The Irish standard., 1905-04-29
Interesting Facts Connected With Burr's Ex-
petition and the Alleged Conspi-
racy Recounted.
Even When Arrested and Brought Before 4
Grand Jury His Personal Charms
Sufficed to Save Him.

Claiborne, afterwards governor, was
selected to organize a flotilla at
Natchez and to obstruct Burr's pass
age down the river. Colonel Thomas
Fitzpatrick, George Poindexter (after.
wards United States senator) and w.
B. Shields afterwards judge in the
United States court) were appointed
commissioners on the part of the state
government to meet Burr and demand
his unconditional surrender to the
Mississippi authorities. On the morn
ing of Jan. 16, 1907, they halted the
flotilla and visited him on board
flatboat, which he made his headquar-
ters. They assured him that, in the
event of his surrender to the civil
authorities, his life and property
would be protected, and If, after in
vestigation, it appeared that he was
innocent of reasonable design he
would be given his liberty. After an
oral conference letters to this effect
were exchanged. This correspond
ence was unknown until recently and
does not appear in any of the histories
of the conspiracy.
AS a result of this correspondence a
conference between Acting Governor
Mead and Colonel Burr took place at
the residence of Thomas Calvit in JEFF
ferson county. That fine old mansion
is still standing, and is now the prop
erty of one of the justices of the Su-
preme Court of Mississippi. Burr for
mally surrendered to Mead and gave
his parole in writing, while Mead gave
Burr written pledge that until his
case was investigated by the courts
there shall be no restraint on his
person, no violence or molestation to
his boats or people," and the governor
agreed to have the court convened
to take judicial action without delay.
Colonel Burr engaged Mr.. Poindexter
and Mr.. Shields, two of the commits
sioners, as his counsel, and proceeded
with them to Washington, then the
territorial capital of Mississippi, now
little hamlet about eight miles west
of Natchez, where his followers were
paroled and his boats were tied up to
the bank. The court released Burr on
$4,000 bail, with Colonel Banijah Os-
man and Lyman Harding as sureties.
His courtly air and engaging person
ality charmed all who saw him and
allayed suspicion. The honest from
tiersmen of Mississippi were much i'm
pressed by his manners and behavior.
George Adams, United States Dis
trict Attorney and afterward United
States Judge for Mississippi, prepared
a sketch of Aaron Burr as the latter
appeared at his trial. It was found
among his manuscripts and was pre-.
sented by his grandson, the Hon. Writ
Adams, to the Department of Ar
chives and History at Jackson. It
reads as follows:
"His stature is about five feet six
inches has spare, meager form, but
of elegant symmetry; his complexion
is fair and transparent; his dress was
fashionable and rich, but not flashy.
He is a man of an erect and dignified
deportment-his presence is COM
manding, his aspect mild, firm, lumin-
Gus and impressive. His physiognomy
is the French configuration; his fore
head is prominent, broad and retreat
ing, indicative of great expansion of
mind, immense range of thought and
amazing exuberance of fancy, but too
smooth and regular for great altitude
of conception, and those original, &C.
centric and daring alterations of su-
perior genius. The eyebrows are thin,
nearly horizontal, and too far from
the eyes; his nose is fairly rectilinear,
too slender between the eyes. rather
inclined to the right side; gently ele-
waited, which betrays degree of
|haughtiness; too obtuse at the end
for great acuteness of penetration,
brilliancy of wit or poignancy of sa-
tire, and too small to sustain his capa-
cious and ample forehead. His eyes