Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-16
THEoDoSIA BURR.
An Alleged Confession by tho Pirate
Who Caused Her Death.

In today's Sun, under Questions and
Answers" in reply to a correspond
ent asking What was the true story or
the disappearance Of Theodosia, daugh-
te.. of Aaron Burr, having been cap
tured by pirates" the editor usually
correct, states that there was no
foundation" for the pirate story. Al
low me, however, to say that on the
contrary, there is considerable found
alton for it: and II you will permit me
I will state my reasons for the above
opinion. The Mobile Register Of May
23, 1888, said:
1.-The fate Of Mrs. Alston, the ac-
complished lady of Governor Aston
of South Carolina, and daughter OF
Aaron Burr, has been shrouded IN
mystery for more than twenty years.
Occasionally, indeed, some gleam OF
light has been thrown around her mel
ancholy end, and the belief Is that sne
fell a victim to piratical atrocity. Some
three years ago it was currently re-
ported that a man residing in one OF
the interior counties Of the state MADE
some disclosures on his death bed
which went to confirm the confession
previously made by a culprit on the
gallows that the vessel in which Mrs.
Alston sailed was scuttled for the sake
Of her plate and effects. The follow
ing article which we copy from the
Atlanta Journal, goes to throw some
additional light on the subject. The
facts mentioned in 1t are new to us.
and will be to most Of our readers:
Confession Of a Pirate.
1.-The public no doubt remembers
the story of the daughter Of Aaron
Burr, who was the wife Of Governor
Alston, Of South Carolina. On the
return of her father from Europe,
about the year 1912, she embarked
from Charleston, on a visit to him at
New York, on board a privateer built
vessel and was never heard of after
ward. It seems that her friends at
first thought the vessel had fallen in
to the hands Of pirates. and afterwaro
concluded that it was wrecked ana
lost. 1t appears from the statement
Of a respectable merchant OF Mopile
that a man died in that city recent
ly. who confessed on his dying bed that
he had been a pirate and helped TO
DESTROY the vessel and all the crew and
passengers on which Mrs. Alston had
embarked for New York. He declar-
ed, says this gentleman (who Is we'll
known to us) that after the men were
all killed there was an unwillinsness
on the part of every pirate to take the
life of Mrs. Aston. who had not re-
sisted them or fought them, and there
fore they drew lots who should per-
form the deed, as it had to be done.
1.-THE lot fell on this pirate, who de-
clares that he effected his object by
putting the lady to death by laying
plank alongside the edge Of the ship
and made Mrs. Aston walk on the
plank until it tilted over with her.
The dying pirate (says our informant)
requested his physician to make this
story public; but his surviving family
will not permit that the name OF the
deceased should be known.
1.-The above tale was repeated over
and over by the merchant before men
toned in the presence Of number OF
gentlemen whose names we are pre-
pared to give. On being asked II the
physician was a man Of veracity he
replied that there was no man more
so in Mobile The merchant was warn
ed that his story would get into the
newspapers, to which he made no OBJ
jection.'"
MY father, the late Col. William l..
Stone, visited in the Tombs a pirate
known as Babe" and endeavored to
procure from him a statement that he
was the one who captured the schoon-
er in which Mrs. Alston had taken
passage. While the pirate refused to