New-York tribune., 1874-07-30
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Mr. PARTON AS A HISTORIAN.

nn,,,,r,c p,c-rTrRr spouKD-oNE OF THE MINOR
INCIDENTS OF "THR LFE OF AARON BURR
70 fhs Edttor OF rae rrto""e.
SIR: In common with other readers OF lHE
TRpuNE have noted the expression gwen oy '"1ioU'
rar,ies through your columns. concerning uhe gross
errors made by Mr. Parton in his article FaSehoou u
,,o Danv Press In the article in question MI Parton
xsarss sefohservant persons are aware OF the ease
win which exaggeratiOn and other varieties 9l nalse
svi,,y an exact account Of the simplest matter And
fns difficulty greatest to ardent and maslnatVe per &
sons who naturally take 10 Wrlting Iae NeIy ,hS
OF mind which them their power TO interest other
minds IN many instances the qnIues tha' Ahoihe
tbem 70 picturesque aud effective eXaggerau0n'
II would appear that Mr. Parton avowedly an ardent
n not an imaginative writer has fallen into thls uIl
Guilty" on more than occasion. An incident OF TINS
kind which lust is 10 be found IN the
issue Of Harpes AGga-sHe for May 1872, IN an article
entitled "The Manhattan Well Murder" This mystic
rons crime excited great deal Of interest at the ume
The prisoner charged wtris commission was defended
nv Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The trial
lasted through days and given "a the jury AT
O'Clock on the morning of the third day charge from
the court no argument being made by counsel on either
side In the to which refer above, is found the
Following which bear somewhat on the case in
hand
The remarkable character Of the trial. and the high
posnon OF the counsel have caused much more TO De
written aud published than will ever be found true.
MI Parton, N his Life OF Aaron Burr, on page 49,
saYs; - - - -. - -.
q, .rrspgement Of candles IN a As the ta
r,sd pons against the principal witness and Col Bun
erf hd addressed The ETy with Us usu2l haeHt
sssa; siS5Hr % me gTo6sbe rr' be witness Col
Bur N rur rose the which bore against the man
sng obdsaoa IRON ne ADie &c 0s'' 'A ~ ''"Aiu
behold ,ne mardsfcr gentlemen ."
Fery eve M uuel ulou WecA yAastlT eounSrsnoe which
-e3e very Of eonveted IuraeTer The nan
- "a. Col Bur coaeaded hs sreeh the Judge charged
ibs iuTy Of oquir AID 'he prisoner Wa e
wroughtup narrative may be seen from what mere ioi
The witness referred to Richard D. Croucher'
whose testimony - lnehtloht a., " pI5 ~ IN the
OF the case for the prosecution he Is ~ ~ ~,
quotation above i9e Prnclpa, witness, NJ & , h o
fluent e.oqueuoe sc. 4Ae o1Iy 11,tIesS ~ o Ju %
tug part O the defense was Col Burls opening Whlch
d,d not occupy manv minutes IN the delivery. " Col
Burr saws the book. forth the facts winch bore
AGAINST jAe man. Croucher, and then seiz.ns Two
Vow sec this incident as taken down in Hamiton's
Dolrs OF che testimony . .- r.,-,
into NJ store t-ere one OF ihs
y,.- s s -, M y ,o NJ, vas be and h said wss
S ol mornug r-uteea WeeSes has been taken ~
s,s Re .hel vent svtv he he ssd Ny asne Is
C-u,aef srl ..at We all ,.e be bad with NJ.
TIT s quoted rtr0"'W q lsrW'm ron @ iainli.on II :
manuscript page f5 aud tha ls every word therein re-
lsug % Croucner ana Of course that Is al Croneher
saIa. LIS testimony was Aot OI lIS sAsHtSst ItPoi
tgDcs LOT was the movement o. the candle OF the
sicne- Importance. II had effect whatever ON the
es-e And a. TO Col BuIrs alleged exclamation, Be
hold the murderer and hs concluding ms speech
The are Ms Hamilton, widow Of Gen Hamilton, had
her own version the candle story. sue sad that II
was Mt husband and not Col Burr VINO TOOK the canoe
auU asked the question
NJ. Parton Las made for himself q name Of which his
counrymen are proud That ne is possessed Of won
da-tu fund Of general edge and that he has thrown
hght upon many page OF history heretofore shrouded
III darkness we al eau admit. There Is, however, to
ny nlld a duty which 70 posterity thai should
not he overlooked is that the facts which are trans
ut,e1 10 Them a- history should be history, ana not
wror gat-up narratives" constructed 70 eXalt the
character az me p4rtisens Has not MI Parton
been .u ~ OF tuis error in more tnan one OF ms
b.uCr tpnlcal aud historical Efforts y"
LOch port " /, jay q, 1874.