southwest gate of Lafayette square;
when he came out in full view, he took out his handkerchief, with his hat in
hand; but his hat on his head, bowing to Mrs. S. and twice waived his
handkerchief.
Thomas K. Brown, examined by Mr. Brady.
I reside in the city of New York; in pursuance to instructions from you, (Mr.
Brady,) I obtained a certain lock.
Mr. Brady hands the witness a sealed package, breaks
the seal, opens the package, and produced a common door lock.
Mr. Carlisle did not see the point of examination.
Mr. Brady simply wanted to identify an article which
he would offer in evidence hereafter.
The witness identified the lock, and says he procured
it from Mr. Wagner, Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the Treasury Department, who
took it from the door No. 383 Fifteenth street.
Not cross-examined.
Jacob Wagner, examined by Mr. Brady.
I reside in Washington; I am a locksmith; I delivered this lock to Mr. Brown,
the last witness; I took it off the house in Fifteenth street, No. 383; John
Gray, the colored man’s house; there were three or four gentlemen there when I
took it off; Mr. Pendleton was on of them; I saw him in the court yesterday; I
believe he was a member of Congress; the colored boy came for me; this was
about a week after Mr. Key’s death; have seen some of the gentlemen in court
who were present; the colored man paid me for taking it off.
Question.
What was said on that occasion?
Objected to.
Mr. Stanton proposed to show that the lock was taken off for the purpose of
destroying evidence.
Mr. Ould. If that was the
view, I have not the slightest objection to have the question put.
Mr. Stanton wanted to know whether it was the persons
engaged in the prosecution who tried to destroy the evidence. There were two
prosecutors here, a public prosecutor and a private prosecutor.
Mr. Carlisle wanted to know whether Mr. Stanton meant
to be understood as intimating that he (Mr. Carlisle) had any knowledge of this
attempt to destroy evidence.
Mr. Stanton.
None in the world. God forbid that I should believe you would do it.
John Cuyler was sworn.
Knew the late Mr. Key for three or four years; knew where Mr. Sickles resided;
saw Mr. Key in the vicinity of the house a week before his death.
As I entered the corner gate of Lafayette square, I
saw Mr. Key enter the corner gate; proceeding to the front of the Jackson
statue, he took a seat on an iron bench, rested his head on his left hand, then
pulled out his pocket handkerchief and waved it; I went behind the Statue and
watched him; he waved his handkerchief this way, [illustrating,] and then
looked at the house of Mr. Sickles. [Laughter.] There was no dog about at the
time; this was between 12 and 1 o’clock; I left him in the square as I went out
of the northeast gate to go home; I left him sitting there; when I returned
that way, he was gone; I have often seen him loitering back and forth in the
square; for two months, he had been attracting my attention; I never saw him
waving his handkerchief but on one occasion.
By Mr. Stanton.
Was that the hour when Members of Congress are at the Capitol?
Witness. Yes.
Mr. Carlisle.
That is an argumentative question.
Mr. Stanton.
That is all.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ould.
I saw Mr. Key waving his handkerchief, while I was going home to dinner; I work
first one place an then another; I was then working on Seventeenth street,
below the War Department; had been working there three or four days; I never
took count of how many times I met Mr. Key in the square as I went through it;
I have seen him in the square on the avenue, near the Club House; I cannot
state the day; it must have been about the middle of the week, about a week
before the killing.
To witness.
What was said about the lock at this time, and who said it?
Ans. The colored man said
it.
Ques. Were the other
persons present at the time?
Ans. No, sir.
Ques. What time was
it?
Ans. About 11 o’clock.
Ques. While you were
taking off the lock?
Ans. Yes.
Mr. Carlisle.
Were these other persons present at the time?
Ans. Not that I know
of. I think they were upstairs.
Mr. Ould. I Understand
that it was proposed to show that certain persons connected with the deceased
had given orders that this lock should be secured and kept out of the way. I
have no objection that that fact, if true, should be given in evidence; but the
evidence must tend to that.
