The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-03-17
CENTURY OF DCELS, FIGHTS ANI
VIOLENT CONTROVERSIES.

wars of the Breckinrilges, Wick
Hffes and Cassius M. Clay Re
marlabIe Duel Fought by a Near
Sighted Editor-,Thc Kno..-Noth-
.. ing Massacre ln AeuisviIle-yE'he
killing of svvope i'm 1850:
Kentucky's political troubles have been
men who came out from Virginia anI,
Maryland and settled Kentucky had a
great deal of trouble with the Virginia
politicians in obtaining the rights of
statehood. 1t was six years :after Ke1l-
lucky first asked to be admitted into the
Union before her prayer was granted,
and during that time the most bitter and
unceasing discussion was going on among
the politicians. But in those days the
politicians did not fight and kill, as they
began doing later in the states history
They were content to make stump
speeches at the barbecues ind to print
pamphlets and write whitening editorials
IN the few newspapers.
One Of the first assassinations believed
to have been done for political purposes
was the mysterious killing Of COL Solo
mon p. Sharp at Frankfort in November,
1926. He had just been elected to the
legislature after having resigned as at
torney general under Gov. Desha, and in
a few days he would have been elected
speaker Of the house of representa- tives.
which place Gov. Desha was anxious that
he should have in order that he might
be in "a position to forward the interests
of the New Court party. The Old Court
fxyf, L.,
toward him in his canvass, and had
abused him like a pickpocket. Two
nights before the legislature was to meet
he was called to his door, which is within
100 yards of the spot on which Senator
William >Goebel was shot, and in full view
of 1t, and was stabbed to the heart with
a very wide dirk. He died; almost instant
ly and, although his wife was at his side
within livery few minutes after the stab
bling, he was unable to speak to her, and
died without telling the name of the man
who killed him. The crime was irnmedi-
ately laid at the door Of the leaders Of
the Old Court party, and the editors Of
the opposition papers We'd with one an
other i'm saying abusive things about
these leaders. In a few weeks it was
found that Col Sharp had been killed
by j. o. Beauchamp, because he had be-
trayed Beauchamps sweetheart, and that
she had made Beauchamp promise to kill
Sharp before she would agree to marry
him. Beauchamp was executed for the
crime a year after it's commission and his
wife committed suicide in the jail where
she had been allowed to visit him.
A noted political controversy occurred
between the late Robert J. Breckenridge,
father Of Col. w. P. c. Breckenridge, a
leader in the 'anti-Goebel fight, and the
late Robert ;Wickliffe. Both lived at
Lexington, and they hated each other.
On the steps of the court house in Lex
ington one day in summer ct is to the
London, KY, correspondent of the New
York Sun that we are indebted for these
reminiscences), DR.. Breckenridge was
speaking against Col. Wickliffe, who was
present. His abuse was so violent that
the knees Of Wickliffe were seen to smite
together. When DR.. Breckenridge was at
the height Of his invective against the
"Old Duke" as Wickliffe was called, a
man put his head out of a window and
yelled:
"Give 1T to him, doctor. If you need
any help I am here!
Come down and let me see who you
are!" shouted the doctor in reply.
II don't have to come down! My name
is Cassius M. Clay!" came back in
trumpet-liSe tones from the window.
1t was Cassius M. Clay, then a civilian
and an enemy of the Wickliffe's. AL
though it was believed that DR.. Breckin-
ridge could not keep out of a duel with
Col Wickliffe, they never fought. But
Col. Wickliffe carried his hatred of Brock
inridge beyond the grave, for he willed
, that his body should not be buried in the
cemetery at Lexington because Robert
J. Breckenridge had taken part in it's ded-
ication.
One of the first due1s fought over poll
tics in Kentucky was between Cassius NJ
Clay and Charles Wickliffe son of Col.
Wickliffe. They were both candidates for
congress, and in their campaigns they
had abused each other so that Wickliffe
called Clay out They went to a Sc
cluded grove near Lexington, arriving
there just as the sun was rising. Their
seconds loaded their pistols and measured
the distance, twenty PAGES. The princi-
pals took their places and at the word
fired. Neither was hit. Again the weap-
ons were loaded and again the principals
fired with the same result Clay, who
was an excellent pistol shot, declared that
the seconds had played them false and
had not loaded the pistols with ball, so
he refused to fight further. The seconds
afterward admitted that Clay was right,
but they defended their action by saying
that they did not want ito see two such
promising young men kill each olner, as
they would have been almost certain to
do had the pistols been properly loaded,
for Wickliffe, like Clay, was a dead shot
with pistol.
About year after the trouble the
editor of Lexington paper, John Ben
nett, began abusing the Wickliffes on
account of their politics. After several
months the editor fell Ill and friend
wrote his editorials for him. One Of
these was so violently abusive that
Charles Wickliffe, with whom Clay
fought the duel, called to see the editor.
Bennett had just got up from his sick
bed, and when Wick1iffe called he told
him that he could not tell him then who
was the author Of the article, but would
do so the next day. In the meantime
Bennett went out to see the friend who
wrote the article and told him of Wick
liffe's visit. The friend was afraid that
Wickliffe would kill him and he would
not allow the editor TO tell who wrote
the article. The next day Wickliffe
called at the appointed hour. The editor
told him he would let him know the au-
thor's name at noon next day. Wicklife
replied:
Very well, I shall be here when the
clock strikes twelve tomorrow, and I
want to know who wrote that article
He came on the stroke, and walking
into the office shot Bennett dead with
out giving him an opportunity to defend