The Washington herald., 1908-02-29

ancestry on this side of the Atlantic. al
though a collateral relationship exists in
the English branches.
Mr.. Burr's father. a rigid Calyinist.
brought up his children carefully. Will
lam Henry Burr wss kept AT school con-
stantly until after his graduation from
Union College. Schenectady. in ISIS. with
the degree Of master OF arts
Mr.. Burrs mother was desirocs that her
son enter the ministry Having discov-
cred while at college that he had a fair
talent for painting. and being expert on
the flute and violin. 1lr. Burr eschewed
the ministry and the glove trade and
went to New York City in ISIS for artistic
instruction
There he lived for seven years. pursuing
the vocation or portrait painter He
enjoyed considerable success. In 1875 he
took up the study Of shorthand. or pho
biography" as II was then known. more
as a pastime than with any idea OF earn
ing his living by its use.
Became Expert Reporter.
Enthusiastic over the study. he finally
became so proficient that he began soon
10 report lecturers. among them Frederick
Douglass and Lucretia Mott At the
Democratic State convention OF lS47. Mr.
Burr was official stenographer. reporting
for the Albany Atlas. He also reported a
course of lectures by Prof. Louis Agassiz
His notes were published in the New
York Tribune.
Until lS4S Mr.. Burr reported for the
Tribune. Then he came to Washington. in
December. IS4S. as first assistant on the
corps OF reporters for the Washington
Union. which had made a contract to
publish full proceedings OF the United
States Senate.
In 1854 the Union abandoned its contract
and threw its reporters out OF work Mr.
Burr returned TO New York to enter for
mally upon the career of court and law
reporter, with a partner. Mr.. Lord.
In 1851 he reported all the speeches Of
Louis KOssuth and accompanied him on
his tour of this country in the capacity
OF reporter. In 1860 he was engaged by
the Congressional Globe as one of the
official corps Of reporters Of the House Of
Representatives and came 10 Washington
and held the place until 1862. when he
voluntarily resigned and sought retire
ment.
Engages in Literary Pursuits.
This retirement from active life. which
lasted until his death, Mr.. Burr utilized
in sarious dilettante literary pursuits.
His speciality became literary research.
He became the intimate correspondent
and associate Of many famous thinkers
and philosophers Of MS time
He made exhaustive historical re-
searches in order TO satisfy himself that
many so-called historical facts had no
foundation in truth So anxiousIy did he
pursue this hobby, for which he had an
absolute genius. that the late Col. Robert
G. Ingerson, his friend. called him "the
great literary detective" title in which
Mr. Burr took much satisfaction
He championed the claim that Thomas
Paine wrote the Letters OF Junius and
the Declaration Of Independence. a belief
TO which he won over many leading his
torians and writer's. He was one OF the
most pronounced OF Baconians, maintain
ing that Francis Bacon was the author of
all OF Shakespeare plays and poems. and
is himself the author of a widely dis
tributed pamphlet Francis Bacon; Was
He Shakespeare" which he published in
1888.
He claimed to have discovered that the
Shakespeare sOnnets were addressed by
Lord Bacon to the young Earl OF Essex
and his bride. in 1880; that some twenty
short poems signed "Ignoto." A d. 1850
1900. were composed by Bacon, and that
William Shakespeare could not write. as
proved by an analysis OF his five varied
autographs.
Mr.. Burr claimed 10 have detected and
exposed numerous literary frauds. In
1872 there appeared in the EastoI Pa1