Judge. It must come
through a regular channel.
Mr. Stanton to witness.
I want to know whether these persons were in the house at the time?
Ans. There were.
Ques. How long were
you engaged in taking it off?
Ans. Ten minutes.
Ques. What door was it
taken off.
Ans. The front door.
Ques. Was there
another lock put on that door?
Ans. There was.
It now being three o’clock, the court adjourned.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15.
Jacob Wagner was recalled.
He wished to correct his testimony given yesterday; while taking off the lock,
as he testified yesterday, no one spoke to witness that he remembered, but the
colored man. Mr. Pendleton’s name was called; saw another man there, who is now
in court. [Col. Jones.]
Cross-examined by Mr. Ould.
These persons were there when witness went to the house; the front door was
locked; entered the house by the back way, which was unlocked; the lock taken
off was on the front door of the house; tried to unlock the back door, and
found it was already unlocked; the lock was not broken; this was about a week
after Key’s death; three other gentlemen were up stairs at the time; did not
come down while witness was there; saw them in the yard, and saw them go up
stairs; have witness no directions about the matter; witness did not go up
stairs at all.
By Mr. Brady.
Put a different lock on the door afterwards.
By Mr. Carlisle. The
colored boy who came to witness was not the proprietor of the house; knows John
Gray; he was there, and asked witness to take off the lock; witness saw Mr.
Pendleton and Col. Jones examine the lower part of the house, and afterwards go
up stairs.
John Seeley called and examined.
Resides in Washington; is a painter; lives in L street, about thirty yards
below the corner of Fifteenth street, not far from the house of John Gray, in
Fifteenth street; was present when the lock was taken off; thinks it was
between the 5th and the 8th of March; was there by mere
accident, and heard the order given to take off the lock; saw Mr. Charles Jones
there, and was informed that the other was Mr. Pendleton; one of these
gentleman gave the order for the lock to be taken off; don’t know which one;
was present a part of the time when the lock was taken off; Mr. Poole was there
also when the locksmith went to work; they went up stairs; heard nothing said
about the character of the new lock to be put on.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ould. The
time was between the 5th and 8th of March; that was the
only time witness was there after the death of Key; this might have been
Tuesday; am not sure as to the day of the week; the locksmith came through the
adjoining lot, occupied by a yellow woman; do not know whether any one else had
been to that house previously, since Key’s death; these gentlemen were standing
in the yard when the witness reached the spot, and went into the house just
before witness reached the spot, and went into the house just before witness;
one of them said it would be better to take off that lock and put on a new one;
they were in the house some time, in the passage and parlor, perhaps twenty or
twenty-five minutes; thinks the lock was not entirely off when they went up
stairs; heard no order given as to the disposition to be made of the lock; the
remark was, the lock had better be taken off, and replaced with another.
Lewis Poole called.
Boards with Mr. Seeley, who has just testified; knows the house No. 383
Fifteenth street, owned by John Gary; have noticed it freque3ntlyu; was there
when the lock was taken off; thinks it was on Monday or Tuesday, a week after
Key’s death; Mr. Pendleton, Mr. Jones, Seeley and witness, and Gray were
present; Mr. Pendleton ordered the lock to be taken off, and another one put
on; saw the lock taken off; did not see the other one put on.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ould. We
all went into the house together; after giving the order, Mr. Pendletons and
Mr. Jones immediately went up stairs to examine the upper portion of the house;
thinks it was a command and not a suggestion to the locksmith, for he went to
work and did it; can’t give Mr. Pendleton’s exact language; these gentleman
staid up stairs teen or fifteen minutes; while the lock was being removed,
these gentlemen were up states the whole time; had never been in the house
previously, since Key’s death; does not know that anybody else did; I know that
Mr. Hey went there. [Laughter.]
Rev. C. H. A. Buckley called.
