 The man who invented the
plea of temporary insanity was a lawyer (of course!) named Edwin
Stanton. We hop in the way-back machine to the year 1859 and the
city of Washington, D.C. What made this case interesting was the
high profile of the people involved.
Stanton's client was Daniel Sickles, who murdered a man named
Philip Barton Key. You've probably never heard of either man.
Sickles was a U.S. senator at the time, while Key was a U.S.
attorney for the Washington, D.C., area.
Sickles and Key knew each other at the time of the murder. Key
was a widower who had four young children. So why would anyone want
to kill a man who is raising four kids by himself? Surprisingly, the
townspeople cheered when the verdict was announced. More
surprisingly, that verdict was "not guilty."
Key had met Sickles' wife at the inauguration of President James
Buchanan, and the two began an affair. The townspeople considered
Sickles' actions justified, and the case marked the first time that
someone had successfully used the temporary insanity plea.
What happened to Dan Sickles after that? Was he scorned and
treated like a murderer, even though he was acquitted? Quick, what
rhymes with SoJay?
[to top of second column]
 |
 No, not by a long shot. He went on to become an officer at the
Battle of Gettysburg, where he lost a leg.
The lawyer who helped get him acquitted, Edwin Stanton, became
Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war in 1862. Stanton was later
appointed to the Supreme Court, but he died before he could be sworn
in.
If the name of Philip Barton Key sounds even slightly familiar to
you, it's probably because you've heard of his father, Francis Scott
Key, who wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner."
As for Dan Sickles, he donated his leg to the Smithsonian
Institution, and for the rest of his life, he would regularly go to
Washington, D.C., to visit that leg.
[By
PAUL NIEMANN]
Paul Niemann's column is syndicated
to more than 70 newspapers. He is the author of the "Invention
Mysteries" series of books. He can be reached at
niemann7@aol.com.
Copyright Paul Niemann 2008
(Other
columns) |
