The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-08-08
Norfolk Public Ledger.l

her death at the hands of ocean pirates
years ago, and how that fact was only
very recently established by the dis
covery Of a portrait of her, rescued
from the schooner from whence she
was thrown into the sea, is told in
print for the first time. Involving, as
it does, the death-bed confession Of
one of the pirates who drowned the
young woman, the tale seems more
like fiction than verified history; but
there are persons living who have veri-
fed in detail, and who will vouch for
its accuracy.
Theodosia Burr, young woman of
unusual mental attainments, was
married 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 to Mrs. Aston, to whom he
was devotedly 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 accompany his wife.
There being no railroads in those days,
and Mr.. Aston, deeming that a sum-
mer trip from Charleston to New
York by sea would he less irksome to
his wife than stage journey by land,
chartered a coasting schooner. In
this Mrs. Aston set out. She took
with her as present to her father, a
beautiful painting. 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-
lation among historians, some con-
tending that the vessel and all on
board were lost at sea, others asserting
that Mrs. Aston fell in the hands of
some of the pirates who in those days
infested the Atlantic Coast.
But the mystery has at last been
cleared up. Its accuracy is vouched
for by the former rector of Trinity
Episcopal Church, Elkton, Md, a
clergyman we'll known throughout
Maryland and the Middle States.
DISCOVERED DURING VISIT.
About five years ago this clergy
man was visiting bis native State,
North Carolina, and for several days
was the guest of the widowof the
late DR.. William Poole, near Eliz-
abeth City. Above the mantle
piece in Mrs. Poole's parlor was an
old fashioned painting, exquisitely exc
cuted, of beautiful young woman
dressed in white. 1t SO interested the
clergyman that he asked Mrs. Poole
whom it was intended to represent
She then gave the following story o
| it:
Eight years previously, she said
DR.. Poole had taken his family to pas:
the summer at the little coast town Of
Nag's Head, N. c., where the United
States man-of-war Huron came tc
grief. The place is largely populated
by "bankers' s''-generally a rough
class of men who mainly earn liveli
hood by picking up all series of fot
sam and Jetsam along the coast. Ont
of these "bankers," however, was :
very respectable and very old fellow
named Mann. His wife was suffering
from a complication of diseases, anc
DR.. Poole took her case. Under hi
treatment she recovered, and as
token of gratitude to the doctor pres
ented him with the painting which 81
greatly interested the clergyman
Mrs. Mann said her husband had re
covered it from a wreck. Whel
quite a young man he was walking
along the shore one morning. Hi
attention was then called to a coast
ing schooner under full sail, bearin
swiftly down upon the dangerous ba
which in later years occasioned the los
of the Huron. With other "bankers'
Mann put out to her assistance.
They boarded the schooner, bu
found that the only living thing aboar
:. was little black and tan dog. Care
!; full inspection of the schooner prove
nothing as to her antecedents. Eve
E her name was not acertainable. Bu
one of the cabins had evidently bee
, very recently occupied by woman
and in this cabin was the paintin
: which Mrs. Mann gave DR.. Poole, an
which Mann appropriated in his shar
of the salvage. The schooner short
after went to pieces.
|, DR.. Poole was an enthusiastic studer
, Of national matters. He felt certai
that the picture had very valuabI
history, and formed suspicion that
. might have represented the mys,eriou:
ly lost daughter Of Aaron Burr. H
put himself in concentration wi,
several historical societies on the MAJ
ter, but his theory found little weigh
in spite Of family likeness being ad
l mitied.
AS the clergyman upon whose a,
thority this story is given was return
ing from a recent visit to Mrs. Pool
E while driving from that lady's hou:
5 to Elizabeth City to take the ca
home, he met young man, whom h
= knew to be very bashful and muc
afraid OF the gentler sex driving
strange woman in a buggy toware
:. Mrs. Poole's residence. In a lett.
written to Mrs. Poole shortly afterwar