Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-22
Acting Gov. Mead Indicted.

Burr went to NatcheZ as the guest of Col
Benijah Osman, one of his suraties, and
was followed by Blennerhassett and Com
fort Tyler, his most conspicuous adherents
Osman was a rich planter living near
Natchez, who had known Burr while an
officer in the revolutionary army in New
Jersey. He was a strong federalist and
hated jefferson, which seems to have been
his chief reason for befriending Burr,
grand jury was empaneled, but instead
of indicting Burr, was expected. 1t re-
turned presentment to Judge Rodney of
the territorial supreme court severely criti-
ciSing the acting governor for what If de-
scr1bed as IAN unlawful and unwarranta-
BILE exercise of power" This report was at
tributed to political prejudice. shrewdly ma
nfpulated by Poindexter and Shields who
were Burr's attorneys: to social Influence
exercised by Col. Osman, and to the fascin-
ationS of Col. Burr himself who rapidly be-
came popular idol among the people of
Port Gibson, Natchez and other towns
along the river.
Living in the neighborhood of Col. Os-
mans plantation was widow from Vir-
ginia, whose husband had been murdered
and robbed near NatcheZ several years be-
fore while prospecting for Il permanent res
idence in the valley. The widow had been
kindly cared for by the hospitable people
had purchased small farm adjoining the
Osman place, and had settled down as
permanent member of the community She
had one child a daughter named Madeline
whom tradition pictures as a miracle of
beauty. Burr made love to her and the
girl seems to have been infatuated with
him. Having learned of JefferSon's dis
pleasure at the action of the grand jury
and his determination to rearrest and pun
fSh Burr, the latter, advised by OSman and
PoindeXter, decided to escape from the
country, and arrangements were made to
have a small Sloop in readiness near Mo-
bile to convey him to Havana. News from
headquarters made it imperative for Burr
to leave at once, and he set forth on horse
back on a stormy night. with a single
guide Notwithstanding the necessity for
haste. he stopped at the widows cottage
and implored the beautiful Madeline to ac-
company him in his flight. He promised
her marriage, fortune, high position, and
limited at even imperial honors, and the
girl, who loved him with all the fervor Of
a southern nature, would have followed him
to the ends of the earth but for the loneli-
ness of her mother. Burr was compelled to
fly without her. but carried with him
promise from Madeline that some day she
would be his wife.
Tradition says that she was wooed by
many honest man, but remained true to
her treacherous lover, until Burr an outcast
in Paris, seemed to have pang of remorse
and, realizing the utter hopelessness of his
fortunes wrote to release her from her
promise. Two years later, while in Ha
vana, she became acquainted with an Eng
lish gentleman, the head of large COM
mercial house who followed her to Natchez
ana ultimately SuCcteueu III peTSuduIlS ueT
to forget Burr and become his wife.
Burr was overtaken and arrested at st.
Stephens, then known as Fort Stoddard, in
Washington county, Ala on the Tombigbee
river, about forty miles north of Mobile,
and was sent to Richmond under guard.
The documents regarding his rearrest are
very interesting, and have never been pub
lished Mr. Rowland has compiled them in
the Third Annual Report of the Depart
ment of Archives and History" and has
thus made a valuable contribution to hui
man knowledge.
Blennerhassett Burrs devoted friend and
victim remained at Port Gibson and pur-
chased a plantation which he called La
Cache He lived here until 1923, when he
went to the Island of Guernsey to recover
some ancestral properties, and died there.
Mrs Blennerhassett lived at Port Gibson
for many years thereafter and died in New
York in 1912.