Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-01


1t became apparent today that the de-
fense intends to refute his testimony
by placing on the stand the prisoner
himself
| Alexander Robertson, a 16-year-old
boy. was the last witness Of the day.
He testified to having found a wo-
mans yellow hair pin Thursday
morning after the murder. He said
he gave the pin to his older brother,
Taylor Robertson, newspaper man,
In the court room at the time.
"Is 1t your purpose to prove that
the pin was Mrs. Beattie's? asked
counsel for the defense.
"It is."
The boys testimony revealed for
the first time the presence of sec
| ond blood spot on the Midlothian
turnpike about 800 to 400 yards from
the first blood spot. He said 1t was Is
inches long.
Wednesdays Proceedings.
Chesterfield Court House, Aug. &c.
Testimony corroborative Of the
story told by Henry C.. Beattie, Jr.,
that bearded highwayman killed his
wife with a shotgun was introduced
by the defense in the Beattie trial to-
day. when w. r. Holland, who lives
in the vicinity of the Midlothian turn
pike, where the murder took place,
declared he had seen a bearded man
with a shotgun there about five hours
before the tragedy.
1t was the first move Of the defense
after the prosecution rested its case
at noon today to establish the verac-
ity Of the prisoner, and besides Hol-
lands statement concerning q man
with shotgun, Eugene Henshaw,
farmer, who travels the Midlothian
L t,,- ,,Ntly l41, Qol H.
/ strange looking man prowling around
on three different days before the
/ murder.
| 1t Is reported tonight that the pros
ecution Is ready, when its time for re-
buttal arrives, to put on the stand the
man who passed along the railroad
tracks where Holland said he saw a
man with a shotgun and that the new
witness will say he was squirrel hunt
| ing that day.
The defense summoned many wit
nesses. Besides the testimony re-
garding the bearded man, expert tes-
timony was introduced as to the
bouncing qualities Of an automobile
similar to that driven by Beattie,
thereby accounting for the jolting
out from the car Of the shotgun
placed in a rear seat by Beattie after
the encounter with the alleged high
wayman.
The prosecution attacked this line
of evidence on cross-examination. 1t
contended that the railroad crossing
where Beattie claims the gun must
have been elected from the car was
smooth one and that the jolt which
might have resulted from crossing
the tracks where the rails are expos
ed necessarily would have tossed the
weapon forward OF the crossing in
stead of directly sideways. parallel
with the track, where the gun was
found. The idea of the prosecution
has been to indicate that Beattie
himself slowed down at the crossing
and threw the gun to one side on his
way to the Owen home with his dead
wife.
The defense sought to show that
being held up by highwaymen while
motoring in this vicinity was not an
uncommon occurrence, and put on
the stand a chauffeur who related an
experience with a highwayman a
year ago.
The commonwealth attorneys OBJ
jected to the testimony as irrelevant.
Judge Watson ruled that unless
great many instances could be point
ed to. showing hold-ups Of a similar
character to the one described by the
4
dent would be ruled out. The defense
announced 1t intended to give other
instances later.
| Beattie's counsel attacked the dec
laration of Sam Talley that he heard
on the night Of the murder shot
and the scream of a woman on the
Midlothian turnpike. Several wit
nesses testified that the morning after
the murder, when Beattie talked with
Talley and others, nothing was said
about hearing a woman scream.
| An amusing incident occurred when
the defense put on the stand William
Pemberton. 45 years old, to attack
the truthfulness and character OF
Tally. Pemberton's own mentality
was questioned by Prosecutor Wen
denburg.
"Are you right in your mind?"
asked the prosecutor.
What do you mean? Am 1
crazy?" Pemberton asked.
"Well, no, but didn't you have nine
cats chained in one room in your
house once?" asked the prosecutor.
No"
well, weren't there pictures taken
of those cats?"
| Maybe"
| Here the witness fidgeted and be-
gan to show signs Of embarrassment.
He turned on Mr.. Wendenburg saw
agely exclaiming:
Look here, man, are you trying
to cross-examine me? You are talk
ing out Of your head"
The witness continued talking
rapidly, but his remarks were drown
ed in the laughter of the court room,
and even after Judge Watson had re-
stored order the witness talked on In
| Ilightning-like speed until the court
ordered him to stop.
| Even the prisoner Joined in the
laughter and was the last in the room
to regain his composure.
| When Eugene Henshaw, farmer
Of Bon Air, who travelled daily on the
Midlothian turnpike just before the
murder was put on the stand, he was
asked If he saw a stranger on the
road the days before or after the
murder.
"I met a man walking along the
road who I thought was a lunatic."
Don't give your opinion"
| II saw the man." continued the
witness, three times. the Wednes-
day, Friday and Monday before the
murder. He was a bearded man. He
seemed to be about so years Of age"
This testimony was the first intro
duced by the defense to support
murder.
"Was It a white or colored man."
asked Prosecutor Wendenburg.
white man. He had gray beard.
Beard about two weeks old"
I'm what position from the scene OF
the murder did you see the man."
About three-quarters Of g. mile
away"
What kind of a hat did he have?"
'Slouch hat"
What kind of clothes?"
Dark"
(Which way was he going each
time you saw him?"
"Once he was going west; the 9TH
er times he was sitting down. I don't
know which way he was going then"
who did you first tell about the
apparition you saw in the shape Of an
old man."
"A young man by the name Of John
Ford"
did the strange man have a gum"
mot when l saw him."
The witness was excused.
Broadnax Robertson, a companion
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