Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-06-20
TIE MURDER CT COL. SHARPE.
A TRAGEDY as True as Il is STRANGE.


On the night Of Sunday, the 9th of No
yember, 1925, Col. Solomon ?. Sharpe, 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 at Frankfort, un-
der circumstances Of peculiar atrocity. lie
was reused from his bed by some neknoek-
ing at his door, and he was there seized by
the assassin, who, after some words stabbed
him to The heart, almost in sight Of bis wife,
who rushed to his side, but too late to hear
a syllable from him, or to learn in any way
who was his murderer.
Suspicion soon fell, however on young
lawyer naned Boauchanp, who was arrest
ed, tried, and condemned, apparently on
false evidence but who yet was the real
murderer. Party animosty, then furiousiy
excited throughout the State by some cues
tons relating TO the courte, ascrbcd the
murder 70 salitical hatred, for Sharpe was
the reader CT his party aud the idol of the
people, nor was it till after the trial that
tho astounding story of Beauchamp's actual
crime and his reasons for it were made pub
lie by his own iarenious confession.
Some years before, apparently as early as
1918, Col Sharpe had scducel Miss Ann
Cooke young ladj CO respectable family,
educated and refined, and as appears from
her subsequent course, of unusual force and
severity of character Proud and intense
of feeling, size Withdrew entirely from the
society a4ere ai..o lad been admired and
couTted, and with her widowed mother, her
books and her slaves, she hid her disgrace
in the complete seclusiou Of Kentucky
| plantation
twas here that young Beauchamp, in a
fatal hour for both, sought her out, urged
himself Gu her Acquaintance, fell passionate
y in love with her, and, led on by his pas
sion, devoted himself, with barbarous mag
haninity, to her dreadful thirst fer ven
geance on her betrayer. lie cannot have
been more than nineteen years old at this
time and he had been on the point Of com
mencing the study of law with Col Sharpe,
when he was repealed from such eonnee-
ton by the story of his villainy towards
Miss Cooke. Generous, though ungoyern-
able of temper, he looked with aversion on
mar 8 stained regarding him no letter
than horse thief AS he himself says.
lis natural eiiy for Miss Cooke was
strengthened ~ me praises bestowed On her
beauty aud Wit by u friend wbe had bees
her former adinirer He visited her in her
stlE-imefisoninent, but she refused 10 see
lin i insisted and she at last came forth
Int zae received him colalv, ie pretesdel
to desire to vsa Ter library, and borroaed a
bao6 which gave him pretex: TO call u
gain ii few days, when he again saw Ter.
Little by little her reserve wore OF, while
his enthusiasm for her grew into feryenl
love. he urged his suit and bcsought her
hand in marriage, ';Gich she at first Stead
y refused, and only yielded finally on con-
dition that he should first xiii Col. SdaFFe
This WAS IN 1921, aud is the autumn %
that year he weut to Frankfort for the ex-
press purpose Of challenging Sharpe, and
shooting him if lie declined. The two walk
ed ont together along the iiyerto frsnkioft
and when they had come to a retired place
outside the town, Beauohamp disclosed to
Sharpe in what relation he stood to Miss
Cooke, and asked if he would Gs;ht him.
Sharpe seid he could not fight IN such
cause, he would let himself be killed rather
than do it aud falling on his knees, he I'M
plored Beauehamp not to kill him. The
hate of tbe enraged man turned TO Seorn at
what he thought the most glarng cowar-
dice; he struck Sharpe in Che face, called
him by the most insulting names, and swore
he you'll cane him i'll the streets every day
ill he forced him to a duel They parted,
and early next morning Sharpe left Frank
fort, and Baauchamp lost mis- opportunity
Miss Cooke now resolved to kill her be-
trayer with her own hand and together with
Beauehamp she aontrivod plot as artful as
that by which Leonore betrays Lothair, to
bring him to her house, where she could
shoot HIM This failed, and after a long
time she gave up her cherished plan, and
left the murderer again to Beauchamp, who,
meanwhile, by . sophlstry such as familiar
ity with dreadful purpose often produces,
had persuaded bimself that it would be right
to Kill his enemy, not openly, as he had al
first proposed, but by assassination.
Accordingly, after his marriage with Miss
Cooke, in June, 1924, he formed his plans
for the deed. Never was . murder more
deliberately commitsed. For more han a
year &c vas busy making his arrangements
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 t82i, would
pardon him if lie were chosen, as he was
not. Disappointed in this, he determined
to kill Sharpe at such a time that his death
would seem occasioncd by political cnmity;
for which reason he chose the beginning of
a session of the Legislature, in which, as we
have said, Sharpe was prominent man.
He travelled to Frankfort, as if on bust
ness, lodged at the house Of relative of
Col. Sharpe. and disguised as negro, he
lurked about the house of his victim till he
made sure he was within. He then knock
ed, called him to the door, showed his face,
.hat he might have the agony of knowing
who his murderer was, and then stabbed him
10 the heart The unfortunate man knew
his assassin but SO sure had been the blow,
that the only words he spoke were, Pray.
Mr., Beauchamp," at the same time striving
70 thrcs his arms about his neck but nc
one heard that exclamation, and Beauchamp
had the satisfaction of seeing that no such
evidence as this could be brought against
! him. lie lsSe6fed naar tire house till he
u,ac coot, t, .Irc SIavno ,I,on ,r,a,,4 III, 30