Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-08-08

she contrived plot as artfu as that by which
Leonore betraps i.othair. to bring him to her
house, where she could shoot him. This fail
ed, and after long time she gave up her
cherished plan. and left the murder again to
Beauchamp, who, mean while, BY a sophistry
such as familiarity with dreadful purpose
often produces, had persuaded himself that it
would be right to kill his enemy, not openly,
as be had first purposed, but by assassiua.
tion.
Accordingly, after his marriage with Miss
Cooke, in June. 1924, be formed his plan for
the deed. Never was murder more delibe-
rately committed. For more than year
he was busy making arrangements so that no
evidence could be brought against him. He
even deferred the act till after an election,
| hoping that Thomson, who ran for Governor
against Desha, in 1924, would pardon him if
he were chosen. as he was not. Disappointed
in this, he determined to kill Sharpe at such
time that his death would seem occasioned by
political ennty; for which reason he chose
the beginning Of session Of the legislature,
! in which, as we have said Sharpe was prom
! inent man.
He travelled to Frankfort as if on business,
lodged at the house of q relative OF Col
Sharpe, and disguised as negro, he lurked
about the house OF his victim till he made
him to the door, showed his face that he
might have the agony of knowing who his
murderer was, and then stabbed him to the
heart. The unfortunate man knew his assas-
sin, but so sure had been the blow, that the
only words be spoke were, "pray, Mr.. Beau.
champ" at the same time striving TO throw
his arms about bis neck but no one heard
that exclamation, and Beauchamp had the
satisfaction of seeing that no such evidence
as this could be brought against him. He
fingered near the house till he was seen by
Mrs. Sharpe, then went back to his lodgings
After having resumed his own dress. uDd
with tranquil and satisfied heart, as he says
himself, be 10y down to sleep.
In the morning the whole town was in ex-
citement at the horrd deed Beauchamp's
host suspected him, but his calm demeanor
did away all suspicion and he was allowed to
leave Frankfort without molestation. AS he
drew near home, his wife, who had been
anxiously awaiting his return. saw him ap-
proach waving q red flag, which had been the
token of success agreed upon between them.
She was full of JOY like himself at the ful-
ilment of her just vengeance, as they
thought it, and they talked over the details Of
the crime with fearful satisfaction.
Beauchamp was soon arrested, as he ex
pected to be, but contrary to his expectations.
he found that all his plans to destroy evidence
had been fruilless. Circumstances-those
fatal eaves-droppers-bore too sure witness,
and where a link was wanting in the chain Of
testimony, it was easily supplied by exagge-
ration or perjury. He was convicted on the
18th of May, 1926, and in spite of the doubts
of many eminent lawyers. who maintained
that there was no existing law to punish
murder, he was executed on the Ith of July
f,ll npip had i, fria1 thrnu
the crime on some other person, and to obtain
pardon from Gov. Desha. who, to be sure,
had pardoned his own son, twice convicted Of
murder and robbery.
These details may seem like those Of COM
mon murdcr-too common in these days un-
fortunately, deriving their interest only from
a morbid craving for a knowledge Of such
horrors. But there is deeper reason Why
the atrocities Of Beauchamp and his wife
stand forth in prominence on the sad calendar
of crime. The feeling which impelled them
was an Unsuitable thirst for vengeance, it is
true but this finds some excuse in the great
ness of their victims guilt ; while it is exalted
above the fury of the ordinary murder by the
solemn fnnaticsm which made them regard it
as duty, and by the tenderness Of their love
for each other. Nothing can be more touch
ing than the gentleness and reverence with
which, everywhere in his confession, Beau
champ speaks of his wife and she, in turn,
seems to have felt the most enthusiastic
affection for him. He was her cbevnlier-
her champion, and the champion OF injured
virtue everywhere and in her steady refusal
to outve him, she showed the consistency OF
a Roman matron, and died as heroicaily as
BTutus' Porta, or the more famous Lucretla.
After his conviction she spent much time
with him, and in the hope Of dying together
they both took poison, which, however, proved
Intellectual. They were then carefully guard
ed, but in spite of this, on the morning OF his
execution, they contrived to stab themselves.
--Beauchamp was not mortnily wounded, but
his wife fingered only few hours after his
execution. As he was carried to the gallovs,
too weak to sit on his coffin in the cart ac-
cording TO the barbarous custom, he asked
to be taken to his wife, then lying unconscious
from her wound. lie laid his hand on her
face, and sought in vain TO make her recog-
nze him; then bidding her the tenderest
farewell and bowing TO the ladies at the
windows as he passed along the streets, he
went on to the scaiiold.
Some verses by Mrs. Beauchamp, written
just before her death, and printed in the
pamphlet above mentioned, supported the
conception Of her character which one forms
lToul ueT "ohueTiui etoig' lucy uii ieiu'e "
her husbands crime and fate, and their style
indicates q cultivated mind aud lofty and
poetic nature. A single stanza, in which she
speaks of her husband dying with her, may
serve as a specimen:
"ALd welded to his side my form shall lie
Encrcled by he arm, for nnught but fate
Could move my stubborn spirit, free to die
With all my soul holds dear for good, or great "
Novels and plays have been built on this
story, and perhaps that Of Mr.. Simms is the
best among them; but it is impossible for
fiction TO equal the awful simplicity with
which Beauchamp's confession portrays the
whole series of events. Not even Othello SO
much absorbs our interest or moves our emo
tions. The action proceeds with the dreadful
certainty of the Greek tragedy, where an
invincible fate drives on the noble and gene
rous TO crime. In the wilderness of Ken
tucky, among attornies aud planters, and
backwoodsmen, you see again Orestes and
Electra Clytemnestra and Agamemnon ; and
the events are as sublime and terrible as any
which Eschylus or Sophocles have immortal
lied in verse.