The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-09-11

as ali iuLlLudLe ITlenQ OF SharDe'sl
Inc door opened, Sharpe appeared, and
| Beauchamp seized him by The threat III
| tried to escape.
Mrs Sharpe appeared at rear door
Beauchamp tore off his mask aud thrust
| MS face close to his doomed victim. "And
do you now know me?" he scofangIv
| sneered. )
Sharpe drew back and cried: .sGrea God
| it is he.'
They were his last words.
Beauchamp plunged bis dagger deep into
his heart. The blood spurted upon the
walls and dabbed the floor Die" was an
beauchamp said. Aud he died.
1he nue. 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 executed His wife
remained with him to the last. She made no
attempt at eoncealing the fact that she insti-
gated and urged on the assassination. She
glorled in it, and secuted at the threats of
lndlctlng her as accessory before the fact
The night before the execution she procur-
ed an ounce vial of laudanum and persuaded
her husband to cheat the gallows if he could
The lau lanum was divided. She swallowed
one-half- He took his portion. Then they
kneit and prayed. They sang for Joy; they
shouted that their sins had been forgiven
and IN q delirium of ecstacy reused the
other inmates of the prison. The poison
did not work. She swOre she would starve
herself to death, die with her husband, and
De buried in the same coffin
June ., 1926, was great day in Frankfort.
The city was thronged to see the last of j 4.
-. Beauchamp. The black and ominous
gIbbet was erected on hilltop near by
The drums beat mournful dirges from AN
early hour. At IL O'Clock Mrs. Beauchamp
told the jailer to leave her a few minutes
with her husband. The taller left, but was
soon recalled by deep grOans from their cell.
he returned and found them 10th well
tering in blood. They had stabbed them
selves with a knife the wife had concealed.
his wound was not fatal. His wife soon
expired. Beauchamp was carried to her
bedside as her lies blood was ebbing fast.
he felt her pulse. Farewell. child of sor-
row. farewell, victim of persecution and
misfortune! You are now safe from the
tongue of SANDER. For you I've lived, for
tor you l die" He kissed her lips; he was
ready
The blood was trickling from his wounds.
lie was too weak to sit up, SO they laid him
in covered wagon and hauled him to the
gallOws.
He waved his hands to the ladies, whose
weeping eyes cheered him with sympathy
and consolation. They were compelled to
help him get on his coffin. He was too weak
to sit upon it unsupported.
''Give me some water. Let the drums
play 'Bonaparte'S Retreat from Moscow"
were his last words.
They buried the self-murdered wife and
the executed husband in the same coffin,
folded in each others arms. Even in death
they were not divided. Their grave is at
Bloomfield, KY, marked by a modest shaft.
Before her death Mrs. Beauehamp wrote the
following epit aph, which was engraved on
the tombstone of the misguided pair
Entombed below in each others arms
The husband and the wife repose;
Safe from LIES never ending storms,
Secure from all their cruel foes.
A child of evil fate she lived
A williams wiles her peace had crossed
The husband of her heart revived
The happiness she long had lost.
He heard her tale of matchless woe,
And burning for revenge arose;
He laid her base betrayer low.
And struck dismay to virtues foes
Reader, if honor's generous blood
Ere warmed thy heart, Eere drop tear,
And let the sympathetic flood
Deep i'll thy mind its traces wear.
A brother or a sister thou
DishonOred see thy sister dear;
Then turn and see the william low,
And let fall u grateful tear.
Daughters of virtue, grant the tear,
That love and hOnOr's tomb may claim.
In your defence the husband here
Laid down in youth his life and fame.
His wife disdained life forIorn,
Reft from her hearts beloved lord;
Then. reader. here their fortunes mourn,
Who for their love their life blood poured
The excitement over the fate of Beau
champ and the tragic ending of his vile has
lent to the tragedy romantic halo, and
some years since John Savage, New I ork
Journalist and play-writer, worked the lead
ing incidents of the affair into drama en-
titled 'tThe Sybil,'' which, however, was
performed only twice. Sharpe's son got out
an Injunction at Louisville against the per-
Torrance of the piece and succeeded in sup
pressing it entirely.
Were the tragedy to occur in these days,
it is very doubtful if Beauchamp would
have even felt the halter draw.