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

n nOMANOE We ORAAEs ~
The BsauchAmp-sharpe Tragedy-whs
Might Have Happened In Venice, but Id
Happen In Kentucky.
[From the Cincinnati COMMERCIAL
" the many crimes committed on TN
sacred soil of Kentucky there never ha
been one for romance of incident, chiy
airy of motive, tragedy of ending, equs
to that of the Beauchamp affair
Though transporting many years ago, 1T
details have lost none of their freshness
and the high standing of the famiie
and their persistent efforts to suppress
everything relating to it, have tended Il
perpetuate its remembrance, and rende
1t romance that even at this late da,
all Kentuckians love to talk of and won
der over. The murderer, or infatuated
avenger of another's wrongs, was j. o
Beauchamp, the son of a respectable
farmer near Bowling Green. He was {
young law student of unusual promise
whose talents and address had attracted
the favorable notice of the afterwaro
murdered Solomon p. Sharpe, at thai
time Attorney General of the State
Young Beauchamp was of ardent tenn
permanent, entertained exalted ideas OF
woman's purity, and once upon his va
cation CHANGED to meet Miss Ann Cooke,
beautiful young lady, who, during his
absence in the pursuito of his studies, had,
with a widowed mother, taken up hel
residence near his fathers farm.
1t was case of love at first sight. Miss
Cooke was melancholy as lovers lutte,
lived in great privacy, and her mysteri-
GUS movements and intentional with
drawal from society threw around her a
halo of mystlfcation that fred the ardor
of the law student and made him a
willing slave at her feet. he called
upon her, actually forced himself into
her presence and borrowed books of her,
simply to afford him an excuse to call
again. She repealed his advances in a
manner that only lured him on. He per-
secuted her with kindness and haunted
her with attentions. He proposed, was
rejected she would never marry. He
persisted with an excess of passion and
ardor that induced her to tell him her
story, and wiring from him promise OF
revenge.
She had been betrayed, she said, by
Col. Sharpe. Her case was peculiarly
sad one. Col Sharpe had been raised
in her fathers family. The sacred rites
of hospitality he had repaid by filching
the daughters virtue. And she, like
many another, became mother ere she
was a wife. She had been famed for her
beauty, yet her disgrace had withered
its charms and crippled it's powers. Her
family had been wealthy. but adversely
had overtaken them. Her father and
male relatives were all dead. There was
no one to avenge her wrongs. Beau
champ, tied to her fate by the silken
cords of desperate love, as well as by
the romantic notion of chivalric tenn
that urged him to wash out by
or challenge the wrong
done, readily cook an oath to hurl
Sharpe to the doom he deserved.
"Sharpe will not fight" said Miss
Cook, when Beauchamp announced his
intention of calling him out she is
too great coward" That was in 1921.
The Legislature was in session at
Frankfort. Beauchamp readily found
Col. Sharpe at the Mansion House.
The Colonel recognized him cordially.
" I've come to Frankfort to see you on
important business" and Beauchamp
took him by the arm, saying, "Let us
take walk"
They went to retired spot by the
river side. The bell at the Mansion
House rang for supper.
Beauchamp turned upon Sharpe with
nervous manner and eye sparkling with
anger. "Do you remember the lest
words Miss Cooke, whom you ruined,
spoke to you9"
Sharpe stood as if transfxed.
81 am the avenger whom, in the
spirit of prophecy, she, the last time
you ever saw her, warned you would
right her wrongs"
Sharpe stood till, deigning no reply.
evil you fight duel with me?"
"My dear friend" cringingly spoke
the Attorney General, 81 cannot fight
you on Miss Cookies account"
"Defend yourself, then, coward and
villain that you are" shrleked Beau
,hamp, drawing an enormous dirk.
ct have no weapon but a penknife.
Beauchamp threw him a Spanish
knife.
"My dear friend, cannot fight you,"
still urged Sharpe.
"You villain, what do you
mean by that ? That she is not worthy
you should fight her friend and aven.
yer?"
"My friend, meant that I never can
eight the friend of that worthy, injured
lady. Had her brothers murdered me,
I would not have raised my hand to de-
fend myself. And, if you are her hus-
band, can never fight you"
81 am not her husband, but her
friend and avenger. She sent me to
take your life. Now, - villain, you
shall die"
He raised his dagger. Sharpe ran.
seized him by the collar.
Sharpe fell upon his knees and begged
for his life.
"Take my property; my whole estate
is at your command, but, oh let me
i've" he cried.
Beauchamp released his hold, slapped
Sharpe's face, and kicked him as he
arose. SECT up, you coward; I'll pub
licly horsewhip you tomorrow in the
street, you internal coward" he said.
Beauchamp meant to be as good as his
word. He procured horsewhip, and
that Sharpe, surrounded by