Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-03-24
THEOIOSIA BURR'S FATE


ord. 4
Thcodo~a burr, young woman d un
nsaai mental attainments, was married "a
The sca Of Judge Aston, q South Carolina
a relative Of Washington Aston, the ccle
bratcd historical portrait painter. Mr.. anC
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
Ms. Aston, to whom he was devotedly at
tachcd, asking her to meet him in New
York on his arrival there Mr.. Aston, en-
crossed with the business of his plantation
found it Impossible TO accompany his wife
There being no railroads in those days, and
Mr. Aston dccming that summer tripfrom
Charleston to New York by sea would be
less irksom, to his wife than stage journey
by land, chartered coastins schooner. In
this Mrs. Aston set out. She took with her,
AS present to her father, beautiful paint
ing Of herself. But she never reached New
York, and down to the present day the fate
OF Aaron Burrs only child has been mat
ter Of speculation among historians, some
contending that the vessel and all on board
were lost at sea, others asserting that Mrs.
Aston fell into the hands Of some Of the
pirates who in those days infested the At
antic coast.
But the mystery has at last been cleared
up. Its 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 Caro-.
lima, and Tor several days was the guest OF
the widow OF Dr. William Poole, near Eliza
beth City, Above the mantel.plece in Mrs.
Poole's parlor was an old-iashoned paint
ing exqulsltey executed, Of beautiful
young woman, dressed IN white. ltso great.
" interested the clergyman that he asked
Mrs. Poole whom it was intended to repre-.
sent. She then gave the following story oil
it:
Eight years previously" she said, Dr.
Poole had taken MS family 10 pass the sum
Iuer at the little coast town OF Mays Head,
n. G., where tho United States man.of-war
Huron came TO grief, The place IS largely
populated BY bankers'-generally a rough
class Of men who manly earn their llvell.
hood by picking up all species OF flotsam and
jetsam along the coast, One OF these bank.
ers, however, was a very respectable and
very old fellow named Mann. Ills wife was
suffering from a complication Of diseases,
and DIR, Poole took 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 interested the clergyman. Mrs.
Mann said her husband recovered 1t from
wreck. When quite young man he was
walking along the shore one morning. His
attention was then called to a 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 inspec.
ton Of the schooner proved nothing as TO
her anteceients Even her name was not
asccrtainable. But one Of the cabins had
evidently recently been occupied bya woman,
and in this cabin was the painting which
Mrs Mann gave DR.. Poole and which Mann
appropriated as his share of the salvage.
dDr. Poole was an enthusiastic student of
national matters. He felt certain that pic.
ture had very valuable history, and formed
a suspicion that it might have represented
the mysteriously lost daughter of Aaron
Burr
As the clergyman upon whose authority
this story is given was returning from re-
cent visit to Mrs. Poole, while driving from
that lady's house to Elizabeth City to take
the cars home, ne met a young man, whom
he knew to be very bashful and much afraid
Of the gcntler sex, driving strange woman
in buggy toward Mrs. Poole's residence.
In q letter written to Mrs. Poole shortly
afterward he good-naturedly referred to the
incident and to the young fellows evident
embarrassment.
This brought from Mrs. Poole another
chapter in the story Of the beautiful picture
The strange woman was descendant of the
Burr family, who resided in Detroit, Mich.
Her name has temporarily escaped the cler-
gyman'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
other additional sum she might REQUIRE.
Mrs. Poole refused to part with the treasure.
This elected from the Detroit woman an.
other remarkable Renaissance, and one
which, taken in connection with the fore.