The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-11-24
B|EAiI'I'IE

U6HA III
CONTINUED from page one. q
Clay Beattle Trout, the child born. to
Beulah .Binford and Henry Clay Beat
tie in 1909. IS 81 5i'
Meanwhile the body OF h the MUIR
dered girl.wlfe was buried from the
church wher n short; year before she
had been married 10 Henry Clay Beat
tie. =
5 On the Friday following. Coroner
Loving began the inquest into the
death OF Mrs. Beattle. On. the stand,
Beattie, under Instructions from HIS
lawyer, Harry NJ. Smith. Jr., declined
to answer any question relating to
his intimacy with .Beplahs Binford. But
during the morning Paul Beattie, Hen.
RVS cousin had confessed to the Rich.
mond police that ont5the Saturday
prior to the killing he had bought q
single barrel shotgun for his cousin
and had turned 1t over to him, with
three cartridges. Paul later identi,
fled the gun found on the Midlothian
turnpike as the gun he gave his cous.
in. r., III :;;.j,t.4a Il h.
The inquest adjourned at noon with
Beattie still on the stand and while
he was eating lunch at his home, 9ffi-
GERS accompanied BY Paul Beattie len
tered the house and arrested him. AT
the afternoon session OF the, inquest
Beulah Blnford took the stand and
Iiold OF her relations with Beattie, She
told Of the reneyalsoi these relations
shortly after Beattie's 7 son, Henry
Clay Beattie III. was born, and her re-
turn to Richmond from Norfolk where
She met Beattle. ,,esg q. 81
|sHThe coroner's jury after a brief con.
slderation hold Beatue for the action
OF the grand jury. ii,es5 4 Is. q
8On August IA, the grand Jury return;
ed an Indictment against Beattie for
murder In the first degree. and on Ai'
gust 81 he was placed on trial. Then
ensued one of the strangest, bitterest
legal battles that Virginia has ever
known.
Out in the little Chesterfield county
court house, fourteen miles from Rich
mopd, five miles from railroad, a
courteous, kindly southern gentleman
Judge Watson, took charge OF the
trial. District Attorney Gregory as
sisted by. Louis o. Wendenburg, one
Of Richmond's leading criminal law
yers conducted, the prosecution and
Harry M.tSmithsands Hill, Carter made
the. fight for ,Beattie's life. i
The physical facts Surrounding the
4 crime. and contradictory nature of the
stories told by Henry Beattie. his un
faithfulness to his wife, and the story
OF his cousin Paul were the 5founda
| ton upon which the State rested 1t!
case. The father. sister and friend!
OF Beattle took the stand in a vain eff
fort to establish for him n reputation
that would; convince tile twelve. Ches
terrified county farmers who made VI
the jury, that he was incapable OF the
crime charged against him.
Throughout the trial Paul Bcattie
the star witness; FOR the prosecution
and little seventeen year old Beulat
Binford, sweetheart Of the prisoner
were kept locked in Henrico county
jail. Paul was on the stand for two
days but the seventeen year old cir
was never taken toihesterfield court
house to tell l.sr. story. She had beer
summoned as witness by the prose
cution but the shrewd lawyers be
lieyed that her attachment for Henry
Beattie would make her an undesIra
BILE witness, and she was never placed
on the stand.
In her stead, her mother. a big, mid.
dle.aged woman. told the story of her
daughters relations with Henry Beat,
tie;-.hisS love -for-the girl and his re.
newal Of their intimacy after his mar.
riage. After three & weeks Of taking
Testimony, yand argument, the twelve
Chesterfield county farmers retired
one evening to the Jury room. knelt
down and prayed for Divine guidance,
discussed the evidence, knelt and
prayed again, and then filed into the
court room with a verdict OF guilty.
Judge Watson Immediately pronounc.
ed the death sentence. fixing Noyem.
Der q today to-day, as theIdate Of the exc
cution. IS Vi = W.; ;sss Il.
- An appeal to the higher courts
failed and BeattIe fixed his hope on
antapplieatlon for pardon, ,reprieve For
Communication Of sentence to Governor