Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-10-21
Beauchamp Tragedy.
The Story Of one of the Most Fa-
m0uaMurders ever PerpctrA-
ted in America.
rCincinnati Commercial. !

monument bearing the name Of
Solomon ?. Sharp. The inscrip-
ton states that he "was assassi-
mated while extending the hand
of hospitality, on the morning
of November 9TH, 1928, in the
thirty-eighth year of his age" :"
with the text added: "What thou
knowcst not now, thou shalt
know hereafter"
Col. Sharp was, in his day,
one of the foremost men Of Ken
tucky. During the iadministra-
ton of James Madison he had
served two terms in Congress,
at which time he was the room
mate and intimate friend Of
JOHN c. CALHOUN,
who is said to have declared
that Sharp was the Oldest man
of his age that had ever cross
ed the mountains He had
previously been several times
elected to the Kentucky Icgisla-
ture, and under Gov. Adair was
attorney general OF the State
At the time Of his death he had
settled in Frankfort rs Il very
successful lawyer, but had re-
Gently been again elected to the
Legislature as the champion Of
the "rcIiefparty," The ''religf"
and "anti-relicf' controversy.
of which | shall not attempt 10
sketch a history, had been for
some time agitating the state,
and the fact that Col. Sharp was
regarded as d chief exponent OF
the relief movement, and that
the session Of the legislature
was to begin Oh the day follow
ing his assassination, lent Il pc
culiar emphasis to the excite
mcnt that followed. I'Ec story,
Of his death, with It's cause and
consequences, | have learned
from several contemporary per-
sonat resources. BYt first let
me say, fronting the capital
square in Frankfort,ou lis north
ern side, and only I few steps
eastward from the Frankfort
and Louisville railway,Is large,
dark, red-colored brick mansion
three stories in height, extend
ding far back, with ample ac-
commodations for the slave help
Of "the good old times" d" =:
This house is perhaps sixty
years old, and was the house Of
Col. Solomon p. Sharp in 1926.
\ few years previous, Sharp had
met a young lady named Ann
Eliza COOK, and s.. ).
HE HAD SEDUCED IIER.
She was a young lady Of good
family, of fair cultivation, with
some literary talent. He met
her at a party, l believe, and it
was under the excitement of
the dance and wine, perhaps,
that Miss Cook yielded herself
to him. After her disgrace had
become known she secluded
herself at home, but it seems
that a young lawyer named
Jeroboam 0. Beauchamp, also
of respectable family, happened
to see her and, falling in love
with her, succeeded in obtaining
from her the promise to become
his wife Oh condition, eXacted
by her, that he would kill Col.
Sharp. This promise was made
- the marriage took place. :
Some time "a year or two
perhaps = passed, and Sharp
still remained alive. Perhaps
the trouble would have passed
and been forgotten, had not the
seduction been mentioned as a.
gainst Sharp's character during
the warm political campaign in
which he was elected to the leg
lature. On this charge being
brought against him, he treated
it slightly and stated in public,
it is said, that a certificate was
in evidence that this child born
of Miss Cook
HAD A BLACK FACE.
This added insult to the original
injury. and the secret writing of
Beauchamp's promise came out
distinctly at once. The Sun
day evening before the general
assembly met, Beauchamp (who
lived in another part of the state)
entered Frankfort, and finding
the hotels full, put,up at a pri-
vate house of a gentleman NAM
ed Scott, two or three squares
south Of Sharp's residence. =
Late at night he went around to
t he house where Sharp resided