The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-26
saw BEATT|E AT
Scene OF MURDER
Roland Sydnor Identifies Pris-
oner as Man Who Had Car
There About Dusk.
REGARD POINT AS VITAL
Detectives Charge That Husband
Went Alone to Hide Gun
Near Road

Z
Near Road.
Evidence that Henry &. Beattie. Jr.
now in Jail on the charge of havin z
murdered his wife on the night of
July is. deliberately placed the gun
With which the crime was commit ed
behind n stump on the Midlothian
Turnpike. and blazed a tree so that 1t
might be found in the darkness. is in
the hands of the detectives. and will
be produced ut the trial
Roland Sydnor. a Chesterfield coun-
" dairyman, was his way home
along the turnpike about dusk on the
night of the murder. shortly before S
o'clock. lie saw a motor car with Il
single occupant which passed him.
went a little beyond. turned around
and stopped. the occupant got out
and stepped TO one side of the road.
y minute later he again entered the
car and passed the dairyman. driving
rapidly toward Richmond.
Sydnor Identified Beattic.
Yesterday morning Roland Sydnor,
at the Henrico Jail. positively identi-
fed Henry c. Beattic. Jr.. as the sole
occupant of the motor car.
The murder was committed that
night between 1915 and II o'clock.
On former rides from the owen house
Mr. and Mrs. Beattie had taken others
with them-somctimes Mrs Beattie's
mother. Mrs. r. V. Owen: sometimes
Mrs. Tom owen. sometimes the baby.
Previous TO the night OF the killing
Mrs. Beattie had told the others that
on Tuesday night her husband wished
to talk with her, and no one therefore
offered to accompany them.
Detective Scherer in charge OF the
case. stated yesterday that the officers
now had detailed statement from
Beulah Binford, simplifying her testi-
mony on the witness stand giving in
detail and with approximate dates her
association with young Beattie and
her hope that he would one day run
away with her. Beattie protesting that
he must live with his wife until his
father died. when he would come into
considerable property.
Puts All Binmc on Henry.
Mr.. Scherer said that while throw
ing much light on the case, and the
motive for the crime, the statement
which had been tested in many of its
details and found to be true. did not
incriminate the Binford woman, and
that the officers had now abandoned
tie had any guilty knowledge, the
murder in their view having been
planned and committed by Henry Beat
tie alone and unaided. There was no
accessory and no eyewitnesses. though
several parties saw the motor car
within a few minutes of the time of
the shooting, and one party OF boys
saw II empty, with both Beattie and
his wife standing in the road.
Beat,ie was visited yesterday at the
Henr!co county Jail by his father and
Attorney II. NJ. Smith. Jr. Mr.. Smith
continues reticent as to the line the
defense will take. Detective Scherer
and Mrs Paul Beattie visited Paul.
The nature of their conversation also
was not given out. Detective Wilt
shire and County Officer farrell held
an extended conversation with Beulah
Binford. in which it Is believed that
they went over every detail of the
statement she had already made TO Mr..
Schcrer. AS far as Is possible the
officers will verify this statement from
other sources, including hotel regis
tiers and interviews with many people
whom Beulah stated she saw when
with young Beattie at various times
The Binford woman said she would
resist removal to any other jail, but
it las been persistently reported that
the authorities would have her con-
veyed TO some place where communi-
cation with the accused would be more
difficult.
Letters Disappear.
a number OF letters addressed to the
Binford woman We're torn up and
thrown out near her home on Saturday
| night II is believed at her request.
since they would have brought into the
case the names Of some Of her other
| admirers. Mr.. Scherer said 1t was
hardly probable that the letters were
M a ha
ne did not believe Attorney Smith. for
the defense, knew OF them or OF their
destruction. Nh Scherer seemed dis
; posed 10 doubt the report that the home
of the BinfOrd girl had been entered
and the letters destroyed by some one
acting in the interests OF the Beattie
| family. lie thought it more probable
that Bculah herself had suggested that
: her love letters had best be destroyed.
Charles Dean Of 90 West Seventy
! fftn Street. New York City, Yesterday
absolutely denied that he had ever
! known the Binford woman, wrote 20
| her or tina; he had ever been in Rich
/ mond. Miss Binford received a letter
I at the jail on Monday bearing tina.
! address ana signed G. Dean. sending
/ sympathy ana asking her 10 write to
/ him. Dean does not live at the address
/ given. but gets his mail there from a
! friend Of his mother. 4 Mrs fIazen.
/ Mrs Hazen said that Dean had lately
come from sanatorium. and that IL he
, wrote 10 Miss Binford IL was on the
impulse OF the moment. Deans home
/ is in Fayetteville y. C.
! \ diary kept BY Beulah Binford was
examined YESTERDAY. though IL ended
the day before the tragedy and con-
isined nothing OF Importance apart
from number Of love messages 10
Henry Beattie. which he DID not re-
ceive
WASHER FINED