Resides in Westminster, Conn.; have known Sickles since 1838; was associated
with him in New York University, and was in one class with him; since then,
have had a casual acquaintance with him.
Mr. Brady asked whether witness had an opportunity in
former years to know whether Sickles had an excitable temperament.
Witness. Yes, sir.
Mr. Brady proposed to prove that Mr. Sickles once,
under the loss of a friend, became positively insane, so as to have to be
placed under restraint.
Mr. Ould said, if previous insanity could be proved
they would withdraw the objection.
[The witness testified that on the occasion of the
death of Professor Da Ponte, in 1840, in New York, who was the patron of Mr.
Sickles, immediately after his body was lowered into the ground, Sickles broke
out into frantic and passionate grief, shrieking and yelling; it was impossible
for his friends to pacify him, and they were obliged to use friendly force to
remove him from the spot; witness thinks he did tear his clothes and his hair,
but was not sure. This testimony is voluntary on witness’s part, and wholly
unsought by the prisoner, or by this counsel. He had offered it, as he thought
it might be of service to him.]
Cross-examined by Mr. Ould.
Do not know how old Sickles was then, because I do not know his age now; was
about the same age as witness, apparently; witness is forty years of age; this
manifestation of violent grief lasted ten minutes perhaps, or five minutes at
any rate; saw no traces of it on the following day; did not see him every day
at that time; saw him two or three days
afterwards, but saw nothing singular in his appearance; he appeared to be
rather more light-hearted than could be expected under the circumstances,
forming an unnatural contrast to his previous conduct; it was a casual
manifestation ; the first demonstration was the most remarkable witness ever
saw in his life; do not remember the circumstances in his life; do not remember
the circumstances of the second interview, or who was present; it was somewhere
about the University; was then a student of the Theological Seminary.
Major Hopkins called.
Is a coachman for Col. Freeman; have been such for five or six years; lives on
H street, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth; saw Mr. Key. On the Sunday he was
shot, about half past one o’clock; he was about the middle of the square,
walking up and down; he was doing nothing in particular; saw him either on
Monday or Wednesday, the week previous; he went into the square and waved his
handkerchief; Mrs. Sickles came out and joined him, and they walked away
together; about an hour after, saw them go up Fifteenth street; lost sight of
them on the steps of John Gray’s house.
Cross-examined by Mr. Carlisle.
Is Major your name or your title? [Laughter.]
Witness. It is my name, Sir.
Mr. Carlisle.
Then you don’t belong to either or the regular army or the militia? [Laughter.]
Witness. No, sir.
[This witness was rigidly cross-examined, and seemed
to get very much puzzled in giving his answers. When he saw Mrs. Sickles on
Fifteenth street, her back was turned towards him, but he judged it was her by
her dress, which he had observed when she first joined Mr. Key.]
But one witness was examined on Saturday. His evidence
was not important. On Monday, Mrs. Brown, a witness formerly examined,
testified that she had seen Key and Mrs. Sickles enter the house several times.
John M. Seeley and his wife, who reside in the immediate vicinity of the house
on Fifteenth street, also testified to seeing the parties enter the house
frequently. Their testimony was minute and clear.
Tuesday, Mr. Thompson sworn. Was formerly Mr.
Sickles’s coachman. Mrs. Sickles was in the habit of driving out during the
hours when Congress in session, and generally met Key. He usually got into the
carriage, by never rode home with her except once, when Mr. Sickles was in New
York. During the absence of Sickles, Key was in the habit of visiting Mrs. Sickles
nearly every night, and remained late with her alone in the library—one night
until one o’clock. They also were in the habit of visiting the cemetery at
Georgetown, and, alighting at the gate, walking down the hill out of his sight.
John Cooney, the coachman of Mr. Sickles at the time
of Key’s death, gave similar testimony.
Mr. Wooldridge was recalled and cross-examined by the
prosecution.
SOURCE: The National Era, Washington, D. C.,
Thursday, April 21, 1859, p. 2-3
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