Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-17
THE MYSTERY OF THEODOsIA AIS
TONS FATE SOLVED AT LAST.

Of the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
BATES CREEK, MICH, Dec. 2S.-
The reader of biographies will re-
member that Theodosia, the only
of Aaron Burr, was never
heard of after her voyage to visit
her father in New York, and that
hitherto all speculations ss to her
death and disappearance have been
fruitless. James Parton, in his latest
revised life OF Burr, mentions that
no tidings were ever received OF the
vessel upon which she sailed. She
was the wife of Joseph Alston, then
governor of South Carolina. After
the death of her only son she Ian
her. With a view of improving it,
and again seeing her beloved father,
she set sail from Charleston i'll the
schooner Patriot, Dec. 30, 1872. on a
voyage to New York. The vessel
was commanded by all experienced
captain, and had for sailiDg-master
an old pilot noted for his skill and
courage. The vessel was q staunch
ship and noted for fast sailing, and
it was expected that they would
days. Timothy Green, a retired law
yer of New York, friend of Col.
Burr, went by land to accompany her,
and the news of their departure was
communicated to Burr, who was
looking forward with great antici-
patton of joy to tho visit of his
daughter, after 80 many years OF
separation. The full time for the
arrival of the vessel was passed, and
still it did not come. Every possible
means was reserted to 10 obtain in-
formation, but no tidings were ever
heard Of the vessel or the passengers.
At last, when Burr came to realize
that his daughter was lost, the blow
nearly killed him. Parton says i'll
bis history that he wrote to her hus-
band, Gov. Alston, that the world
was a blank to him, and he 'felt
severed from the whole human race"
The generally accepted theory of the
sad occurrence at the time was that
The vessel was wrecked off Cape Hat
teras, and all had gone down.
While the Inter-Ocean representa-
tive was at Cassopolis, Mich, re-
Gently, and in conversation with the
keeper of the county pOor-house,
waile speaking OF the occupants who
were aud had been there, he related
to us the strange death-bed confes-
siou of an OLD sailor who had died
there, and was buried in the cemetery
attached to the peor-house. The
sailors name was Benjamin F. Bur-
dick, and he was a hard, rough, old
salt. By some naval accident he had
lost one leg, and could only hobble
about, as he was very old aud intirm.
He was the Arabian Nights enter
tainnent to the poor unfortunate In
mates with his wonderful adventures
and stories of sea-faring life.
Usually he was sullen and morose
sitting apart from the others fol
hours and apparently meditating
Feeling that his end was near, he one
day called the wife of the Methods
minister, Mrs. Parks, to his bedside
and iu the hearing of three other re
liable witnesses, gave the following
4 DEATH-BED CONFESSION.
He told her that he knew his en(
was near, that he had but shor
time to live, and he had a terribl
secre: which preyed so much upol
his mind that he felt he must confes
it before his death. He then told he
that he was the murderer of Mrs
, Theodosia Burr Alston. When YER
. young he was on board pirate ship
and on the Sd of January, 1918, the
came across the ship Patriot. Chas
was Immediately given, the vesse
a captured and everything Of valu
taken out and transferred to thei
hnp lA6
= captain, crew and every passenger o
- board to walk the plank into the SCI
and all perished. He said there ws
y one lady on board who was beaut
disappearing, intelligent and cult
y waited, who gave her name as Mr.
Theodosia Alston. When her tur
+ came to walk the fatal plank she asl
- ed for few moments time, whic
" was gruffly granted her. She the
> retired to her berth and changed he
d apparel, appearing OH deck i'll fey
"a moments clad i'll pure white ga
% ments, and, with bible in her han'
" she announced that she was read
j. She appeared as calm and compose
20 as if she was at home, and not IT,
NOR crept over her frame or pnll'
,f overspread her features as she wake
~ towards her fate. AS she was takil
-. the fatal steps, she folded her hant
"a over her bosom and raised her ey
- to heaven. She fell aud sank wit
- out a murmur or sigh. ''It was II
~, unhappy lot," said the dying ma
~ "to be delegated by my captain
\, pull the plank from beneath her.
" would give my whole life to recall tn
iih one act. Hardened sinner that W
49, then, my heart rebelled against mu
Il dering the poor innocent woma
TO- but had refused, death would ha
.h been my lot. shall never forget t
- perfect confidlng faith which her ey
. expressed as she gazed up into heav
Il, when about TO take the fatal ste
ar Her pale face has haunted me ev
no since, and can see it now as plain
ia as could on that terrible day"
sS Before he died the old crippl
ot sailor repeated this same contest
~ to other inmates Of the house, sayi
,,o that he could not die until he h
a made this confession. The stateme
81 is regarded as reliable, aud furnish
Ie the clew te mystery which
N batfled every attempt at solving
no over sixty-tive years. There ls, the
~ fore, but little doubt that the lame
NJ ed lady's bones are now at the b
on tom of the ocean, where they "
70 rest until the day when all the seer
NJ shall be made known.
nd
mt Editor St. Louis Republican,
~. story re-published in your paper
,u- the 31st inst. from the Battle Or,
nn correspondence of the Chicago In,
mr. Ocean, purportlng to be the iea
re- bed confession of a pauper clear
-, up the mystery which has hithe
Of surrounded the fate of the beauti
,ns and gifted daughter Of Aaron Bu
r. finds strong confirmation-amo
,,t ing on my part to absolute convict
M, of its truth-in an anecdote told
'he by my mother many years a
ar. though | am not certain as to I
,no point.
,u NV My maternal grandmother, the
widow with the one child that aft
ward became my mother, moved
to the "Mobile country" Gas
region now known as South
has Alabama and West Florida was 1
IS called), in the early part Of the pl
ent century, and settled about I
, , miles west of the little hamlet
ont Mobile. Most of the early emigra
from the older states to this reg
settled OH the eastern side of Mo
nal bay, in what is now known as b
hat win county, Alabama. Indeed,
ly- l,n al H.,