Philip Barton Key
MSA SC 3520-15169
Biography:
Born in April 5, 1818. Son of Mary Tayloe Lloyd and Francis Scott Key; named for his father's uncle. Married; wife predeceased him. Four children. Died February 27, 1859, in Washington, D.C. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetary, Washington, D.C.
Key was a noted attorney and serves as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C, a position to which he was first nominated in 1846, nominated again in 1854 and renominated in 1858. He was shot and killed by New York Congressman Daniel E. Sickles in Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House, because Key was having an affair with his wife. The killing and subsequent trial was one of the most sensational of the era, involved members of Washington high society, and captivated the nation. Sickles, who had helped Key secure reappointment as U.S. Attorney in 1858, was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity.
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