Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-31

him whether he thought any person would be
forgiven for the commission Of that crime
He told her he thought not; that it was one OF
those crimes which did not leave time for re-
pentance, and could not be forgiven. He beg
ged her to dismiss all such thoughts and told
her she had long enough been a grief to her
mother without bringing down her grey hairs
with sorrow 10 the grave.
"Beauchamp and his wife frequently con.
versed in whispe" At length; she requested
MIR. Burlington to step out for minute, aledg-
ing that she wished TO get up. He assembled
the ladder and shut the trap door partly down,
but kept in a position where he could see what
was going on below. There was no movement
and he was in the &C. of returning, when Mrs.
Beauchamp said, Don't come yet %! yes,
come down. said Beauchamp. He then said
his wife was too weak to get up, and expressed
wish that she should leave the Jail, and the
guard urged the same thing. She said, she
would not leave her husband until he was taken
out for execution. She again spoke OF Suicide,
and declared that she would not survive her
husband About half past eleven, the guard
observed them whispering together for some
time. Al length, Beauchamp saic aloud, My
dear, you are not strong enough to get up
Yes am said she, throwing her arms up:
see how strong l am She requested her hus-
band 10 give her more Of the toddy: he told her
she would drink too much, but She said she
would not. He then gave it to her and she
drank. She then requested the guard to step
out immediately, pretending great urgency
He again went up The ladder, turned the trap
door apparently down, and was stepping round
into a position where he could observe them,
when he heard deep sigh, and Beauchamp
called him. He went down and found Beau
champ laying on his back, apparently in great
alarm, and in loud and earnest prayer. Mrs.
Beauchamp was lying partly on her left side,
with her head on her husbands breast, and her
hand thrown over him. The guard supposed,
that in attempting to rise she had, from weak
ness, fallen on him.
Not suspecling that any thing very serious
had'happcned, he sat down resting his head on
the table, until Beauchamp had finished his
prayer. The miserable man continued for
some time calculating, 80! thou God Of JUS
lice, have mercy upon u.s. and the guard thinks,
that two or three times, he cried, %! thou God
Of mercy, lave mercy upon us AS soon as
he had closed his prayer, he seemed to be en-
tirely composed, and observed to the guard,
"Tell my father, that my wife and myself are
going straight 10 Heaven-we are dying The
guard replied, No, reckon not Beauchamp
said, 'Yes, it is so-we have killed ourselves
The guard sprang up, suspecting rhey had a.
gain taken poison, but as he stepped around the
bed, he saw something in Mrs. Beauchamp's
right hand. He raised her arm and found it
10 be knife. II was common case knife,
sharpcned at the point and bloody about half
way up He asked where they got that knife?
Both answered, that they had long kspttit con-
cealed for that occasion. On discovering the
bloody knife, the guard looked upon the bed
and discovered that Mrs. Beauchamp had a
stab little TO the right Of the centre OF the
abdomen, which had been laid bare for that
purpose. She did not sigh, nor groan, nor
show any symptoms Of pain. He asked Beau
champ whether he was stabbed too. He re-
piled yes, and raised up his shirt which had
been drawn out of his drawers and rolled up on
his body to leave i. bare, but had fallen back
over the wound. He was stabbed about the
centre of his body just below the pit of the sto-
mach; but his wound was not so wide as that
Ct his wife He said he had taken the knife
and struck first; and that his wife had parted
his arm, wrested the knife from him, and Plung-
ed it in herself He said, he feared his wound
was not mortal, and begged the guard to sc,
some laudanum fors him.
GAS soon as he discovered they were stab
bed, the guard called for assistance, and the
TAILOR with others Immediately came in. Beau.
champ begged tina, they would take his wife
out and attempt to save her. Without any OPP
position from her, she was Immediately re-
moved into one Of the rooms OF the Jailor's
house. To the inquiries Of those who sur
rounded her, she replied, Il struck the fatal
blow myself, and am dying for my dear hus-
band She now suffered great pain and WAS
evidently in the agonies of death. Her screams
reached the ears Of BeauchamP in his dungeon:
and he asked,"is that my dear wife! DO bring
me word what she says
"The physicians, Roberts, Majors, and Will
kinson had examined her wound and pronounc.
ed it mortal, especially in her present debiliat-
ed state.
SIT was now determined to take him to the
gallows as soon as possible. He was taken out
into the prison yard The sheriff, MIR. Walk
er, approached to put the rope around his
neck. 'Not yet said he. The sheriff told
him it was his duty, and he acquiesced. They
were carrying him through the passage OF the
iailor's house, when he begged 10 see his wife.
The physicians told him, she was not badly
hurt and would soon get over ii; and some OBJ
lection was made to stopping. Tie said, it was
cruel; and they carried him in and laid him on
the bed beside her. He placed his hand on
her face and said, My dear, do you know that
this is the hand of your husband, She return