Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-09
Dramatic Courthouse Scene
When Beattie Hears Doom


When Beattie Hears Doom
CHESTERFIELD COURTHOUSE. Va,
September 9.-The verdict of guilty re-
turned last night in the case OF Henry
Clay Beattie. jr. the wife slayer. was
one of the quickest ever reached In
notable murder trial. The jury was out
just fifty-seven minutes.
In the pallid Pickering of kerosene
lamps in the little old courtroom the
wife-slayer stood up to receive his death
sentence. his face very white. his large
gray eyes luminous with terror, but his
voice steady as he declared he had moth
ing to say why the judgment of the court
should not be passed upon him.
He was sentenced to he electrocuted
November "a next. in the state peni-
tentiary, Oregon Hill, Richmond. His
counsel formally served notice of an ap-
peal which will be argued at the next
meeting OF the higher court, which will
convene in November.
The scene in the juryroorn prior to the
verdict was most dramatic. The twelve
Virginia farmers kne1t at dusk in the
obscurity of the small room, praying FER
vently that they might pass Judgment
Il
moment later and silently one by one
recorded a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Later twelve voices. instead of the usual
one of the foreman, spoke the single
word, guilty"
Beattie's Fortitude Breaks.
While the jury was out the most un-
concerned man in court seemed, for
while. to be Beattie. He sat in the bar
reading a newspaper. The crowd seemed
excitedly nervous. After a few minutes.
however, the fortitude of the accused
broke and he raised his newspaper over
his eyes and those standing close to hlm
could observe his twitching lips as II ne
were uttering prayer His aged father
beside him likewise bent forward rev
erently and besought Divine aid.
Extraordinary were all the features OF
the last day of Beattie's trial. his con-
viction followed closely on one OF the
most forcible and singing speeches TO
which an accused murderer has ever
been forced to listen. Louis l.. Wenden-
burg, the special prosecutor. who made H.
not only held the jury and the spectators
fascinated but young Beattie, himself, sat
with dilated eyes that never once ceased
staring at the man who was convincing
the jury that he was the murderer.
Toward the end Of Wendenburg's ad-
dress Beattie's confidence was plainly
to his father. His speech was interrupted
by gulpings. Even as he turned to speak
his eyes remained fixed on his prosecutor
in a gaze obviously filled with horr1heo
fascination. 1t was as II the young man,
scarcely past his first youth, were lis
tening to a doctor telling him that he
soon must die of a fatal malady.
Eyes Showed Despair.
Paatt,a did not break down. He gave
way to no Mysteries. He obeyed no i'm
pulse to leap from his seat But II
ever human eyes bespoke complete de-
spair it was when he looked upon the
jury as they filed out. His father patted
his shoulder. His brother. Douglas. said
something smilingly. Beattie glanced
from one to the other as II they were
strangers to him.
Let him go free" Wendenburg had
thundered, let him go free. let-thfs mur-
derer go unpublished. and the state fails
In its duty to guarantee the security OF
our lives. Let him go free and you Will
place black hand on the escutcheon OF
Virginia for all eternity. Let him go free
and then go to the graves of the other
wife murderers-Cluverius of Richmond,
McCue of Charlottesville and Peter Phil
lips-and apologize to them for the just
punishment that they received.
Let him go free and go and kneel at
the grave of this pure young girl, who
was slaughtered. and answer to her for
the baby whose little hands now reach
vainly for its mothers fair white breast >
The effect of Wendenburg's speech in
it's entirety was fairly electrical, and
Judge Watson. mentally decrying any,
thing that might SAVIOR of snap verdict,
ordered Sheriff Gill to give the jury ten
minutes exercise on the courthouse lawn
before locking it up in the peaked roof
attic directly above the courtroom.
Hears the Jury's Prayer.
The first act of the jury when they
entered the room was to pray. Juror
Blankenship led the prayer.
Family the reverent tones of his voice
in prayer reached the ears of the prison
err He stared for an instant at the cell
ing, then suddenly unfolded his news
paper and seemed to be ensrossed in it.
But his eyes were conveying nothing to
him from the pages They were dancing
wildly. With huge palm leaf his ia
ther famed the youths brow.
He was unmindful Of the attention ap-
parently There had come upon his face
an expression entirely different from that
OF fippancy and confidence which he had
so amazingly shown on former days OF
his trial
The man was looking into the unknown
into the tremendous mystery of death,
The lines of dissipation were missing.
His eyes had grown strikingly luminous
and large. His high forehead and wavy
lair the whiteness of his face and the
sharpening of his features under the
strain had taken away his habitual
sneer. His face had become piteous and
very young.
Agree on First Ballot.
The discussion of the case upstairs pro-
ceeded solemnly, and from the beginning
1t had only one trend. Each juryman
told his fellows what most firmly con-
vnced him of the young mans guilt
They took only one ballot. 1t was unani-
nous for Beatties death.
Later the twelve men admitted to their
friends that they stood in judgment not
only over the coldblooded murder but
upon his marital infidelity as well.
Beattie started in alarm as a sudden
signing sound came from the crowd. From
above were heard three measured and
distinct raps. They were delivered on
the door of the juryroom. This little door
nH-r