Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-07
Presumed Fate of Aaron
Burr's Daughter.
STORY OF A DYING SAILOR
History of an Oil Painting Said to
Corroborate the Freebooters
Confession.


at the hands of ocean pirates years
ago, and how that fact was only very
recently established by the discovery
Of portrait OF her rescued from Inc
schooner from whence she was thrown
in to the sea, Is told in print herewith
for the FIRST time. Involving as II
does the death-bed confession OF one
of the pirates who drowned the young
woman, the tale seems more like ne
tion than verified history: but there
are persons living hereabUuts who have
verified 1t in detail and who will vouch
FOR Its accuracy.
TheOdosla Burr, young woman OF
unusual mental attainments, was mar
rled to the son of Judge Aston, OF
South Carolina, a relative of Washing
ton Aston, the celebrated historical
portrait painter. Mr.. and Mrs. Aston
resided on their plantation near
Charleston. When Aaron Burr con-
templated returning from the extended
visit he made to Europe after his trial
he wrote Mrs. Aston, to whom he was
devotedly attached, asking her to meet
him in New York on his arrival there.
MIR. Aston, engrossed with the busi-
ness OF his plantation, found 1t I'm
possible to accompany his wife. There
being no railroads in those days, and
Mr.. Aston deeming that summer
trip from Charleston to New York by
sea would be less irksome to his wife
than n stage journey by land, char
tered a coasting schooner. In this Mrs.
Aston set out. She took with her as
present to her father a beautiful
painting of herself, But she never
reached New York, and down to the
present day the fate of Aaron Burr's
only child has been a matter of specu-
latiun among historians, some con-
tending that the vessel and all on
board We're lost at sea. others assert
ing that Mrs. Aston fell into the hands
of come of the pirates who In those
| days infested the Atlantic coast.
But the mystery has at last been
cleared up. It's accuracy Is vouched
for by the former rector of Trinity
| Episcopal church, Elkton, a clergyman
well known throughout Maryland and
the Middle States.
About five years ago this clergyman
was visiting In his native state, North
Carolina. and for several days was the
guest of the widow of the late DR.,
| William Poole, near Elizabeth City.
Above the mantelplece In Mrs Po0le's
parlor was an old-fashloned painting,
eNqusitely executed, Of beautiful
young woman dressed In white. 1t so
greatly interested the clergyman that
he asked Mrs. Poole whom 1t was in
tended to represent. She then gave the
following story Of II:
Eight years previously she said. DR..
Pole had taken his family to pass the
sumer in the little coast town of Mays
Head, N c., whore the United States
| man-of-war Huron came to grief. The
place is largely populated by bank
| ers'-generally a rough class of men
who mainly earn a livelihood by pick
Ing up all species OF flotsam and jetsam
along the coast One OF these bank
| ers,' however, was very respectable
and very old fellow named Mann. His
l tNf 70
| ton of diseases, and DR.. Poole took
| great Interest In her case Under his
| treatment she recovered, and as a
| token OF gratitude TO the doctor pre-
scented him with the painting which so
| greatly interested the Clergyman. Mrs.
Mann said her husband had recovered
1t from wreck. When quite a Young
man he was walking along the shore
one morning. His attention was then
| called to coasting schooner under
| fun sail, bearing swiftly down upon
the dangerous bar which in later years
occasloned the loss OF the Huron. With
other bankers" Mann put out to her
| assistance.
They boarded the schooner but found
that the only living thing aboard was
q little black and tan dog. Careful in
| spectlun of the schooner proved nothing
| as TO her antecedents Even her name
| was not ascertainable. But one of the
cabins had evidently been very re-
centIy coupled by a woman. and In
this cabin was the painting which
Mrs. Mann gave DIR, Pole, and which
Mann appropriated In his share of the
| salvage. The schooner shortly after-
wards went to pieces.
Dr. Poole was an enthusiasts stt-
dent OF national matters. He felt Ger
IAN that the picture had a very val
uaDle history, and formed a suspicion
that 1t might have represented tba
mysteriously lost daughter of Aaron
| Burr. He put himself in communIcn-
ton with several historical societies
on the matter, but his theory fo,InS
llttle weight In spite OF a family like
ness being admitted.
AS the clergyman upon xvboso a.,
thority this story is given was ret,,ru
ing from a recent visit TO Mrs. Poole
| WINE driving from that lady's house
| TO Elizabeth City to take the ca.
nome he met young man, whom he
Knew 10 be very bashful and much
atraIu OF me gentler sex, driving n
| Strange woman in a buggy towards
Mrs Poole's residence. In a Iettas
written to Mrs. Poole shortly after.
| Watls ne good naturally referred J.,
| the incident and to the young falIor,,s
sNlueht embarrassment. This brought
III" Mrs, Poole another chapter i'm
ny ie history OF the beautiful picture
i "'hANA WAS descendant
o. the Burr family. who resides in 10
troll, Mich. Her name has temporarjiy
escaped the clergyman's memory. shs
n1u pen visiting at Virginia Reach
49, Where she had heard Of Mrs
lpoie mysterious painting from a
North Carolina gentleman. uer ,.i.i,
70 Ellzaheth City was solely for M
purpose OF seeing the painting ana az
sooner had she set eyes on ii tbor 81
offered Mrs Poole $500 spot caeh sa
the same. besides any other addi,i,lo,,
sun she might require. Mrs. PooIa
.t,useu 10 part with the treasure 81
tolu me visitor that there was a s,rSn 's
iamlly likeness between the Iat,er o,s
me subject Of the picture, whoever NY my
sueleet might have been, and s,,rthe IL.
informed her of the facts. aIre, ~. w. t
en- mere. as TO how the paIntinS sIF-
| into her possession came
rms ELECTED from the Detrolt ,,o,,,...
ahutnet remarkable reminiscence n,,n
one which. taken In connectin,' ana
the foregoing facts, proves ~ with
painting Is that of Aaron "Is tne
uausn'Sr-the one destined as n n,..sl
en- % her father--and that The pses-
euha'e Young woman was dro,ypaS ~,
| pirates This. In substance ts ~ oy
tfoit woman's story. we De
| WIN hef mother In Detrolt fo.,..,..
resided her mothers aged an, merry
~ ,,i.t M,olnan' who gave up Tnueh I'm,
70 visiting the poor ana ths s'ail TINE
/ evening In one OF the ,ssrss ohe
| marine hoSpitnl ~ ~. NH oi the