Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-22
oDD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAS
 HISTORY
THE rRIAL oF AARoN RIRR


 Aaron Burr was one of the most un- usual men this country has ever pro- l duced Ambition was his downfau 1t | held him from the highest office in the 1 gift of the people; it made him a mur- deror for his staying of Hamilton in a duel. through the circumstances under which it was fought was nothing less, and finally a traitor to his country which led, to his trial Although he was finally acquitted, yet the stigma was net removed and Burr forever was a marked man.
 Burr's trial was based on the charge of reasonable designs upon Mexico" A counter-charge was his attempt of the foundation of section of Western terri tory into se q ate ! oyernment In 1 fact. Burrs anbiticn Was the erection i of a new territory. with himself at the i head.
 When the full significance of Burrs | treason was brought to the attention Of | the government, spies were placed on his track. The first actual move to . stop the confederates was the seizure of military supplies whfch had been packed and were to be shipped by boats down the Ohio.
 l President Jefferson had cautioned all l citizens against joining the enterprise, and directed the seizure of all boats and arrest of the conspirators. Burr was eventually taken by Lieut.. Edmund F. l Gaines, twas cosducted to Fort Stoddart and thence was conveyed on hoseback to Richmond to be tried by the United States before Chief Justice Marshall, of the Supreme Federal Court
 On trial at last, the whole country waited the result with the profoundest interest. It was one of the most mem | tofa ir hi human governments. The head of the prosecution was William Wirt while the defence was led by the famous Lu0ler Martin, Attorney General of Maryland, and one of the greatest legal light of his day.
 On the bench. in sombre dignity sat ! the mighty John Marshall who was a 7 lclose friends of Washington and later a l Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and
 one of the most eminent judges this f country has ever prQduced , The trial attracted many of the most
 eminent men of the country. Burr was of course, the central figure in this
 master scene Unconscious of the eyes s that were fixed upon him he was the life t and soul of the case from start t0 finish e suggesting to his counsel the strong t points in the case, both for and against n himself
 l. WlTl S speech was TGCOFQ-DTedk6T Putting his best foot forward, the elo ! quent Virginia made the speech of hi. C life It was a nasterly effort Wome1 t wept at the recital of Blennerhasset'. Il sorrows and strong men were seen t Ii wipe their eyes as the story went on d Wirt had more than held his own anS Y 1 the feeling began to prevail that Burr doom was sealed.
 And then Luther Martin spranE int q the arena like lion, licking his chop IS and thirsting for blood There came y growl as if from the jungle. and all tn Is women and some of the men trenfbed r Here was a man, virile, powerful, un v conquerable, intellectual gladiator, and i
 was seen at a glance that soon ther
 would not be left a whole bone in Wirt' e body. And this was the case It wa e the giant against the carpet knight. an d the result was as might have been ex t pected.
 Marshall listened to WTrt and listen
 ed to Martin and his great good sens told him that the prosecution had n
 legal case. Receiving their charge, dh ot jurymen~retired and soon returned wit h the verdict: we, the jury, say ths
 Aaron Burr is not proved guilty by an
 evidence submitted to us"
 n Rising to his full height Burr rebuE !. ed the jurynen for bringing in such a
 ambiguous, verdict. Retiring for a fG 10 moments, they returned with the plail
 straightforward verdict ''Not guilty'' an
 Burr. victorious over his enemies gtroL v- proudly out of the court room to ! IT feted by his innumerable admirers :. But the people generally failed to 1 - convinced, and finding himself sfr1nne @- in this country, he went to Europe F
 was perernptorily ordered by the Eor
 eFnment of England to qutt that realr 5s being regarded as a spy, and on going nd France, was kept under uhe closest SUI an veiliznce. Returning, after some yea. = to his native land, he resumed his profe " sion of the law, but the ban of socie,
 rested upon him, and he was. as he Dir
 sell expressed it, severed from the re aE of mankind
 q? (Tomorrow-Two Ex-Presfdent Die Ju to Fourth)