Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-12-10
FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY.

Wandering smO1g the graves in the
cemetery of Frankfort, Ky, a cores
poudent of the Cincinnati Commercial
found dark gray monument bearing
the name Of Solomon p. Sharp. The
inscription states that he twas assas-
sinated while extending the hand of
hospitality, on the morning of Novem-
Der 7. 1925, in the thirty-eighth year
OF bis age, with the text added: "What
thou kuvTeSt not now thou shalt know
hereafter.
Co. Sharp was in his day one of the
.remost m@n of Kentucky. During
the ad dniuistration of James Madison
he had served two terms lii Congress,
st which time he was tie mate
and intimate friend of JnO. Q. Calhoun,
who is said to have declared that Sharp
was "Ghe oldest man of his age that
had ever crossed the mountains. Pe
had previously been several times
olect5d to the Kentucky Legislature,
and, under Gov Ada'r, WAS attorney,
general Of the State. At th, time OF
his death he had settled in Frankfort
rs a successful lawyer, but had been
gain elected ID the Legislature as tie
champion u the 'reliet party Ibe
''relj, f. aud "anti-rei"f' Of which |
81 a. not attempt to sketch history,
GuI Ds-, n Tor some tine agltettug the
STAT, aid the fact chat Col. Sharp
y : regarded ~ lho chief exponent Of
the relIef movement, and that the seo-
sion e the Legislature began on the
DAY following his assassination. lent
p.cuhar emphasis 10 the excitement
that followed. rhe story Of his death,
with its cause and cons" "QueDc"s. |
ra:y p0gsunGl sources. But first iet
ma say, fronting ttie capitol eqrare III
FrankfOrs, on its northern side. and
ouly few steps eastward from the
Ffauhfort and Louisville hallway, is
large brick mansion. three storles IN
b., glt, xtending far back, with ac-
coNmod tciols for the slave help of
good OH times" This tpusa IS per
/. Q, nearly sky year. old, aud was
th. hons o. Col s ,lom pu z. Sherp III
1875.
i few wears previous Sharp had met
a youag lady nam-d A1n E!iz4 Cook,
and hai seiuced hur. She WAS "a yonn ;,
lady of good family, OF fair cultivation
". IN some literary taient. He met her
at a patty, / believe, aud was under
! iiu4 excitement of the dancing and The
wine, perhaps, that Miss Cook yielded
! Il rsef TO IIlnl. After the disgrace be.
! came k1owD, she secluded herself; but
| it seems that young lawyer named
| Jereboam 0. Beauchamp, also of good
family happeurd 10 see her. and, fall
ing in love with aer. succeedrd n OBJ
taiuing her promise to become his
| " fe. on the condition eXacted bv hel
til 1t he should kill Col. Sharp. This
PROMISE was made, aud the marring,
| tyJk place. Some TINA year or two
| perhapo- passed. aud Sharp still re
NAMED alive. Perhaps the troi.bI
would have passed and been forgotten
had not the seduction been mentioned
as against Snaps character IN tin
warm political campaign III which h
was elected to the Legislature. o.
this charge being brought a9ainat HIM
Col. Sharp treated It shghtingly, an'
stated in public, it is said, thai
certificate was in evidence that he Wa
not the only man who had enjoye'
Miss Cooks favors before her mar
riage. This added insult to the orig
inal injury, aud the secret writing G
Eeauchamp's promise came out dis
tinctly at It's breath. The Sunday ey
ening before the Central Assembl
met. Beauch mp (who lived in anothe
part of the State) entered Frankfort
! aud, fioding the hotels full. put up g
"a private house of gentleman name
Scots. two or three squares south {
: Saarp's residence. Late at night h
went around to Snaps house-th
large Old brick one I have mentioned
aud, going to q side door (aIthoug
, others say it was to tue front door, II
/ knocked Sharp was awakened, an
: asked who was there. Beauchamp al
, swered by giving the nams OF one Fl
rniiiar to sharp In another part OF tt
/ State wAegs the latter had formerl
| live,.-but changed the second initi
{ of this persons name-saying, "Joh