Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-26

"hN HUSH. dib Nllt Itttfl vi pursuit III
scientific studies. Blcuncrlassett was
a versatile genius. u man of great ben
evidence and intense symImthics. and
in manners very courteous. mild. AMI
yielding. His virtues were of the anna
bic character. and he WAS easily duped
by the designing. That he lacked ambi-
ton and loved his ease was evident.
When the BlennerhassctS had finish
ed their homeland begun TO live in ear
nest, If the lives of two idiers may be
called living in earnest. their island be
came the center of the fashionable set
of the community. The leading people
Of Marietta. Belpre. near Ivy on the
Ohio shore. and all of Wood County. in
Virginia. made the Rlennerhasset maj
sion the enter about which all things
in the fashionable world revolved. For
eight years they dwclt there. enter
tanning all comers with open-handeu
hospitality. making frequent trips To
the East To visit friends. rs we'll rs To
make purchases. They entertained law
isily for the times and for the sur
roundings. ana the fame of their hos
ritality Reached far and wide.
Such was the island home. and such
were its Inhabitants. WHEN the serpent
entered this Eden and wrought its ruin.
AARON Burr VAS one of the most fas-
cinating of men. y graceful nan of
handsome aquiline features. with high
mental e~ndowmcntS. and in possession
of rare conversational powers. he had
the instincts of Il vulture. and was
c%ternally schcmin@ for his personal
qualification and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. reck-
less of The ruin and misery his selfish
ness wrought. His career had been
brilliant until when. as Vice President
of the United States during President
JcfferSOn'S first term. he imhrtcd his
hands in the hloud Of Alexander Ham
ilton. and brought upon himself The exc
Grafton of his countrymcn. 1t was
then he formed the NapOleonic concpp-
ton. and apparently feasible me of
wrestling from Spain the Empire of
Mexico. and from the United States the
vast and almost unsettled solitudeS of
the Mississippi Valley. there Ia organ
ize II magnificent empire. Of which he
WAS to he impcrator.
Burr had heard of BlcnnerltasSctt. of
his wealth. and of his influence over
the rapidly increasing population of
the Ohio Valley. and II" resolved 10 en-
list him in the enterprise. In the spring
of the year 1860. Burr appeared upon
BlcnnerllaSset Island. ana WAS the re-
lcipient of distinguished attentions at
the hands Of it's lIospitahle owners II
is not my purpose to follow in detail
The intrigucs and the i%ntricacicS of the
dealings between Burr and Blenner-
haSSett. Suffice il 10 say that both host
and hostess We're charmed. He seemed
:s ~artless as II child. Familiar with
the secrets of state, ne spoke of The
prospects of war with Spain and Of the
ease with which the Mcxicans. with a
little help. might throw off the Spanish
yoke ana establish an independent GOV
eminent. With great f~rankncss he
explained 10 them an cDticing land spec
ulation within the Spanish territory. on
the Rcd River. in which he was en-
gagged. and showed them how very prof
liable il was to bc.
Having taken the first step. le went
on his way. The next autumn. how
ever. Burr and his beautiful daughter.
T~hcodosia. mace Il short visit 10 the
island. and in the following winter Mir.
and Mrs. RlcnncrhaSSrtt were lured
East for the purpose Of further inter
views. and il is presumed that they
entered into Il sort Of partnership for
land speculation. RlcnnoriiaSsett WAS
incapable of treason. and il cannot he
doubted. as il appeared aftcrward at
The trial. that Burr adr0iliy yelled his
real purpose from him hy the projected
land speculation.
In the summer Of 1906 Burr came
West. and active measures were taken
10 organize an expedition. The in
trigIIcr had such influence with Blcn-
ncrhaSSett's wife that she readily per
suaded her husband 10 pledge him
self for the payment of all expenses.
BatcauX sufficient o carry five hundred
men We're built and proyisioncd At Mar
iclta. and Colonel Burr visited many
settlements in Ohio and Virginia To en-
gage cntcrpri>inG and hardy young
men aS recruits. and ne speedily secured
the required number Each cmigrdnt
was required 10 bring Il rife and hlan-
Ret. The little colony was organized
with military precision. for its leader
was an accomplished soldier. Every
one was To receive the gift of one hun
drcd acres of land. Burr told them that
President Jefferson. who WAS very pop
ular in the West. approved Of the cXpe-
dition. Confidenriaily he assured them
that. while their expedition was a
peaceful one and It's object the settle
mcnt OF the vast tract of land pllr-
chased of Baron Rastrop. still there
was the certainty of war between the
Initcd States and Spain. in which event
Mexico would free herself. and his col
ony would have the molding of II grand
empire on the foundations of demo
cratic equality. and they might enrich
themselves beyond the dreams of ro-
nance.
Meanwhile news of Rurr's doings had