Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-06-25
The Bsauchamp Tsaaesy in Kentucky.
[Fcm the Boston Traveler.l

The Bsauchamp Tsaiesy in Kentucky.
[Frcm the Boston Traveler.l
We were led, short, time since, to re-
call, in connection with the novel of w.
Gilmore Sinms, and review the circum-
stances connected with the wcll-nigh for
gotten Beauchamp tradegy in which every
body in the country was interested thirty
years ago.
Ca the night of Sunday, the 9th of No
vem5er, 1925, Col. Solomon L. Sharp, one
of the foremost lawyers in Kentucky, for
merly Attorney General of the State, some
years earlier, member Of Congress, and
at that time leader in the newly elected
State Assembly, was murdered atFrankfort,
under circumstances of peculiar atrocity.
He was reused from his bed by some one
knocking at his door, and ne was there
seized by the assassin, who, after some
words stabbed him to the heart, almost in
sight of his wife, who rushel to his side,
but too late to hear syllable from him,
OK to learn in any way who was his murder
er.
Suspicion. soon fell, however, on a
young lawyer named Beauchamp, who was
arrested tried and condemned apparently
on false evidence, but who was yet the real
murderer. Party luminosity, then furiously
excited throughout the State by some ques-
ton relating to the courts, aScribed the
murder to political hatred, for Sharpe was
the leader of his party, AM the idol OF the
people; nor was it till after the trial that
the astounding story of Beauchamp's ac-
tual crime and his reasons for it were
made public by his own ingenious confess
sion.
Some years before apparently as early
as 1918, Col. Sharpe had selucel Miss
Ann Cooke, young LAZY of respectable
family, educate ana refined, and as appears
from her subsequent course, of unusual
force and severity of character. Proud,
tirely from the society where she had been
admired and courtcd. and with her widow
Ell mother, her books and her slaves she hid
her disgrace in the complete seclusion of a
Kentucky plantation.
1t was here that young Beauchamp, in a
fatal hour for both, sought her out, urged
himself on her acquaintance, fell passion
ately in love with her, and led on by his
passion, devoted himself, with barbarous
magnaninity. to her dreadful thirst for
vengeance on her betrayer. He cannot
have been more than nineteen years old at
this time, and he had been on the point OF
commencing the study Of law with Colonel
Sharpe, when he was repealed from such a
connection by the story of his villa;ny to-
wards Miss Cooke. Generous though I'M
govemable of temper, he looked with aver
sion on a man 50 stained-regarding him
as mo better than horse-thicf," as he
himself naively says.
His natural pity for Miss Cooke was
strengthened by the praises bestowed on
her beauty and wit by friend of his who
bad been her former admirer. He visited
her in her self-imprisonment, but she refus-
ed to see him; he insisted, and she at last
came forth, but she received him colby
He pretended desire to use her library,
and borrowed book, which gave him a
pretext to call again in few days, when
he again saw her. Little by little her le-
serve wore Of, while his enthusiasm for her
grew into fervent love. Heurged his suit
and bescaght her hand in marriage, which
she at first steadily refused, and only Weld
Ell finally on condition that he should first
kill Col. Sharpe.
thatyear he went to Frankfort for the ex-
press purpose of challenging Sharpe, and
of shooting him if he declined The two
walked out together along the river at
Frankfort, and when they had come to a
retired place outside the town, Beauchamp
disclosed in what relation he stood to Miss
Cooke, and asked if he would fight him.
Sharpe said he could not fight in such a
cause-he would let himself be killed rath-
er than do it, and falling on his knees he
implored Beauchamp not to kill him. The
hate of the enraged man turned to scorn at
what he thought the most glaring coward
ice,-he struck Sharpe in the face, called
him by the most insulting names, and
swore he would cane him in the streets ev-
cry day till he forced him to duel. They
parted, and carly next morning Sharpe left
Frankfort, and Bsauchamp lost his oppor-
tunity.
Miss Cooke now resolved to kill her be-
trayer with her own hand and together and
together with Beauchamp, she contrivel a
plot as artful as that by which Leonore be-
trays Lothian, to bring him into her house,
where she could shoot him. This failed
and after long time she gave up her cher
ished plan, and left the murder again to
Beanchamp, who. meanwhile, by a soph-
istry such as familiarity with a dreadful
purpose often produc, =. had persuaded
himself that it would be right to kill his
enemy, not openly, as he had at first pro
posed, but by assassination.
Accordingly, after his marriage with
Miss Cooke, in June, 1925, he formed his
plans for the deed. Never was a murder
more deliberately committed. For more
than a year he was busy making arrange
ments SO that no evidence could be brought
against him. He even deferred the act till
after an election, hoping that Thompson
who ran for Governor against Desha in
1924. would pardon him if he were chosen
as he was not. Disappointed in this, ht
determined to kill Sharpe at such time
that his death would seem occasioned by
political enmity; for which reason he chose
the beginning of session of the Legisla
/ turp In which nc we have said Snarns