The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-02-13
AARON BURR.


the supreme court Of the territory, he
became the guest Of Col. Benaiak o.
mum, wealthy planter residing In the
vicinity. He was q bachelor, had been
an officer In tho New Jersey line, and In
innate with Burr. In politics he was
high-strung Fesleralist. had been strong
partisan with John Adams, and had no
confidence in Mr.. Jefferson. Near by
Col. Osmun, another old military friend
of similar political opinions, the veteran
Mai. Isaae Guion, and with these two,
and other influential gentlemen, he had
daily conversations, No sterner and
truer patriots lived than these two veter.
an soldiers, and they reposed unshaken
faith In the friend whom they had seen
10 often tested IN tho "time that tried
mems souls;" Col. 0smm lived ut the
plaoenow owned by DIR. Stanton, aud Mai.
anion resided ut the foot of the Halfway
Hill, and there was rural path between
the two places trelliaed with vines ami
shaded by evergrcens. This was Burr'a
daily resort. But its refreshing shado
and charming prospect were not the only
attractions. There lived, nj that
time, 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 AMI
murdered by the notorious Joseph
Thompson Hare, more blood-thirsty
villain even than the celebrated Mason.
She had but ono child, Madeline, who
must still be remembered by a few Of our
older citizens IN miracle al beauty. In
form and feature, IN grace and mollcaty,
she was I'LL that the old masters have
painted the divine Madonna, or that art-
ist ever dreamed Of maiden loveliness,
Those that saw her loved her, yet she
was never conscious Of tho sentiment
until she listened 10 Aaron Burr. The
family were Catholics, and there Col.
Burr went to meet, by appointment, Quo
of his numerous agents and correspond
ents, the Able Viel, q Jesuit priest, of
remarkable ability. He was born In New
Orleans in l746, studied at Paris, and
became member of the Congregation Of
Omtory. At the dissolution ~ that
body by the French government, no ~.
turned 10 Louisiana, and exercised the
prieatly function in the Parish of Alta.
kapas, lie subsequently went u France.
II ia probable that Col. Burr. Ia his pro.
jected invasion of Mexico, contemplated
securing the influence Of the religious
orders, and for this purpose haa opened
a correspondence with the Able, and
mot him by appointment ut his secluded
homestead.
At length, after eanyassing his situa.
tion with Col. Osmun and ak other con-
tidentiM friends. Col. Burr determined to
forfeit his bond. One stormy night in
February, 1907. he act forth mounted On
the favorite horse Of his host. Urgent
as was the necessity for expedition. Col.
Burr halted till daylight ut the widows
cottage, implaring the beautiful Made.
line 10 be the companion of his flight.
He promised marriage, fortune, high
position, and even limiting ut imperial
honors, not realixing, 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 witehery night after night.
and loved him with all the fervor III
southern nature. She would have toll
lowed him to the end III the earth, and
b the seatiald. and her aged neither
would freely have given her to this most
captivating man-ior they looked on him
a. demi-god-but M with most If our
southern women, the principles III reli-
gion, virtue and propriety were stronger
than prepossession and passion, and the
entreaties II the accomplished ibertine
were firmly rejected. Hatfield and disap.
pointed he was compelled to proceed,
hut promised b. return, and carried with
him the covenant and pledge Of the
beautiful Madeline. She was wooed by
many a lover. The young and gallant
masters IL the large large plantations
on Second Greek and st. Cath.
erine's strove in vain for her
hand, Fortunes and the homage Of ,le-
voted hearts were laid ut her feet; but
the Maid Of the Halfway Hill remained
true t. her absent lover--the more 10 be-
cause of the runners that reached her Of
his misfortunes ami 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
no He'd from the United States, pursued
by Mr.. Jefferson and tho remorseless
agents that swarm around power ami au-
thority-when he had been driven frum
England, and was IN outeast in Paris,
ahiyering with cold and starving for
hrea,l-he seems to have felt for the frat
time the utter hopelessness al his for
tunes, And then no wrote 10 Madeline,
anil, in few formal words, released her
nom her PROMISE. Stating that no would
never return 10 the United States, he adj
yiSel her to enter u convent, should she
survive her mother, Ayear gu two after
this. she went to Havana with Mrs. W..
u highly resRfetahle lady, who then
owned the property where the Christian
Brothers NOW reside, near Natehez, Her
extreme beauty, her grace and elegance
produced the greatest enthusiasm, The
hotel where they put up Was besieged.
II she appeared on the balcony dozen
cavaliers were waiting to salute her.
When heg. tot0ate was seen ON the i0sea
or the Hasa dc 4Ara,ds, il was escorted
by the grantlees If the island. She was
feted by the governor genefsls sereNaaes
and balls followed IN rapid succession,
and the daily homage to her beauty never
ceased until the evening bells sounded
the iagetas
Without sarrendering her heart, or
being carried away by this universal pd.
miration, she returned to the cottage ON
the Hallway hin. She was followed
there by Mr., X, an Eaglish gentleman.
the head IL the largest commercial house
in Havana. and h. him, ON his second
visit, she gave her haMd
The vine-eovered cottage, it's trelGaes
and halNlers, have elumhled into dust,
The eonrtly lover and the innocent
maiden are long since dead. but the old
hill still lifts its age,l brow, wrinkled all
over with traditions A favarite loakout
IL the Matches in time af Wharf.-The scene
Of the daring conspiracy against the
Spanish aathority-the rendezvous ii
lovem-the hiding place Of hrigansls, and
depot for their bloul-staiael treasure
mute. hut faithful witness II the past,