The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-09-25

, elected to the legislature aS the chan
pion of the !" tv'tcf party" The . relief
r and anti-relief controversy, of whic
l shall not attempt To sketch ii history
had been for ao.iie time agitating tn
state, and the fact that Col Sharp W:
: regarded rs chief exponent of the rcli,
| movement, and that the session of tn
: legislature WAS 10 begin on the day fo
lowing his assassination, lent peculia
emphasis to the excitement that followed
The story of his death, with it, cauS
and It's consequences, | have learnct
from several contemporary persona
sources. But first let me say, frontin
the capitol square in Frankfort, on it
northern side, and only a few steps east
ward from the Frankfort and Louisville
railway, is large. dark, red-colore,
brick mansion, three stories in height
extending far back, with ample accom-
modations for the slave help of 9TH,
good old times
This house is perhaps sixty years old
and was the house of Col. solomon Z
Sharp in 1925. a few years previous
Sharp had met a young lady named Am
Eliza Cook, and
HE HAD sEDUCED HER.
She was a young lady of good family, o
fair cultivation, with some literary tai
ent. He met her at party, | believe
and ii was under the excitement of tn,
dance and the wine perhaps, that Mis-,
Cook yielded herself to him. After hel
disgrace became known she had secluded
herself at home, but it seems that {:
young lawyer named Jeroboam O. Beau
champ, also of respectable family, hap
pencd to see her and, falling in love with
/ har Io,l ia, 1
| to become his wife on condition exacted
by her he should kill Colonel Sharp
! This promise was made-the marriage
TOOK place. Some time-a year or two
/ perhaps-passed, and Sharp still re-
manned alive. Perhaps the trouble
would have passed and been forgotten,
had not the seduction been mentioned a.
against Sharp's character during the
warm political campaign in which he
was elected to the legislature On this
charge being brought against him, Col.
Sharp treated it slightly and stated in
public, II Is said, that n certificate was in
evidence that this child born of Miss
Cook
HAD \ BLACK FACE.
This added insult to the original injury,
and the secret writing of Beauchamp's
J II
breath. The Sunday evening before the
general assembly met, Beauchamp (who
lived in another part of the state) en-
tered Frankfort, and, finding the hotels
full put up at the private house of a
squares south of Sharp's residence. Late
which Sharp resided-the large, old
hrI.l ,yhI I
ing to a side door Though Others say it
was to the front door, he knocked.
Sharp was awakened, and asked who was
there. Beauchamp answered by giving
the name of one familiar to Sharp-in
another part of the state, where the latter
formerly lived-but changing the second
initial of this persons name, saying
John A. Covington," and requesting
to see him at once on important business
a know John w. Covington," said
Sharp, deliberately opening the door and
advancing into the open air and dark
ness.
Beauchamp at once lifted a mask which
he Wore, saying:
''Don't you know me, colonel? ~
My God, it's b" exclaimed Sharp,
but did not succeed in pronouncing his
cnemy's name before the latter struck
him with his left hand and
STABBED HIM TO THE HEART
with the right. Col. Sharp was found
dead on his doorstep Bcauchamp re-
turned to his lodging and left town early
in the morning, without being suspected,
| believe. 1t il re lated that on approach
ing his home he conveyed to his wife the
intelligence of the deed accomplished by
hnn of u. h.. Il
tance.
The death of Col. Sharp produced
profound sensation in Frankfort and
throughout the state. The legislature
offered $1,000 for the detection and APP
prehension of the murderer. There was
a disposition to make political capital
out of the affair, too, | am told, and to
make believe the assassination to have
been in the interest of the anti-relief
party. One of the Frankfort editors of
the time was darkly charged with acces-
sory knowledge-and some were not in
disposed, | believe, to have him arrested.
1t was through this editor, | have been
told think the name was Darby-that
Beauchamp was finally pointed out and
arrested, Sharp's family, it is said, show
ing an indisposition to touch him and
thus make hopele=sly public the cause of
his act. But Beauchamp was finally
brought to trial, and
SENTENCED TO BE HUNG.
During the interval between the sen
tencc and it, execution, great efforts
were made in his behalf delegations of
ladies dressed in mourning even going to
the governor, and a son of the governor,
Isaac b. Desha, WAS imprisoned ut the
time, convicted of highway robbery
near Maysville. 1t was presumed young
Desha would be pardoncd-as he after
ward was-and it was urged that the
governor might do Il gracious thing,
tightening the selfish act of clemency by
pardonine Beauchamp and his son to-
gcthcr. But he was inhcxible. Political
revenge, perhaps, it is said, had to be
gratified.
The day of execution came. A short
time before the hour designated, request
was made by Beauchamp that his wife
might he permitted to remain with him
alone in his cell (it seems they were ten
derby engaged to each other), for the
purpose of their last leave-taking, and
this privilege was granted. After Il
while, rs the time fixed for execution
was at hand, the officers entered the
prison cell and found the wife dying with
the wound of a penknife in her breast,
and the husband himself also fatally
stabbed. They had
DETERMINED To ELUDE THE LAW,
and die together. But as the time for
the execution had come, Bcauchamp WAS
taken in his dying condition out upon
the scafiold and hung. The bodies Of
the husband and wife were removed to
their home and buried together. Sub
sequently this tragic romance of real life
was made the basis of Il novd which was
largely bought up, it is said, ny Sharps
friends. Later, about eighteen years
ago, a drama was written by joan Sa-
wage, the Irish poet, founded on the reau-
champ history, and was on the point of
being produced at Louisville.
90 | WAS at the Louisville theatre that
night, l remember" lady in Kentucky
told me; "it was in 1858. The theatre
WAS very full. forgot the name of the
play, but it was understood that its Incl