The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-25
AARON BURR'S DAUGHTER.
THE MYSTERY OF HER DEATH

THE MYSTERY OF HER DEATH.
The Beautiful Theodosia Alston Los,
Her Life at Sea-rhe Confession of II
Dying Sailor.
The story Of how Aaron Burr's only
child, beautiful young Theodosa. met
her death at the hands of ocean pirates
years ago, and how that fact was only
recently established by the discovery
OF portrait OF her, rescued from the
schooner from whence she was thrown
Tor the first time, says the Elkton, Md,
correspondent Of The Philadelphia
RECORD. Involving, as it docs, tho
deathbed confession of ono of the pi-
rates who drowned tho young woman,
the tale seems more like fiction than
verified history but there arc persons
living hereabouts who have verified it
In detail and who will vouch for its
accuracy.
Theodosia Burr. IL young woman of
unusual mental attainments, was mar
ried to the son OF Judge Alston, Of
South Carolina, Il relative of Washing
ton AlstOn, the celebrated historical
painter. Mr.. and Mrs. Alston resided
on their plantation near Charleston.
When Aaron Burr contemplated re-
turning from the extended visit ho
made to Eu" pc after his trial he
wrote Mrs. .ston, to whom he was
devOtedly at .ched, skiing her to meet
him in New Tork on his arrival there
Mr.. Alston, engrossed with the busl-
moss Of his plantation, found it impossi-
sible to accompanys his wife. There
being no railroads in those days, Mr..
Alston, deeming that q summer trip
from Charleston to New York by sea
would be less irksome to his wife than
u stage journey by land, chartered
coasting schooner. In this Mrs. Al
stOn set out. She took with her, as Il
present to her father, beautiful
painting of herself. But she mover
reached New York, and down to the
present date tho fate of Aaron Burr's
only child has been Il matter of spccu.
lation among historians, some contend
ing that tho vessel and all on board
were lost at sea, others asserting that
Mrs. AlstOn fell into the hands Of some
of tho pirates who in those days infcst-
ed the Atlantic coast.
But the mystery has ut last boen
cleared up. Its accuracy is vouched
for by the former rector of Trinity
Episcopal church, Elkton, q Clergyman
we'll known throughout Maryland and
the middle States.
About five years ago this clergyman
was visiting his native state, North
| Carolina, and for several days was the
guest of the widow of Dr.. William
Poole. near Elizabeth City. Above
the mantCipiece in Mrs. PoOlc's parIOr
was an old-fashined, painting, cxquisite-
man, dressed in white. 1t so greatly,n
terested the clergyman that he asked
Mrs. Poole whom it was intended to
represent. She gave the following
story OF it:
Eight years previously" she said,
" DR.. Poole had taken his family to
pass tho summer at the little coast
town Of Nag's Head, N. c., where the
United States man-of-war Huron camo
to grief. The place is largely popl.
lated by bankers '-generally u rough
class OF mon, who mainly earn q livcli-
hood by picking up all species Of tlot-
sam and Jctsam along tho coas;. One
OF these bankers however. was a. very
respectable old fellow, named Mann.
His wife was suffering from compli-
cation of discusses, and DR.. Poole took
great interest in her case. Under his
treatment she recovered, and az Il
token OF gratitude to the doctor, pres
onted him with the painting which So
greatly interested tho clergyman.
Mrs. Mann said her husband had re-
covered it from wreck. When quite
young man, he was walking along
the shore one morning. Ills attention
was then called to q coasting schooner
under full sail, bearing swiftly down
upon the dangerous bar, which, in
later years, occasioned 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 little black and tan dog.
Careful inspection Of the schooner
proved nothing us to her anteccdcnts.
Even her name was not ascertainablc.
But one OF the cabins had evidently
been very recently occupied by w0-
man, and in this cabin was the paint
ing which Mrs. Mann gave DR.. Poole,
and which DR.. Mann appropriated as
his share Of the salvage. The schOon-
er shortly afterward went to pieces. -
DR.. Poole was an enthusiastic stu
dent of national matters. He felt cor
tain that tho picture had q very valua-
bic history, and formed IL suspicion
that it might have represented tho
mystcriOusly lost daughter OF Aaron
Burr. He put himself in cOmmunica-
tion with several historical societies
on the matter, but his theory found
little weight, in spite of a. family like
ness being admitted. AS the clergy
man upon whose authority this story is
given was returning from recent
visit to Mrs. Poole, while driving
from that lady's house to Elizabeth
City to take the cars home, he met u
young man, whom ho knew to be very
bashful and much afraid Of the gentle
sex, driving q strange woman in bug
gy toward Mrs. Poole's residence. In
u letter written to Mrs. Poole shortly
afterward he good-naturedly referred
to the incident and to the young fol-
lows evident embarrassment.
This brought from Mrs. Poole an
other chapter in the story of the beau
tiful picture. The strange woman
was IL descendant OF tho Burr family,
who resides in Detroit, Mich. Her
name has temporarily escaped the
clergymans memory. She had been
visiting at Virginia Beach, Va,
where she lad heard Of Mrs. Poolc's
mysterious painting from u North Car
0lina gentleman. Her visit to Eliza
beth City was solely for the purpose OF
seeing the painting and no sooner had
she set eyes on 1t than she offered Mrs.
Poole $500 spot cash for the same, be-
o;lo, .o,, ofhn, oIlit;rnol c,,,, ,Io ~