The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-14

itiS rights IN the courts OF the Cons
monwealth exhausted. and with the
.rial 1ury's verdict of guilty approved
by two tribunals. Henry Cluy Beattic,
Jr'. Is brought face to face with tho
shameful death prescribed by statute
for Wilful murdcrcrs. His last real
hope for life was ended yesterday
when the Supreme Court of Appeals re-
fused to grant him a writ Of error, and
thus declined to oven review the case
OIL MS petition for O. reversal and a
new trial.
Only successful plea to Governors
Mann for life OF Imprisonment in the
stripes OF convict would save Beat
tie. such action would be entirely un-
expected. The prisoner had a trial
which was generally commended for
the care with which disputed points
were decided. The highest Virginia
court has determined that the plead
ings of the petition We're not worthy
OF even a hearing on their merits
that the arguments of the defense
alone were insufficient, without walt
ing for Il statement from the prosecu-
ton.
VIII Hardly Interfere.
Those who nave carefully followed
the case do not believe that any rep
resentution can be made OF sufficient
force to induce executive interference
in the face or tho judicial history Of
the case. Aid L IL equally realized
that 1t is idle to talk OF a commuta-
ton based on general arguments
against capital punishment. to a Gov
ernor who Is sworn to carry out the
laws of the Commonwealth. no matter
what his Individual views may be.
In tho death chamber of the State
Penitentiary. Beattie was informed
yesterday OF the action taken by the
Supreme Court. Tho informant was
his tather. who went 20 t!Ie Statt5.
prison soon after he heard OF the re-
suit of the appeal.
Later Ill the afternoon. the prisoner
was visited by IL. Nj. Smith, Jr., one
of his attorneys. The future was dis
cussed on this latter occasion, and the
chances OF respite or Communication
were gone into at some length. Beat
tie received the news without serious
results to his general condition. Ha
was apparently as well as ever last
night.
OF course. no effort was made by
representative. of The Times Dispatch
to pull aside the veil and learn the
details and eject of the interview be-
tween the aged father and has son. In
such an hour. public curiosity halts at
the door of the tragedy. and draws
aside from the horror
Less than four months elapsed be-
tween the Gay when Henry Clay
Beattie. III. stood by the open grave
CT his young wife. Louise owen Beat
tie. in Ninury Cemetery, and tho day
when the doom of the husband waa
finally pronounced by Judge James
Keith, president of the Supreme Court
of Appeals of Virginia. Justice in this
instance hns been swift. Not even in
III
of the laws delays. The murder was
committed on July is. the verdict was
rendered BY tho trial jury on Septem-
Der S. the appeal was refused by the
court of last resort on November IS.
While IL haa been realized from the
moment of the fling OF tn petition on
November t. that the court might tuke
action at any time. the opinion had
been quite general that u written opin-
ion would he rendered. and that in
that event the appeal would not be
heard from until Thursday OF this
week. when the court VIII hand down
its first batch OF decisions for the
term. This az cunts for the fact that
few people were in the courtroom
when the session began at 10 o'clock
yesterday morning. One or two law
yers from Lynchhurg were on hand to
argue tax case Will three or four
others wero sitting about waiting for
succeeding hearings
Keith Pronoupces Decision.
Clerk II. Stewart Jones occupied q
few seconds In reading tho mlnutes
OF Fridays session of the court. Then
Judge Keith, from tho bench. simply
said
In the case os Beattie versus the
Commonwealth. from the Circuit Court
OF Chesterfield county. the Judgment
OF the court being plainly right,
writ of error Is refused"
Judge Keith followed nearly the ver- 4
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