Jereboam O. Beauchamp - Murder of Solomon Sharp

Murder of Solomon Sharp

In Frankfort in 1825, Sharp was in the middle of a bitter political battle known as the Old Court-New Court controversy. He identified with the New Court, or Relief party, which promoted a legislative agenda favorable to debtors. In opposition was the Old Court, or Anti-Relief party, which worked to secure the rights of creditors to collect debts. Sharp had served as the state's attorney general under New Court governors John Adair, whose term lasted until August 1824, and Joseph Desha, who succeeded him in office. The New Court party's power was beginning to wane, however.

In 1825, Sharp resigned to run for a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives. During the campaign, opponents raised the issue of his alleged seduction of Anna Cooke. Old Court partisan John Upshaw Waring had handbills distributed that alleged that Sharp had denied paternity of Cooke's child because it was a mulatto and likely fathered by a Cooke family slave. The story apparently did not affect the election, which Sharp won, defeating John J. Crittenden. Whether Sharp had made the claim is uncertain, but Beauchamp believed he had. He began to prepare to murder him and flee to Missouri. He planned to commit the murder in the early morning of November 7, 1825, when the new legislature would convene its session, in the hopes that suspicion would be cast on Sharp's political enemies. Three weeks prior to that date, Beauchamp sold his property, telling his friends that he was planning to move to Missouri. He hired laborers to help load his wagons two days before the planned murder.

Beauchamp's plan to move was complicated by a warrant sworn out against him by Ruth Reed. Reed claimed that Beauchamp was the father of her illegitimate child, born on June 10, 1824. Although the warrant was sworn out October 25, 1825, Beauchamp had ignored it on the advice of a friend who said it was harassment. Later, Beauchamp claimed that he had arranged for the warrant to give him a reason to be in Frankfort and present for the murder. The historian Fred Johnson says that the incorporation of the warrant into Beauchamp's story was likely done after the fact as a means of damage control – especially considering that fathering an illegitimate child was the reason for his planned murder of Sharp.

Preparing to travel, Beauchamp packed a change of clothes, a black mask, and a knife with poison on the tip, to be used as the murder weapon. Finding all the inns filled when he arrived at Frankfort, he took lodging at the residence of Joel Scott, warden of the state penitentiary. Between nine and ten o'clock that evening, Beauchamp went to Sharp's home. Dressed in a disguise, he carried his usual clothes and buried them along the bank of the Kentucky River for retrieval following the murder. Discovering that Sharp was not home, Beauchamp sought him in the city and found him at a local tavern. He returned to Sharp's house to wait for him, seeing him arrive about midnight.

At two o'clock in the morning, Beauchamp thought the household was quiet and approached the door. In his Confession, he described the murder of Sharp:

I put on my mask, drew my dagger and proceeded to the door; I knocked three times loud and quick, Colonel Sharp said; "Who's there" - "Covington," I replied. Quickly Sharp's foot was heard upon the floor. I saw under the door as he approached without a light. I drew my mask over my face and immediately Colonel Sharp opened the door. I advanced into the room and with my left hand I grasped his right wrist. The violence of the grasp made him spring back and trying to disengage his wrist. He said, "What Covington is this." I replied John A. Covington. "I don't know you," said Colonel Sharp, I know John W. Covington." Mrs. Sharp appeared at the partition door and then disappeared, seeing her disappear I said in a persuasive tone of voice, "Come to the light Colonel and you will know me," and pulling him by the arm he came readily to the door and still holding his wrist with my left hand I stripped my hat and handkerchief from over my forehead and looked into Sharp's face. He knew me the more readily I imagine, by my long, bush, curly suit of hair. He sprang back and exclaimed in a tone of horror and despair, "Great God it is him," and as he said that he fell on his knees. I let go of his wrist and grasped him by the throat dashing him against the facing of the door and muttered in his face, "die you villain." As I said that I plunged the dagger to his heart. —Jereboam Beauchamp, Confession of Jereboam O. Beauchamp, pp. 39–41

Sharp died within moments. Fleeing the scene, Beauchamp went to the river to retrieve his clothes, where he changed and sank his disguise in the river with a stone. He returned to the house of Joel Scott.

When the Scott family awoke the next morning, Beauchamp emerged from his quarters. He feigned surprise when told of the murder and was apparently believed at the time. After being told there were no suspects yet, he called for his horse and began his return trip to Bowling Green. After the four-day journey, he told his wife that Sharp was dead. The next morning, a posse from Frankfort arrived and told Beauchamp that he was under suspicion for the murder. He agreed to return with the men to Frankfort and face the charge.