The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-12
KENTUCKY'S BLO0DSVAIN.
a GRIM And UEIRD CHRONICLE OF
FIGHTS
And OF Assasstnattons-z kentucky's Po-
iitical Troubles Cover n Period of
More Than One Hundred Years.

hbc OF ABsaSSinofROnS-2k enfucky's PO-
litical Troubles Cover n Period OF
more Than One Hundred Years.
kentucky's political troubles have
been going on for more than 100 years
The men who came out from Virginia
and Maryland and settled Kentucky
had great deal of trouble with the
Virginia politicians in obtaining the
rights of statehood. 1t was six years
after Kentucky first asked to be adj
mitted 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 poll
ticians did not fight and kill, as they
began doing later in the states history.
They were content to make stump
speeches at the barbecues and to print
pamphlets and write whitening editoli-
ais in the few newspapers,
One of the first assassinations believ-
ed to have been done for political pur-
poses was the mysterious killing of Col
onel Solomon F. Sharp, at Frankfort,
in November, 1926. He had just been
elected to the Legislature after having
resigned as Attorney-General under
Governor Desha and in few days he
would have been elected speaker of the
House Of Representatives, which place
Governor 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
partys leaders had been unusually Bit
ter toward him in his canvas and had
abused him like pickpocket. Two
nights before the Legislature was to
4 meet he was called to his door, which
I is within 100 yards of the spot on
which Senator William Goebel was shot
and in full view of it, and was stabbed
to the heart with very wide dirk. He
died almost instantly, and, although
his wife was at his side within a few
minutes after the stabbing, he was un-
able to speak to her and died without
telling the name of the man who killed
him. The crime was Immediately laid
\ at the door of the leaders of the Old
Court party, and the editors of the op-
position papers We'd with one another
In saying abusive things about these
leaders. In few weeks it was found
that Colonel Sharp had been killed by
trayed Beauchamp's sweetheart and
that she had made Beauchamp promise
to kill Sharp before she would agree to
marry him, Beauchamp was executed
for the crime year after it's commits
sion and his wife committed suicide in
the Jail where she had been allowed to
visit him.
A noted political controversy occurr-
\ = IL. 1r,4a II
ridge, father of Colonel W. c. p. Brock
enridge, leader Of the anti-Goehel
fight, and the late Robert Wickliffe.
Both lived at Lexington, and they
hated each other. On the steps OF the
courthouse of Lexington one day in
Summer. DIR. Breckenridge was speak |
ing against Colonel Wickliffe, who was
present. His abuse was so violent that |
the knees of Wickiffe were seen to |
smite together. When DR., Breckin- |
ridge was at the height of his invective
against the "Old Duke" as Wickliffe |
was called, man put his hand out of
a window and yelled:
Give it to him, doctor; if you need |
any help ! 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 like tones from the window
1t was Cassius M Clay then civili-
an and an enemy of the Wickliffes t
Although it was believed that Dr.
Breckenridge could not keep out Of
duel with Colonel Wickliffe, they never
fought. But Colonel Wickliffe carried
his hatred Of Breckenridge beyond the
grave, for he willed that his body
should not be buried in the cemetery at
Lexington because Robert J. Breckin-
ridge had taken part in it's dedication.
One of the first duels fought over pol
itics in Kentucky was between Cassius
M. Clay and Charles M Wickliffe, son
of Colonel Wickliffe, They were both
candidates for Congress and in their
campaign they had abused each other
so that Wickliffe called Clay OUT They
went to secluded grove near Lexing-
ton, arriving there Just as the sun was
rising. Their seconds loaded their pis-
tolls and measured the distance 20
PAGES. The principals took their places
and at the word fired. Neither was hit
Again the weapons were loaded and {
again the principals fired with the
same result. Clay who was an excel
lent shot declared that the seconds had
played them false and had not loaded
the pistols with ball, so he refused to 6
fight further The seconds afterward
that Clay was right, but they {
their action by saying that {
they did not want to see two such j
young men kill each other, !
as they would have been almost certain |
to do had the pistols been properly !
loaded, for Wickliffe, like Clay, was a IS
dead shot with a pistol a
About year after this trouble the c
editor of a Lexington newspaper, John
Bennett, began abusing the Wickliffes Y
On account of their politics After sew f
sral months the editor fell i'll, and a
friend wrote his editorials for him. One 7
,f these was so violently abusive that II
Charles Wickliffe, with whom Clay t
fought the duel, called to see the edi- S
.or. Bennett had just got up from his a
sick bed, and when Wickliffe called he f
old that he could not tell him who t.
vas the author of the article, butwould /
10 so the next day, In the meantime a
Bennett went to see the friend who Il
wrote the articles and told him of r