Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-02-12
AARON BURR.


the Supreme Court of the territory, he
became the guest of Col. Benaiah Os-
mum, wealthy planter residing in the
vicinity. He was bachelor, had been
an officer in the New Jersey line, and in
innate with Burr. In politics he was
high-strung Federahst, had been strong
partisan with John Adams, and had no
confidence in Mr.. Jefferson. Near by
Col. Omun, another old military friend
Of similar political opinions, the veteran
Maj. Isaac Guion, and with these two,
and other influential gentlemen, he had
daily conversations. No sterner and
truer patriots lived than these two veter
ON soldiers, and they reposed mistaken
faith in the friend whom they had seen
so often tested III the "time that tired
mems SOULS" Col. Osmun lived at the
place now owned by DIR. Stanton, aud Maj.
Guion resided at the foot of the Hallway
Hill, and there was rural path between
the two places trellised with vines and
shaded by evergreens. This was Burr's
daily resort. But its refreshing shade
and charming prospect were not the only
attractions. There lived, at that
time. a widow lady from Virginia,
whose small farm and two or three
slaves were the only remains OF large
fortune. Her husband had converted
his property into money, and on his way
to this territory had been robbed and
murdered by the notorious Joseph
Thompson Hare, more blood-thirsty
villain even than the celebrated Mason.
She had but one child, Madeline, who
must still be remembered by few of our
older citizens as q miracle of beauty. In
form and feature, in grace and modesty,
she was all that the old masters have
painted the divine Madonna, or that art
list ever dreamed of maiden loneliness.
Those that saw her loved her, yet she
was never conscious of the sentiment
until she listened TO Aaron Burr. The
family were Catholics, and there Col.
Burr went to meet, by appointment, one
of his numerous agents and correspond
ents, the Able Wei, Jesuit priest, of
remarkable ability. He was born in New
Orleans in 1746, studied at Paris, and
became member of the Congregation of
Oratory. At the dissolution of that
body by the French government, he re-
turned to Louisiana, and exercised the
priestly function in the Parish of Alta
kapas He subsequently went to France.
1t is probable that Col. Burr, in his pro-
jected invasion of Mexico, contemplated
securing the influence of the religious
orders, and for this purpose had opened
correspondence with the Able, and
met him by appointment at his secluded
homestead
At length, after canvassing his situa-
ton with Col. Osmun and six other con-
fdential friends, Col. Burr determined to
forfeit his bond. Ohe stormy night in
February, 1907, he set forth mounted on
the favorite horse of his host. Urgent
as was the necessity for expedition, Col.
Burr halted till daylight at the widows
cottage, imploring the beautiful Made
line to be the companion of his flight.
He promised marriage, fortune, high
position, and even limiting at imperial
honors, not realizing, even then, a fugi-
tive and branded traitor, the crushing
downfall that impended over him. The
maiden had given him her heart; she had
listened to his witchery night after night,
and loved him with all the fervor of q
southern nature. She would have fol-
lowed him to the end of the earth, and
to the scaffold, and her aged mother
would freely have given her to this most
captivating man--for they looked on him
as demi-god-but as with most of our
southern women, the principles OF reh-
glon, virtue and propriety were stronger
man prepossession and passion, and the
entreatles Of the accomplished hbertlne
were firmly rejected. Baffied and disap-
pointed he was compelled to proceed,
out promised to return and carried with
hlm the covenant and pledge of the
beautiful Madeline. She was wooed by
many lover. The young and gallant
masters Of the large large plantations
on Second Greek and st. Cath
erlnes strove in vain for her
hand. Fortunes and the homage OF de-
voted hearts were laid at her feet; but
the Maid Of the Halfway Hill remained
true to her absent lover--the more so be-
cause of the rumors that reached her OF
bis mlsfortunes and his guilt. She lived
on the recollection of his manly beauty,
and the shades he had most affected were
her constant haunts. At length, when
ne tied from the United States, pursued
oy Mr. Jefferson and the remorseless
agents that swarm around power and au-
tnor1ty-when he had been driven from
England, and was an outcast in Paris,
sshivering with cold and starving for
oread-he seems to have felt for the first
Tune the utter hopelessness of his for
tunes And then he wrote to MADELINE,
and, In few formal words, released her
from her promise. Stating that he would
never return to the United States, he adj
Flsed her 10 enter convent, should she