ers ▁Category : 1 9 th - century ▁women ▁opera ▁sing ers ▁Category : S wed ish ▁oper atic ▁sop ran os <0x0A> </s> ▁J ere bo am ▁Or ville ▁Be auch amp ▁( ; ▁September ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁– ▁July ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 2 6 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁lawyer ▁who ▁murder ed ▁the ▁Kentucky ▁legisl ator ▁Sol omon ▁P . ▁Sh arp ; ▁the ▁crime ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Be auch amp – Sh arp ▁T rag edy . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁Sh arp ▁had ▁been ▁accused ▁in ▁Bow ling ▁Green , ▁Kentucky ▁by ▁Anna ▁Co oke ▁of ▁father ing ▁her ▁il leg it imate ▁child ; ▁it ▁was ▁still born . ▁Sh arp ▁denied ▁pat ern ity , ▁and ▁public ▁opinion ▁fav ored ▁him . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁Be auch amp ▁married ▁Co oke , ▁who ▁was ▁sevent een ▁years ▁older ▁than ▁he . ▁She ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁kill ▁Sh arp ▁to ▁defend ▁her ▁honor . ▁ ▁When ▁Sh arp ▁campaign ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 ▁for ▁a ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁Kentucky ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives , ▁oppon ents ▁rev ived ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁his ▁alleg ed ▁il leg it imate ▁child ▁by ▁Co oke . ▁They ▁distributed ▁campaign ▁literature ▁claim ing ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁mul atto . ▁En rag ed , ▁Be auch amp ▁renew ed ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁a ven ge ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁honor . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁morning