The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-23
THEODOSIA BURR.
The Sad Death Which Befe11
the Daughter of the
Famous Aaron.
JERSEY CITY PEOPLE INTERESTED
Pilot Boat Patriot Attacked by
pirates-"News" Reporters
Investigation.
JERSEY CITY PEOPLE INTERESTED

full and accomplished daughter OF Aaron
Burr, nave recently rolled away, and a sad
story is revealed of the unfortunate
woman's death. For a long time everybody
believed she had been lost at sea; that the
pilot boat on which she was sailing to New
York had foundered with all on board, and
nothing would be known until the sea should
give up its dead.
But a story has been published which
throws a new light ON the affair, and has re-
yived q great deal of interest among some
residents of Jersey City and Bergen Point
who are intimately connected with Aaron
Burr's family, and who have in their pos
session many articles formerly belonging to
Aaron Burr.
The article in question is written in the
most interesting manner by Miss Bette F.
Pool, daughter of DIR. William G. Pool, an
eminent physician Of Eastern North Caro-
lima. It appears IN the issue of
Worthington's Magazine for March.
The doctor, it seems, while visiting
professionally a poor old woman named
Mann, who lived in a rude cabin at Mays
Head, on the coast of North Carolina, no.
ticed on the wall of the cabin an oil painting
on wood. This picture was the portrait of a
young and extremely lovely woman, whose
intellectual and aristocratic lineaments made
a great impression on the doctor, and he, not
unnaturally, wondered how it came into the
old woman3s possession.
Mrs. Mann, in return for the doctors kind
ness, presented him with the portrait, and
told him that her husband had in 1872 dis
covered an abandoned pilot boat off the
shore. In the cabin of this ~castaway, among
several other articles, including handsome
silk gowns, was this portrait. Her husband,
who was a ''wrecker," supposed that the boat
III loo, 1;ci+aI nv Y1i,.ofac and oil itc noon
pants made to 'walk the plank" This sup
position was afterwards strengthened by the
confessions of two criminals prior to their
execution in Norfolk, Va, a few years ago.
THE TRI ATTACKED BY PIRATES.
The Patriot, a small pilot boat, set sail
with Mrs. Aston on board. She was bound
for New York. Mrs. Aston was going to
visit her father, Aaron Burr. When off the
| coast of North Carolina the vessel was
boarded by a pirate crew to which these
scoundrels belonged and all or board met
their doom in the dreadful manner men-
toned.
According to Miss Poole, both of these
| criminals remembered Theodosia well, and
one OF them said he would never forget her
face as she beggedf for her life; that it haunted
him ever since, and gave him no rest.
ssShe told us" he said, ''that she was the
daughter of Aaron Burr and the wife of
Governor Aston of South Carolina, and
would promise us pardon and a liberal rev.
ard if we would spare her life" But the
iendish pirates were memorable. They were
relentless. She refused to be blindfolded
and met her doom with a calm and fearless
deineanor. She was the last to walk over
the ships side, and the waters of the ocean
hid her beautiful face for ever.
THE PORTRAIT.
When DR.. Pool secured this portrait he
afterwards was struck with its resemblance
to portraits he had been OF Mrs. Aston and
arrived at the conclusion that the boot from
which the painting had been taken by Mann
was really the vessel on which the illfated
laughter of Aaron Burr had sailed. To
verify this conclusion the doctor opened a
| correspondence with members OF the Burr
and Edwards families, Aaron Burr's wife
being a member of that family. One of the
latter branch, Mr.. Amory Edwards, was
living in Jersey City at the time and upon
him DR.. Pool called.
Mr.. Edwards, according to the doctors
letter, twas very gentlemanly and courteous.
He showed me great attention. he brought
to his office a Q p of Harper's magazine
! 1864, | think-containing a sketch and three
cuts of Theodosia. Upon comparing my
picture we thought we could detect a resem-
| blance.o
This statement having been published in
the article by Miss Pool, a representative of
THE JERSEY CITY NEWS was instructed to
| llIlQ jul IL u f1DtOA G quill iFOA
here, or if not where he was, and learn from
him if possible additional facts about this
interesting portrait. In the first place there
was no Mr.. Amory Edwards mentioned in
any of the directories of Jersey City since
1874, and the many people in the city who
are credited with knowing everybody never
heard of Mr.. Amory Edwards. Prosecutor
| c. H. Winfield, who is Ga courant with the
affairs in the county, even didn't know him,
but gave some valuable hints how to find
some traces of him. Ex-Judge Blair vas
next appealed to, but he knew nothing of Mr..
Amory Edwards.
AARON BURR's VALET.
When DIR. Leonard j. Gordon was asked
if he ever heard of the person so much
sought after, he exclaimed Immediately,
'sWhy If you had come to me a few months
| ago you could have found out all you wished
to know of Aaron Burr's family
The doctor told his visitor that only re-
Gently an old pensioner, Familiarity known as
"Pete,n of the Lorillard family, died here in
jersey City at a very advanced age, and he
was once valet to Aaron Burr.
"Pete' was a remarkable old man, very
t~aeiturn and accustomed to say everything
he had to say in as few words as possible.
| Alfred Jingle himself could not give lessons
| to Pete In brevity of speech. Dr.. Gordon
| could not remember "Pete's'' surname, and.
| indeed, few knew it. The maxim about
| no man being a hero to his valet wasn't true
! in "Pete's'' case. Aaron Burr to him was his
! loftiest ideal of a man. and before him
no one must say anything d~erogatory to the
| character of his old master. 'Pete," OF
course, was very young when he entered
| Aaron Burr's service, and could just remen-
Der seeing Theodosia. To Mr.. Lor1llard he
| would tell how amiable and beautiful she
was. and how much she was devoted to her
| father. After Aaron Burr's trial for treason
| and subsequent imprisonment, sPete" wan
dered about from city to city antil finally
| the senior Mr.. Lorillard gave him employ
ment, and when he was too old to do any
work pensioned him.
ssAh,n he was often heard latterly to mutt
| ter. stmy poor Observation-Disclosures strange
death killed him."
TRACING MR..
Returning to the search for Mr.. Amory
| Edwards, DR.. Gordon had heard of that
name and suggested calling on some people
who lived near him ON Jersey avenue, and
whose name was also Edwards. One of
that family very politely received THE
| NEWS representative, but was neither kith
nor kin OF the Burr family.
From information received" as the
policemen say, THE NEWS reporter decided
to ask His Honor Chancellor McGill if he
knew aught of the Edwards family, and to
the reporters delight was guided into the
right way to learn the Information he had
been looking for.
The story in the magazine had special in
terest for the Chancellor, who, before his
translation to the high position of head of
the Court Of Chancery of this State, acted
as counsel for friends of the Edwards
family.
En- PEASANT it is interesting to know that
| Al CborualJor hos Soma lniac of Aaron