# Jefferson killed a man for treason? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040 "2001-06-16T15:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NHL7890](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c4cdca/32.png) [@NHL7890](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NHL7890)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/1 "2001-06-16T15:34:47Z")
Hey all, last night I heard a pretty interesting comment that once Thomas Jefferson once shot a man on the white house lawn for treason. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/2 "2001-06-16T15:50:26Z")
No. The only possible connection between “Jefferson” and “shot and killed man” would be the fact that Jefferson had Aaron Burr arrested and tried for treason in 1807. He was acquitted. Three years earlier, Burr had fought a private duel with Alexander Hamilton in which Hamilton was killed and Burr was charged with murder. But it was absolutely nothing to do with Jefferson. [http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/nbk/bios/03pjeff.html](http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/nbk/bios/03pjeff.html) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/3 "2001-06-16T15:52:07Z")
And, I might add, as factoids go, that’s a particularly dumb one, since the Constitution doesn’t allow the President to “shoot and kill people” for treason, let alone “on the White House lawn”. Sheesh. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/4 "2001-06-16T16:07:20Z")
But Clinton had Vince Foster shot and killed! Except it was in Virginia, not the White House. Darn. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/5 "2001-06-16T16:11:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*But Clinton had Vince Foster shot and killed! > > Except it was in Virginia, not the White House. > \*\* I thought it was Miss Scarlette in the Library with a candlestick. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/6 "2001-06-16T16:26:49Z")
Hey, how often is it one thread answers [another](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74582)? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/7 "2001-06-16T17:55:17Z")
No. But I heard he once shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/8 "2001-06-16T18:10:48Z")
A **man** _in_ Reno? That is certainly hard to imagine. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jefferson-killed-a-man-for-treason/69040/9 "2001-06-16T18:12:20Z")
Bada-_bing_!