Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-27
AARON BURR.
Hts Last Illness and H1s Deathbsd.
TLippincot's Ma0azine

-'>N6 WV OAN AoulCcS VIII WCAO AAoA-
mately acquainted with Col. Burr during
the last stage of his career. They are
daughters of Daniel Winant, who in 1886,
was proprietor of the Port Richmond
hotel, on Staten Island, where the last
three months of Col. Burr's life were
passed, and were members of their faith
er's household at the time of his death.
When Burr's name was mentioned they
manifested considerable reserve, and it
was not until they were assured that
their visitor was connection of the Col
onel, and rather proud than otherwise of
the relationship, that this reserve van
ished, and they favored him with flow
of anecdote and "reminiscences.
The elder lady was the raconteur, her
sister asserting. Col. Burr, she said,
was brought to the hotel from New
York on June 18th by his relative, Judge
Edwards, and another gentleman whom
she did not know; he had suffered par
alytic stroke, and was nearly helpless,
but could walk or ride short distance.
He was given an. upper chamber, and
Edward Binney and the maid, strong,
good natured, rosy-cheeked Irish girl,
became his attendants.
'The inn was very gay that summer,
several naval officers from vessels in the
bay, with their wives, being quartered
there in addition to the regular guests.
Burr retained his fondness for society to
the last, and, as long as he was able, in
sisted on taking his dinner at the public
table, where he was an object of much
interest to the guests and led in the con-
versation. There was a nameless charm
about Linn which continued to the end.
Nothing better pleased the officers wives
than to sit at his bedside and read or tai k
| to him. Our fair cousin Abbey B.
would leave more youthful gallants any
time to read or talk to Col. Burr, and my
sister and myself gladly devoted our lei
sure hours to him. His conversation was
always vivaclous and instructive; the
tones Of his voice, low and melodlous,
thrilled one; while his expressive dark
eyes added to the charm of his speech.
"Mrs. Hamilton and her daughter were
stopping at tKettledash,' on the island,
that summer, and frequently rode past
by design, as 1 often thought. Col. Burr
noticed them and inquired who they
were, and on being told, turned away with
an expression of Indifference. He never
mentioned the Hamilton affair unless the
subject was preached, but am sure he
held himself entirely guiltless in that
matter. l remember that once a Col.
Story called to see Mr.. Burr. My father
cautioned him before he went up to say
nothing about Hamilton, but he disre-
garded it. Presently he came down
Somewhat flushed and remarked; "Well,
Winant, disregarded your advice, and,
you may depend upon it; I got a blast"
"He never mentioned his daughter
Theodosia in those last hours but once.
One day, bolstered up on his pillows, he
looked out on the bay and the ships at
anchor. sAh,' he said, if could only
see my daughter coming to me over the
water there as they said she walked down
into it from the ladder' And the tears
rolled down his cheeks"
"Was it true" inquired at this stage,
Gas has been stated, that in his last
hours Col. Burr was in the habit OF
Swearing and disappearing furiously, and
became so violent from remorse that it
required the efforts of several men to hold
him?"
"No," she replied; che died as calmly
as an infant sinks to sleep, and during
his whole illness he was as patient and
gentle as one could expect Of man in
his position. I remember only one in
stance of his showing any marked irrita-
ton. Mary, our strong Irish girl, often
attended him after he was confined to his
bed, and was quite favorite with
him. One day she lifted him rather
roughly, as he thought, and he desired
her sharply to 20 to h-l.' The poor
girl withdrew in much distress, but IN a
i e, ,ko nit to or III
and she knocked at his door for admis-
sion. At his permission she went in and
said, Colonel, I've been there and seen
the old man, and he says he has room only
there for you. Col. Burr laughed hearth
ly at the girls wit and restorted her to
his favor.
"The Rev. Dr. Van Pelt, of the Re-
formed church in the village, visited him
frequently during his sickness, and was
always received with courtesy and ap-
parent pleasure. On these occasions the
family and guests of the hotel assembled
in the room and joined in the re-
sponses to the good mans
prayers. Col. Burr also re-
peated them, and was at times visibly af-
fected. His death was peaceful aid
painless"
In describing the clamor that arose
against Col Burr as soon as the grave
closed over him, the venerable lady be-
came much excited; her cheeks flushed,
and her eyes sparkled with the ANNA
ton of youth.
"They were such base falsehoods,' u
she said, 'ssuch, vile, malicious ISLANDERS
that they filled me with disgust; it did
not seem possible that men of. high
standing could be so wicked. And some
of the clergy and part of the re-
ligious press were the most bitter and
INSCRIPTIONS. 1 heard several sermons
in those days that l could barely sit still
under, so full Of falsehoods were they.
One delivered by a blind preacher, re-
member particularly, Col. Burr being its
subject. The preacher described him as
dying alone on the sand banks of Staten
Island, while uttering awful oaths and
blasphemies, forsaken by God and de-
spised of men. You cannot imagine my
feelings under it, and it was only with
the greatest effort that I could restrain
myself from rising and telling the peo-
pie that what the preacher had said con-
corning Col. Burr's last hours was false
in every particular; that he was not de-
serted by his friends--Judge Edwards
and many others visiting him daily; that
he had everything his condition demand
ed, and that his conduct on the bed of
death was not that of a reprobate. but