East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-11-24
BEATTIE ADMITS MURDER
AND PAYS PENALTY
CONTINUED from page one.)

to answer any question relating to his
intimacy with Beulah Binford But
during the morning Paul Beattie,
Henry's cousin. had confessed to the
Richmond police that on the Satur-
day prior to the killing he had
bought a single barrel shotgun for
his cousin and had turned it over to
him, with three cartridges Paul later
identified the gun found on Midloth-
ian turnpike as the gun he gave his
cousin.
The inquest adjourned at noon with
Beattie still on the stand and while
he was eating lunch at his home, Of
ficers accompanied by Paul Bette en-
tered the house and arrested him, At
the afternoon session of the inquest.
Beulah Binford took the stand and
told of her relations with Beattie. She
told of the renewal of these relations
shortly after Beattie's son, Henry
Clay Beattie III was born. and her re-
turn to Richmond from Norfolk where
she met Beattie.
The coroner's jury after brief
consideration held Beattle for the ac-
ton of the grand jury.
On August IA, the grand jury re-
turned an Indictment against Beattie
for murder n the first degree and
on August 81, he was placed on trial.
Then ensued one of the strangest. bit
terest legal battles that Virginia has
| ever known.
Out in the little Chesterfield coun-
ty court house, fourteen miles from
Richmond, five miles from a railroad
a courteous, kindly southern gentle
man, Judge Watson took charge of
the trial. District Attorney Gregory
| assisted by Louis o. Wendenburg.
one of Richmond's leading criminal
| lawyers conducted the prosecution
and Harry NJ Smith and Hill Carter
made the fight for Beattie's life.
The physical facts surrounding the
crime. and contradictory nature of
| the stories told by Henry Beattie, his
| unfaithfulness to his wife. and the
story of his cousin Paul were the
foundation upon which the state rest
ed its case. The father. sister and
friends of Beattie took the stand in
a vain effort to establish for him a
reputation that would convince the
! twelve Chesterfield county farmers
who made up the jury. that he was
incapable of the crime charged
| against him.
Throughout the trial, Paul Beattie,
the star witness for the prosecution.
! and little seventeen year old Reulah
Binford sweetheart OF the prisoner
were kept locked in Henr'co county
jail Paul was on the stand for two
days but the seventeen wear old girl
was never taken to Chesterfield court
! house to tell her story. She had been
summoned as a witness by the prose
cution but the shrewd lawyers belev-
ed that her attachment for Henry
Beattie would make her an undesir.
able witness, and she was never plac.
ed on the stnd.
In her stead, her mother, a big
middle-aged woman, told the story o.
her daughters relations with Henry
Beattie; his love for the girl and hi
renewal of their intimacy after hi
marrige. After three weeks of TAX
ing testimony and argument, tn,
twelve Chesterfield county farmers re
tired one evening to the jury. room
knelt down and prayed for DIVINE
guidance. discussed the evidence
knelt and prayed again and ther
filed into the court room with a yer
dict of guilty. Judge Watson imme
diately pronounced the death sentence
fixing November "a, today. as the dat
OF the execution.
An appeal to the higher court
failed, and Beattie fixed his hope oil
an application for pardon. reprieve o
commuttion OF sentence to Coverno
Mann After short consideration
however, Governor Mann. in a scath
inc statement declined to grant tn
pardon. and expressed the opinion
that Beattie was attempting to escap
the penalty Of crime of which h