Teresa Bagioli Sickles

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Teresa Bagioli Sickles, (1836-1867) was the wife of Democratic New York State Assemblyman, U.S. Representative, and later U.S. Army Major General Daniel Edgar Sickles. She gained notoriety in 1859, when her husband stood trial for the murder of her lover, Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key. This trial was the first known use of the temporary insanity defense in American jurisprudence.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Washington society 3 Affair and murder 4 Trial 5 After the trial and death 6 References

[edit] Early years

Born in New York City in 1836, Teresa Bagioli was the daughter of the wealthy and well-known Italian singing teacher Antonio Bagioli and his wife, Maria. During her youth, she sometimes lived and studied in the household of Lorenzo da Ponte, the noted music teacher who had worked as Mozart's librettist on such masterpieces as The Marriage of Figaro. An exceptionally bright child, Teresa spoke five languages by the time she was a young adult.^[1]

Da Ponte's son, a New York University professor, befriended the teenaged Dan Sickles and helped secure him a scholarship to the University. Young Sickles also moved into the Da Ponte home; he left after about a year when his mentor suddenly died but maintained close ties with the family, possibly to continue the study of French and Italian.^[2] Though Sickles had known Teresa since her infancy, he made her acquaintance again in 1851, this time as an Assemblyman (and part of the Tammany Hall Democratic machine). He was thirty-three years old, she was fifteen.

Sickles, a notorious womanizer, was quite taken with Teresa and soon proposed marriage. Despite his prominence and long connection to the family, the Bagiolis refused to consent to the marriage. Undeterred, the couple wed in 1853 in a civil ceremony. Teresa's family then relented and the couple married again, this time with John Hughes, Catholic Archbishop of New York City, presiding. Some seven months later their only child, Laura, was born.^[3]

[edit] Washington society

Politics carried Dan Sickles along a career path that led to Washington, D.C. In 1853, he became corporation counsel of New York City, but soon resigned to serve as secretary of the U.S. legation in London under James Buchanan, by appointment of President Franklin Pierce. One source^[4] alleges he took a prostitute with him on his overseas assignment, while another source^[5] reports that he sent for Teresa after a few months. In any case, he returned to America in 1855 and was elected to the Senate of New York state from 1856 to 1857. Following his term, Sickles was elected to the United States House, and served as a Democratic representative in the the 35th and 36th United States Congress.

Following the election, the Sickles moved to Washington, D.C., where they became quite involved in political society. Congressman Sickles was very influential and Mrs. Sickles was beautiful and charming. The Sickles hosted formal dinners every Thursday, and Teresa was "at home" (available to callers) to other society ladies every Tuesday morning. With her husband, she attended most of the major social events of the day. Teresa Sickles, Harper's reported,^[6] quickly had become a fixture in Washington society. She was especially celebrated as a hostess who was capable of charming the most sophisticated guest while simultaneously making the most socially inexperienced feel at home. It was also said that Teresa and Dan became good friends of Mary Todd Lincoln and Republican Abraham Lincoln despite Dan being from a different party. Teresa attended seances held by Mary Todd Lincoln who was noted for her interest in spirituality.

[edit] Affair and murder

As in New York, Sickles continued to maintain love affairs in Washington and, in the meantime, seriously neglected his marriage. It did not take Teresa long, however, to strike up a romance of her own with Phillip Barton Key, a U.S. District Attorney and son of Francis Scott Key, the author of "The Star-Spangled Banner". Philip's uncle was Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the United States, and in 1857 Philip became one of the pillars of the Washington bar. Key followed Teresa everywhere, to her social gatherings as well as to her home.

Dan Sickles eventually received a poison pen letter^[7] informing him of his wife's infidelity^[8] and investigated further. He discovered the allegations were true, and that Teresa and Key even had a house for their assignations--located within walking distance in a poor, mixed-race part of town.

Sick with rage at his discovery, Sickles confronted his wife. Though she initially denied everything, Teresa eventually relented and wrote out a confession. In the extraordinarily candid document, Teresa described her numerous rendezvous with Key at a vacant home on 15th Street, a house that Key rented. It was all that Dan Sickles needed to hear. On Sunday, February 27th, 1859, he lay in wait for Key and murdered him near Lafayette Square, by the White House.

[edit] Trial

Sickles surrendered at Attorney General Jeremiah Black's house, a few blocks away on Franklin Square, and confessed to the murder. After a visit to his home, accompanied by a constable, Sickles went to jail and all of Washington turned out to comfort him. He was able to receive visitors, and so many came that he was granted the use of the head jailer's apartment to receive them.^[9] This was one of several odd features of his confinement. He was also allowed to retain his personal weapon, unusual even for the time. The press reported heavy visitor traffic, including many Congressmen, Senators, and others leading members of Washington society. Though President Buchanan did not make a visit, he did send Sickles a personal note.

Most painful for Sickles, according to Harper's, were the visits of his wife's mother and her clergyman. Both told him that Teresa was distracted with grief, shame, and sorrow. Both told him that the loss of her wedding ring (which Sickles had taken on visiting his home) was more than Teresa could bear.

Sickles was charged with murder and secured several leading politicians as his defense attorneys. Among them was Edwin M. Stanton, later to become Secretary of War, and Chief Counsel James T. Brady, like Sickles a product of Tammany Hall. In an historic strategy, Sickles pled insanity--the first use of temporary insanity defense in the United States. Before the jury, Stanton argued that Dan Sickles had been driven insane by his wife's infidelity, and thus was out of his mind when he shot Key. The papers soon trumpeted that Sickles was a hero for saving all the ladies of Washington from this rogue named Key^[10].

The confession that Sickles had obtained from Teresa on Saturday proved pivotal. It was ruled inadmissible in court but nevertheless was printed in the newspapers in full detail. The defense strategy ensured that the trial was the main topic of conversations in D.C. for weeks and national papers provided extensive coverage sympathetic to Sickles.^[11][12] In the courtroom, the strategy brought drama, controversy, and, ultimately, victory for the defense. Sickles was acquitted. After publicly forgiving Teresa, Sickles withdrew briefly from public life. Oddly, the public seemed more outraged by Sickles' reconciliation with his wife after the trial than by the murder and his unorthodox acquittal^[13].

[edit] After the trial and death

Despite the pronouncements of forgiveness, Sickles was effectively estranged from his wife after the trial. Sickles continued to serve in Congress, and during the Civil War, as a Union officer.

Teresa took ill and died of tuberculosis in 1867 at about the age of thirty-one.

[edit] References