Evening star., 1928-09-09

of Upper Marlboro Here lived pros
porous and well known physician named
William BeaneS, whose home was Sc
lected as the headquarters Of Gen. Ross
mention this because DR.. BeaneS was
unconSciously the immediate contribut-
ing cause Of Mr.. Keys presence of Bal
timore during the memorable lombard
ment of 1914.
Beanes, it appears, had played host
to the British officers while they were
occupying his residence. He had a
large number of slaves and horses and
other valuable property, and most natu-
rally thought that discretion was the
better part of valor.
However, his courtesy to the British
seems to have misled them into aSSun-
ing that he was pro-British, whereas
just the contrary was really the case,
since DR.. Beanes had served in the
American Army during the Revolution
ary War and naturally was 100 per cent
loyal to his own country.
x x * X
What happened was this: On the
w day Gen. Ross passed through
Marlboro after his triumphant march
into the city of Washington, where he
destroyed by fire 100000 worth Of
public property, including magnificent
library and valuable archives that
money could never replace, and while
he was returning to the British feet.
nlarauderS appeared in the town and
we're arrested and thrown into the
county jail by committee headed by
DR.. BeaneS and several friends.
One of these imprisoned escaped and
informed Gen. Ross of the circum-
stances. He ordered the arrest Of DIR.
William Hill, Philip WeemS and DR..
Beanes. The first two were released,
but Dr. Beanes, at Nottingham, was
taken aboard one of the British vessels.
which, with the rest of the feet, weigh
ed anchor from Benedict on August 20.
c.. c. Magruder, jr, in an article
written by him some time since, tells
us that DR. BeaneS was forced to arise
from his bed after midnight at the
point of a revolver, scarcely permitted
to clothe himself and made to ride
horseback on rough-gaited, c3daver-
Gus animal to Benedict, 35 miles dis
tant. From here the feet proceeded
toward Baltimore by way OF Chesa-
peake Bay.
In the meantime DR.. Beanes friends
were active in his behalf, and it was
upon the appeal of Richard w. West
that Key was induced to seek the re-
lease Of the doctor.
and a brother-in-law of Roger Brooke
Taney, Secretary of the Treasury and
later the Chief Justice Of the United
States who married Anna Arnold Key.
He was born upon an estate N Fred
.erick County, Md, known as Terra
Rubra, August 9, 1870. After gradual
ing from St. Johns College, Annapolis,
he married Mary Tayloe Lloyd, who, 1t
is said, showed such indifference for
his sonnetS that she frequently made
curl papers out of them. Shortly after
beginning the practice OF law in Fred
erick Nd, in 1901, he moved to the
District of Columbia where he formed
a partnership with his uncle, Philip
Barton Key He was an Episcopalian
and a yeStryman Of st. Johns Church,
Georgetown, and wrote for the church
hynnal Lord, With Glowing Heart l
Praise Thee" During the administra-
tiOns of Presidents Jackson and Van
Buren, he was three times appointed
United States district attorney for the
District of Columbia.
Much of the authors life was spent
in this city at his residence in Old
Georgetown, part OF winch Is stlll
standing at 1915 NJ street, near the
Washington end of the Francis Scott
Key Bridge, which was named by Con-
gress in his honor Here he resided
from 1903 to 1923 and here, it is said,
his II children-6 boys and 5 girls
were born His later residence, at 308
c street northwest has been replaced
with an apartment house. The original
house was built about 1885 by Henry
Weightman, brother of Gen. Roger G.
Weigntnan, mayor of Washington
from 1924 to 1926, and occupied by
Mr.. Key for some time prior to his
death in 1843, after which it was dis
posed of by his widow. A portion OF
the west side of the c street residence
was devoted to Mr.. Keys Office.
AS a lawyer Mr.. Key stood in high
repUte, and we can easily see that Mr.
West could not have selected better
man for the purpose Of securing the re-
lease of DR.. Beanes, which he immedl-
ately proceeded to do.
In letter to his mother, under daLs
Georgetown, I'd September, 1914, Key
wrote: II am going in the morning tC
Baltimore to proceed in flag TO Gen
Ross. Old Doct. Beanes of Marlboro i:
taken priosner by the enemy, who
threaten to carry him off. Some of hi.
friends have urged me to apply for 9
flag to go and try to procure his release
] hope to return in about or 10 days
though it is uncertain, as l do not know
where TO find the fleet"
* 4 )
KEY was soon on his way to Balti
AN more, where he met John S. Skin
ner, who was in charge of the exchange
Of prisoners, and, the consent Of Presi'