The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-09-20

announced that Miss Cookies child wa
the offspring OF q negro. He even pro
duced forged certificate to substantial
this unheard-of villainy.
Beauchamp heard the tale, and re
solved that Sharps's hour had now come
He repaired to Frankfort, and, unable Il
obtain lodgings at the hotels, passed tn
night with Scott, the keeper OF the peni
Tertiary. He retired early, and pre-
pared for his murderous deed. Instead
of shoes he put on yarn stockings. III
concealed his face in red bandann'
handkerchief. He secreted long knife
in his bosom. Stealthily he crawled un
observed out of his lodgings, and re
paired noiselessly to Sharpe's residence
Drawing his dagger, he knocked three
| times.
"Who'o there ?" cried Sharpe.
"Covington, replied Beauchanp Gov
ington was an intimate friend ol
Sharpe's).
The door opened, Sharpe appeared,
and Beauchamp seized him by the
throat. He tried to escape.
Mrs. Sharpe appeared at rear door.
Beauchamp tore off his mask and
thrust his face close to his doomed vic
tim. "And do you now know me ?" he
scoffingly sneered.
Sharpe drew back and cried, "Great
God, it is he"
They were his last words.
Beauchamp plunged his dagger deep
into his heart. The blood spurted upon
the walls and dabbled the floor. "Die,
was all Beauchamp said. And he died.
The hue and cry was soon raised.
The assassin was followed by an eager
crowd of pursuers. Captured, arrested,
he was brought back and tried. He was
convicted; he was sentenced to be exc
cuted. His wife remained with him to
the last. She made no attempt at con-
cealing the fact that she instigated and
urged on the assassination. She gloried
in it, and secuted at the threats OF in
dieting her as accessory before the fact.
The night before the execution she pro-
cured an ounce vial of laudanum and
persuaded her husband to cheat the gal
lows if he could. The laudanum was
divided. She swallowed one-half. He
took his portion. Then they knelt and
prayed. They sang for JOY they shout.
ed that their sins had been forgiven,
and in delirium of ecstasy reused the
other inmates of the prison. The poison
did not work. She swore that she
would starve herself to death, die with
her husband, and be buried in the
same coffin.
June 5, 1926, was a great day in
Frankfort. The city was thronged to
see the last OF J. o. Beauchamp. The
black and ominous gibbet was erected
On hilltop near by. The drums beat
nournful dirges from an early hour.
At IL o'clock Mrs. Beauchamp told the
ailer to leave her for few minutes
With her husband. The jailer left, but
vas soon recalled by deep groans from
heir cell. He returned and found them
both weltering in blood. They had
stabbed themselves with knife the wife
lad concealed. His wound was not
atal. His wife soon expired. Beau
champ was carried to her bedside as her
ife's blood was ebbing fast. He felt
Ter pulse. Farewell, child of sorrow;
arewell, victim of persecution and mis-
ortune! You are now safe from the
ongue of SANDER. For you I've lived,
or you die" He kissed her lips ; he
vas ready.
The blood was trickling from his
Wounds. He was too weak to sit up, so
hey laid him in a covered wagon and
lauled him to the gallows.
He waved his hands to the ladies,
whose weeping eyes cheered him with
and consolation. They were
to help him get on his coffin.
he was toe weak to sit upon it unsup-
ported.
"Give me some water. Let the drums
play Bonaparte's Retreat from Mos
,ow, ," were his last words.
They buried the self-murdered wife |
Ind the executed husband in the same |
,offin, folded in each others arms. Even |
n death they were not divided. Their
grave is at Bloomfield, KY, marked by
modest shaft.
The excitement over the fate of Beau
champ and the tragic ending of his wife |
has lent TO the tragedy romantic halo,
and some years since, John Savage. a
New York journalist and play-writer,
worked the leading incidents of the af-
AIR into drama entitled 1.-THE Sybil,"
which, however, was performed only |
vice. Sharpe's son got out an inlunc-
ion Mt Louisville against the perform
lnce of the piece, and succeeded in sup
pressing it entirely.
Were the tragedy to occur in these
lays, it is very doubtful if Beauchamp
would have ever felt the halter draw.
Mehemets ALPS Death.