Evening star., 1911-08-15
bEATT|E STILL CALM
Sleeps Well and Complains
Only of Heat.
TRIAL SET FOR MONDAY
Father Has Nothing to Say-No
Difficulty About Securing Jury
Anticipated.

RICHMOND, Va, August 15.-AEhough
now formally indicted. charged with wife
murder, Henry Clay Beattie, jr., spent a
restful night in the Henrico county jail
at Richmond and rose this morning to
read with interest the newspaper reports
Of Yesterdays proceedings at Chester
field Courthouse, where the indictment
was returned and the trial set for Mon
day next
Beattie appeared to be not at all sur
prised when told of his indictment. He
seemed more concerned about the ex-
cessive heat. He slept as soundly last
night as he has at any time during his
imprisonment
Early Monday morning next Beattfe
will be taken from the Jail here and
transferred to the little red brick prison
at Chesterfield Courthouse, where he is
to be placed on trial for his life.
Judge Walter A. Watson will preside at
the trial and unless the defense can
show. some legal cause. for further delay,
the task of selecting q jury will begin
about 10 o clock Monday morning. From
venire Of thirty-two farmers sixteen
will be selected. and from these four will
be eliminated until the twelve who will
decide tie fate of Beattie remain.
A ruling of the supreme court In this
state holds that the reading of news
paper accounts of a crime does not
necessarily disqualify a man as a juror,
therefore no great difficulty in obtain
ing q jury is anticipated.
Henry Clay Beattie, sr.. the venerable
father of the prisoner. has had moth
ing to say since the Indictment was re-
turned.
Testimony Of Uncle.
Before the grand jury yesterday
Thomas E. Owen, uncle of the murdered
woman. told Of her body being brought to
his house on July IS; described the gaping
wound in the side Of her face; told of the
demeanor OF the young husband, and OF
the condition of the clothes worn by Mrs.
Beattie.
T. p. Pett'grew told of the finding Of
the gun on the railroad track en- the
morning. after the crime.
Coroner Loving related the testimony
given at the corcner's inquest
Detective Scherer told Of taking the
bloodhounds to the scene of the crime,
and OF their failure to trail beyond
certain distance. He also related his In
vestigation Of various clues relative to
BeattIe's mode of life Immediately pre-
| ding the killing of Mrs. Beattie. and
gave an outline Ct the signed statement
obtained from Beulah Bnford
The indictment charging Beattie with
murde~. as prepared for subm ssion TO
the grand jury. is the usual document
bristling with gal verb.age.
| 1t describes the commission OF the
crime. and concludes sOlemnly. to the ef-
| feet that tie jurors upon their caths do
say that the said Henry Clay Beattie, jr.,
IL feioniously. willfully, and OF his
malice afcrothought, did kill and murder,
against the peace and d gnity of the COM
monwealth of Virginia. his twenty three
i S-c r.-nld wife lOlI.Sa WQllfOrd Owen
| Beattie'
Discuss Date Of Trial.
| Following the return of the true bill
| against Beattie the attorneys for the
state and for the defense gathered at the
desk of Judge Watson and discussed a
date for the trial.
| MIR. Gregory, for the state, spoke of the
crime. and urged that the administration
| of justice in this case should be speedy,
and asked the court to set Thursday or
Friday as the time for beginning the trial
He referred to the defense, stating 1t was
as we'll prepared TO enter the hearing as
was the state.
as the day for trial Attorney HUI Car
ter for the defense, noted an exception
to the date for trial. This was supported
by Harry NJ. Smith. while Attorney L. D
Wendenburg urged immediate trial.
Judge Watkins entered q notation o1
the exception. The court handed down q
ruling however. which benefited the at
torneys representing Beattie. heretofore
under an order from the court, no one
not even the attorneys, was allowed tC
!. see Beattie in his cell except when an at
tendant at the Jail was present to heal
tEe conversation. Judge Watkins saiC
that either OF the two attorneys repre-
| senting the defense could see him at any
| ND nf fns
jailet OF any Of his assistants.
A Baltimore and Ohio mixed freight
and passenger train was wrecked neal