I just finished watching the ending of Anatomy of a Murder with Jimmy Stewart,great actor,great movie.It got me thinking(which usually leads to headaches) there should movie made about trail for murder of Daniel Sickles.Who was Daniel Sickles? Well,he was many things,had interesting life both before and after his murder trial.
Before his murder trail Sickles was raising star in New York political scene,ill temper flying off handle quite often,a man woman where draw to it isn't surprising he be mix up in events of politics,sex,and revenge in that day honor.Just before the Civil War Sickles was congressman from New York with much clout,a favorite of President Buchanan.
Sickles had marry the beautiful Teresa,of Portuguese herridge,small and dark striking looks,much younger than Sickles who often neglected her,indeed,she quite lonely,until she fall in arms of Barton Key,the Washington D.C district attorney and son of Francis Scott Key.
Well,Sickles found out and kill Key in cold blood.The trail took place in D.C in 1859.Sickles had his dream team,including Edwin M.Stanton,who later become Lincoln's Sec. of War.Anyway what seem to be open and shut was turn on it's head,for Sickles wasn't only not executed,as one would expect in those but found not guilty,first time in American history somebody beat a murder change with the defence of temporary insanity.
By the way,at first the nation look at Sickles as a hero,but then he took his wife back and nation turn on him.Teresa would died a few years later,at a very young age a broken woman.
Sickles would go on to life a very colorful life includes questionable antics at the Battle of Gettysburg,where he lost a leg and was something of hero despite what might a great blunder.
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