The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-10-02
a Celebrated Case,

Upon circumstantial evidence of the fimsiest
character, supported by charges of political ami
mostly, he was quickly tried and convicted, while
partisan excitement was at its height, and con-
demned to death on the scaffold. In the second
memorandum, already given, it is shown that Beau
champs faithful wife, innocent of any crime; hun
dreds of miles away in her country home at the
time OF the tragedy; innocent OF any expressed
political anlmoslty, with no charge whatever
brought against her, was permitted to occupy with
him his prison, even after the death watch was
set. On the night before the day appointed for
his death, they both attempted suicide, she sue
ceeding, dying in the early hours of the day which
brought death to her husband.
No explanation is given of this unheard of in
fringement OF the law which condemns a man
guilty of murder to solitary confinement. Nc
cause was assigned for the virtual Imprisonment
OF the wife without due process of law. Upon all
OF these points history and the records are silent.
But since Rumor has a hundred tongues, there
was no lack of surmises and theories and gossip
concerning the mysterious affair.
Beauchamp's Ante-mortem Statement.
1t is not generally known; indeed, it is known
to very few persons, that While imprisoned await
ing death, Beauchamp prepared a careful and de-
tailed statement OF his life from his early man
mood; his marriage, and all of the circumstances
leading to his Imprisonment and approaching
death. In this document he exposed the entire
falslty OF the charge brought against him-assas-
%sinotion: the falsity of the motive assigned
political animosity: the entire lack of ami proof
connecting him With the deed. The falsity. the
filmslness OF the circumstantial evidence by which
he was condemned was exposed. After his con-
domination this statement was prepared, and while
awaiting the execution OF his death sentence, he
signed, sealed and delivered it to his attorney.
who accepted it with that credence which is usual
ly accorded to the ante-mortem statement of a
dying man; its deliverance to the public to be
withheld until after the death of his beloved wife.
AS their deaths We're almost simultaneous, the
paper was quietly and quickly prepared for dis
trlbutlon to the public, now wrought up to the
highest pitch of excitement over the double trag-
edy, and the flying rumors of the cause; his adj
herents OF the Anti-I1elief party eagerly clamoring
for his vindication.
Rumors of the forthcoming pamphlet reached
the executive, and was suppressed so promptly
that only a few copies We're preserved. This state
ment of the prisoner was the outpouring of the
heart OF the doomed man, sitting in the shadow
OF the scaffold, with his faithful wife at his side,
a voluntary prisoner. 1t is the true story of two
unhappy victims of cruel circumstances, and the
political frenzy of the times, prepared and signed
by the condemned man
After the tleshly mists which lie
BetwiXt us and our Cod
mad all been cleared away. And its del;yerance
to the world was so conditioned that the wife's
breeding heart would suffer no pain from the en-
posure of her story, and his vindication by the
UnWritten Lac.
tragedy was seemingly evolved; in the tragedy it.
self; in the failure of the historian to accord it
more than passing mention-strangely significant
of an underlying mystery unexplained-Mrs Pitt
man has found the suggestion for her new story.
"lhe Heart Of Kentucky.' only a suggestion. upon
Whlch TO build a suppositious story, as do the
lawyers, to serve as a plea-not for the vindica-
ton of the higher,H or the "unmritten low."-
but as a plea for the enactment of such stringent
iaacs as would minimize such crimes as those for
winch the law does not, can not afford redress,
since only death efaces the dishonor.
This story is a strong study from the inside of
Two people SO ~clrcumstanced as to develop clearly
me underlying theme receiving so much attention
at this time from all classes of society.-that in
sllnct known to man as "the un1oritten lalc."