Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-08
KILLED BY PIRATES.
The Fate Of Aaron Burr's Beautiful
Daughter at Last Disclosed.
A weird SIraditien confirmed-A Singular
Romance Of the Sea.

Tlr0O4Ogia, met her death az the nandS OF
ocean pirates years ago, and how that fact
was only very recently established by the
discovery Of portrait OF her, rescued from
the schooner from whence she was thrown
into the sea, is told in print herewith for
the first time. Involving, as 1t does, the
deathbed confession of one Of the pirates
who drowned the young woman, the tale
seems more like fiction than verified his
tory; but there are persons living here
abouts who have verified 1t in detail, and
who will vouch for its accuracy.
Theodosia Burr, young woman OF un-
usual mental attachments, was married to
the son Of Judge Aston of South Carolina,
a relative Of Washington Aston, the cele-
brated historical portrait painter. Mr.
and Mrs. Aston resided on their planta-
ton near Charleston. When Aaron Burr
contemplated returning from the extended
visit he made to Europe sitter his trial, he
wrote Mrs Aston, to whom he was de-
yotedly attached, asking her to meet him
In New York on his arrival there. Mr.
Aston, engrossed with the business OF his
plantation, found it impossible to accom-.
pnny his wife.
There being no railroads in in those
DAYS. and Mr.. Aston. deeming that a
summer trip from Charleston to New
York by sea would be less irksome to his
wife than a stage journey by land,
chartered coasting schooner. In this
Mrs. Aston set out She took with her
as q present to her fathcr,a beautiful paint
ing OF herself. But she never reached
Now York, and down to the present day
the fate OF Aaron Burr's only child has
been q matter Of speculation among his
torians, some contending that the vessel
and all on board were lost at sea. others
asserting that Mrs. Aston fell into the
hands Of someof the pirates who In those
days infested the Atlantic coast.
But the mystery has at last been cleared
mn. Its accuracy Is vouched for by the
former rector of Trinity Episcopal church,
Elkton, a clergyman we'll known through
out 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 tho widow of the late DR.. William
Poole, near Elizabeth City Above the
mantelpiece In Mrs. Pooles parlor was an
old fashioned painting, exquisitcly exc
outed, of beautiful young woman dressed
in white. 1t so greatly interested the
clergyman that he asked Mrs. Poole whom
1t was intended to represent. She then
gave the following story of it:
Eight years previously, she said, DIR
Poole had taken his family to pass the
summer Mt the little coast town of Nag s
Head, N. c. where the United States man.
of-war Huron came to grief. The place is
largely populated by "bankers, generally
a. - xuhn mainly n
livelihood by picking up all species OF
fotsam and ietsam along tine coast. One
OF these bankers, however, was very
respectable and very old fellow named
Mann. His wife was suffering from a
complication Of diseases, and DR.. Poole took
a great interest in her case. Under his
treatment she recovered, and as token of
gratitude to the doctor presented him
with the painting which SO greatly in
terested the clergyman. Mrs. Mann said
that her husband had recovered it from a
wreck.
When quite young man he WAS walk
ing along the shore one morning. His at
tention was thon called to coasting
schooner undor full sail. bearing swiftly
down upon the dangerous bar which in
later years caused 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 y
little black and tan dog. Careful inspec-
ton OF the schooner proved nothing as to
her antecedents. Even her name was not
ascertainable. But one OF the cabins had
evidently been very recently occupied by a
L. 1t, T. Nha ot,,f
Ing which Mrs Mann gave DIR. Poole, and
which Mann appropriated in his share of
tho salvage The schooner shortly after
ward went to pieces.
DIR. Poole was an enthusiastic student
OF national matters. He felt certain that
the picture had very valuable history,
and formed suspicion that it might have
represented the mysteriously lost daughter
of Aaron Burr.
He nut himself In communication with
several historical societies on the matter,
but his theory found little weight in spite
OF q family likeness being admitted.
As the Clergyman upon whose authority
this story Is given was returning from a
recent visit to Mrs. Poole, while driving
from that lady house to Elizabeth City to
take the cars home, he met q young man,
whom he know to be very bashful and
much afraid of the gentler sex, driving a
strange woman in buggy toward Mrs.
Pooies residence. In n letter written tc
Mrs Poole shortly afterward he good
naturedly referred to the incident and tc
the young fellow $ evident embarrassment.
This brought from Mrs. Poole another
chapter In the history of the beautiful
picture. The strange woman was n de
scendant of the Burr family who resides
in Detroit, Mich. Her name has tempo.
rarily escaped the clergyman's memory.
She had been visiting at Virginia Beach,
Va, where she had heard of Mrs. Poole's
mysterious painting from North Carolina
gentleman Her visit to Elizabeth City
was solely for the purpose of seeing the
painting and no sooner had she set eyes
on it than she offered Mrs. Poole $500
spot cash for the same, besides any othel
additional sum she might require. Mrs
Poole refused to part with She treasure
She told the visitor that there was {
strong family likeness between the lattel
and the subject of the picture, whoever
that subject might have been; and further
informed her of the facts, already giver
here. as to how the painting came into hel