Omaha daily bee., 1911-09-08
NEW WITNESS TO THE CRIME
Farm Hand Claims to Have Seen
Henry Beattie Murder Wife.
WRITES LETTER TO PROSECUTOR
Gives Details OF Murder, but Attorney
wendenbers VIII Not Seek to Re-
open Case, Feeling Sure
of Conviction.

CHESTERFIELD COURT HOUSE, Va.
Sept. 7-Prosecutor wendenburg declared
today that he had decided not to request
the reopening OF the Beattie case on ac-
count OF the discovery of an alleged eye
witness
I'VE have a strong enough case without
It," he said. I'VE could not get the man
here for a couple or days, at least as he
lives out west. But we have asked him TO
come here Just the same to see what there
is to his story. OF course we have re-
ceived, as IL usual in murder cases, many
letters from alleged eye witnesses. This
man, however, signed his name and we
find that he did once work as a farm hand
at a place near the scene of the murder.
We are going 70 investigate IL further. but
you can take the story now for what its
worth"
The writer OF the letter said that he
actually saw young Henry w. Beattie kill
his wife-saw him knock her from the
automobile with the butt of a shotgun and
then shoot her as she lay insensible on the
ground. He wrote that Beattie threatened
him when he found that he had witnessed
the deed and the following day gave him a
suit of clothes and money with which to go
away Though he kept quiet at first be-
cause he was afraid the man says now he
does not want Beattie to escape punish
ment. and is willing to testify.
Farmer Remembers Name.
The Chesterfield farmer mentioned In the
letter acknowledged that a man of the
name used by the writer was employed by
him until a few days after the murder, and
further declared it was fact that the farm
hand was chasing a runaway COW on the
night the crime was committed. In telling
his story. the alleged witness said he was
looking for a COW when he came on the
man and woman in an automobile on the
Midlothian turnpike some time after 10
O'Clock
The declaration that Beattie dubbed his
wife with the gun before shooting her, Is
considered by the lawyers and detectives
for the prosecution with peculiar interest.
It is said that physicians that examined
Mrs. Beattie's body reported that the
frontal bone on the right side OF the skull
probably was broken though the charge OF
shot had entered the left side and pene-
trated to the back of the head on ac-
count fthis it was understood Mr. Wen
denburg thought seriously Of referring TO
a wound on the night side of the forehead
in the indictment drawn by the grand
jury.
Details the Tragedy.
The letter writer gave a detailed ac-
count OF the tragedy, as he claims to have
witnessed IL. He said in part:
Il was in the pine woods on the right
hand side OF the Midlothian turnpike as
you go out from Richmond, and I saw a
light. AS I walked closer to the road l
saw an automobile standing almost in the
middle of the road, facing toward Rich
mond, and there were two people in it.
a man and a woman They were both sit
ting in the front seat.
They were quarreling. I could hear
them talking loud, so l did not show my
self. but waited behind a tree about ten
feet from the edge Of the road in the thick
pine woods 20 hear what they said.
The woman was pleading with the man
She was saying that she wanted her love
back again and that she did not want the
man to be cruel to her. The man answered
roughly.
AT one time heard him say. I am tired
Of all this, ! am going 10 end this Then
heard the woman say; How are you
going 10 end itT The man said something