The Mena weekly star., 1911-09-14
BEATT|E GUILTY, IS
 SENTENCED ID DIE.
THE JURY kNELT IN PRAYER AND THEN SHOUTED ITS
 VERDICT OF DEATH.
Sentenced to Die Not. q. but 90 Day Stay of Execution Is Granted for Appeal Condemned Man
 Breaks Down.

Chesterfield Courthouse, Nas Sept s.-Twelye Virginia farmers knelt at dusk tonight in the obscurity oi the small jury room Of the Ches- terfield courthouse, praying fervent- ly that they might pass judgment arighl on Henry Clay Beattie, Jrs indicted for the murder Of his young wife. Grimly determined they arose moment later and si- lently, one by one, recorded a unani- nous verdict of Guilty"
 NIT. Mendenburg concluded his address a few minutes after 5 o'clock. A brief respite was given the jury, and at 5:2s o'clock it be- gan consideration of the case.
 It was nearly dark in the court room when the jury returned.
 The court told the prisoner to rise He drew himself up calmly, and waited.
 Have you gentlemen agreed on a Nerdicl2n Judge Watson asked.
 We have said Foreman Burgess. The prisoner had confidently ex- pected hung jury
 The court requested the audience not otmanteifs-it-emfwypshrdlu not to manifest it's approval or dis approval. whatever the verdict.
 And what is your verdict?' Judge Watson asked, turning again t0 Foreman Burgess.
 Guilty" answered Burgess. But his voice was swelled by the shout of fl others.
 Unversed in law and the forms of murder trial, the jurymen had not specified the degree of murder.
 Guilty as Indicted.
 Asked what degree, Mir. Burgess answered, Guilty as indicted" pre- sumed to be second degree murder, unless otherwise specified. It was encumbent upon the jury to fix the degree, so Judge Watson advised the jurymen to confer again on the point, and seven minutes later they returned, this time with the verdict, Murder in the first degree"
 The prisoner stood erect and mo- tionless. His face, in color, a yol- Jewish green throughout the day, was immobile.
 Tho light of lamp cast dreary shadow on his upturned chin as he faced the jury. His eyelids sagged, but did not blink. In steady gaze he held his eyes on the faces of the il men who had pronounced his fate as if to penetrate their minds and de- termine the reason why. But il was not resentful expression. And when the court asked the prisoner if he had anything to say, he ans wered: T have nothing to say, and sat down.
 The perfunctory motion for a new trial was made by counsel for the defense. The usual granting of per- mission. even to argue the point was denied, as Judge Watson had declared in stern voice, that all rulings of the court were compar- atively unimportant detail, and 1T no way could have influenced the verdict.
 A stay of execution was granted however. to give counsel opportun- ity to apply for writ of error wher the Court of Appeals meets in No- NembeP.
 Judge Watson delivered an im- pressiye speech to the prisoner.
 The court in this trial" saic Judge Watson, "has endeaVored ir all it's decisions to lean toward the side of the prisoner, and in its ,harge to the jury, as well, has at empted to give the benefit of every loubt and every opportunity to es- ablish his innocence. The rulings mostly have been not on matters oi nv, but on small questions of fact
 May God Have Mercy"
 You have had a fair and impar-