Litchfield enquirer., 1835-06-18
From Me Mo5ils Register of May ss.


 Occasionally. indeed, some gleams of light have been thrown around her melancholy end, and the belief is that she fell victim tO piratical atrOcity. Some three years. ago it was currently reported that man residing in one of the interior counties of this state, made some disclosures on his death bed, which went to confirm the confessions previously made by a culprit on the gallows, that the l vessel in which Mrs. Alston sailed, was scut- tied for the sake of her plate and effects 1 The following article, which we copy from ] the Alabama Journal, goes to throw some ad ditional light on the subject. The facts men- tioned in it are new to us, and will be, proba- I bly,, to most of,our readers:-
 s4 CONFESSION OF A PIRATE.
 The p0blie, ns sious,4, 4renseh,bers the story l Of the llaughterspf Aaron Burr. who was the wife OfGovernDr AlstOD, of s. Caroline. On the return of her father from Europe, about the year 12l2, she embarked from Charles ton on a visit to him at New Y ork, on board privatcer built vessel, and was never heard If afterward. It seems that her friends at 1 first thought the vessel had fallen intO the hands of pirates and afterward concluded that it was wrecked and lost. It appears from the i statement of a respectable merchant of Mo | bile, that d man died in that city recently, | bed, that he had been pirate, and helped to destroy the vessel, and all the crew and pas, sengers, on which Mrs. Aston had embarked for New-York. Hesdeclared. says this gen teman, that after 1he men were alt killed, there was an unwilingness on the part of ev- cry pirate to taking the life of Mrs. AlstOn, ] who had not resisted them, or fought them, and therefore they drew lots who should per ] form the deed, as 1t had to he done. The lOt l fell on this pirate, who declares that he effect ted his object of putting the lady to death, by laying plank along the edge of the ship, half on it and half of, or over the edge, and made ! Mrs. Aston walk on that plank tiIl it tilted over into the water with her. The dying pi- rate requested the physician to make this sio- ry public, hut his surviving family will not per init or consent that the natne Of the deceased should be known.
 The above tale was repeated over and over by the merchant before mentioned in the presence of a number of gentlemen whose names can be given. He said he received it from the physician himself, with no other in- junction to secrecy than that he should not disclose the name of the physician for the present. On hring asked Il the phy hyscian was man of veracity and responsibility. he repli- l ed there was no one more SO in Mobile. The merchant was warned that this story would get into the newspapers, to which he made no l objection.
 The King SndEe.-Tnere Is n furSe sTrrtes l of s?eckled snake called by common usage in the southern states, the king snake. perhaps because he is the most formidable enemy ot the rattle snake. It seems to be the chief ob- iect of it's existence, {" seek, to pursue and to destroy the latter. whose retreats and pres hx, h0 ouNsoa Nf o peculiar smell resembling that of a cucumber vine. The king snake. to almost all other an imals, is the most gentle apd harmless of crra- lures, you may strike him, he shows no resent ment, he misses not, he turns not, nor does he exhibit any terror or siuggishness. Drawn by the smell of the cucumber, he frequently en- ters gardens, but his appearance excites no a. larm in any human being. that knows he IS the king snake; on the contrary, women and children will approach him, turn him about with a stick, and piayfulIy annoy him. with perfect impunity; he is only the resistless en- emy of the rattle snake, whose strength and venom, avail nothing against the activity and mode of attack of the king snake, who is al ways victor in every combat.
 Yet the rattle snake is a terrible reptile.- There is peculiarity truly appalling io tn. sound of his rattles, being unlike the noise 0 l any OtneT "uV" y"O VI even the first time. the true instinct of nature impresses on your quailing heart. that dangcI and death are near. Never shall forget one horvid event os my fife! I was fishing in a southern lake enc summer day, when an un' usual disposition to sleep affected me. Istuck the ebd of my fishing rod in the bank of the lake, and sought beautiful place of shade to enjoy repose. Ilaid myself on the grass. be- tween two trees scarcely six feet apart from each other. my head resting against one, and my feet against the other. slept. When awoke, l turned on one side. and perceived al some distance from u,e, two brilliant. humid orbs, and instantly a trenniOus. mingled sen- sation. of an indefinable nature. came upon my faculties. Something Of an iDstinctiye dictate or impulse cOunseIled me to avert my looks. but then there was such an absorbing wisbful delight in gazing into eyes that intent ly and meltingy gazed into mine. that even the tremulous puisations Of fear fixed my I frame. and ! remained so fascinated that could see nothing but the most beautiful co lors. In short. was so totally lost, so com pletely bewildered with commingIed emo lions. that was absolutely pewerless, and could not withdraw my gaze, nor eveR move Suddenly, the melting eyebails glared witt sparks of fre-there was fnovenent- started from . dreamy state-I saw hug' Irsttle snake-its gaze was disturbed. ant when heard the hateful rattle sound. the fnl danger of my situation aroused me, and thrO I e.ge hn nwfP0RxnSkw of foeenp