Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-24
BEAT TIE MAKES
\ CONFESSION.
Wife-Murderer Electrocuted at 1873
This Morning---Dead in Three
Minutes.
MET death WITH CALMNESS.
ministers Say lie Passed Out OF the
world Carrying with Him the Con-
ISOLATION of Religion.

Henry Beattie left a confess
,;ea. Following is thc1teSt OF his
confessions:
II. Henry Clay iIeattic, ir., de-
Sirous OF standing right before
God ant; man, do on this the
.,;srd day OF November, 1911,
confess my guilt OF the crime
charged against me. Much that
WAS published concerning the
details was not true. but the aw-
rul fact without the narrowing
circumstances remains. For
this action ] am truly sorry, and
believing that am ut peace with
God and am soon to pass III Ills
presence, this statement was
made"
This statement was signed in
the presence of the two minis
terS.
Richmond. Va. Nov. 24.--Confes-
sing 10 the inhnman and brutal mur-
der of his wife, Henry Clay Beattie,
ir.. went 10 his death in the electric
chair today without a 1uirer or a
sign of weakness, taking his place
in the annals OF crime as one OF the
most astounding criminals the world
has ever known.
With the calmness that marked his
planning and commission OF the
crime, Beattie. in his last hours on
earth, wrote and signed his confession
in the presence of his two spiritual
advisers in his cell.
He admitted that in cold blood he
made up his mind that the Deautllul
young wife who had just borne MN
. pon.~nas in. the, way of his ENJOY
ment OF life as he liked it. He told
The ministers how during the months
preceding the birth Of his child. he
had drirted back into the tender!oin
circles. where previously he had been
a bright and particular star.
He admitted that he had decided
that life with Beulah Binford or some
other such girl was the kind OF eX-
istcnce he calmly decided was best
fitted for his ideas OF enjoyment. He
did not intend to mary Beulah Bin
ford--that was not his plan OF lie
he had in mind. He wanted the
shifting: scenes of the free lance.
In this frame of mind he deliberat-
" planned the murder OF his wife.
ii was true that he induced his cous-
in Paul 10 obtain the shot gun with
which the decd was committed. Mur-
der was in his mind and heart that
unsuspecling girl-wife to go with him
on an auto ride on the Midlothian
Pike and it was in cold blood that
he shot her when he reached the
place where he thought detection
least likely.
He had planned the story OF the
mysterious bearded highwayman'
in advance and it was true that he
threw the body of the murdered wo-
man on the seat behind him as he
sped with the blood stained auto
back to the home of her uncle.
His nerve was sufficient. his calm
ness was supreme. and his heartless-
ness was without equal. but he lacked
cunning. He had not the genius
for invention. His story Of the
bearded man was too tlimsy and on it
the fabric Of his crime first began
to crumble.
He was not q good actor, for he
knew but one part-the part OF the
sneerer. He could not feign the grief
that would have marked man whose
wife had been murdered; he could not
lme the sorrow that normally
Id have been felt by man for his
,aved son.
cattle was glad his wife was dead;
cared nothing for the baby left
.herless. Tor he knew it was faith
IS also rs far rs any attention
IN him would be concerned. He
loved that he was about to be what
i, thought was free"
Au these things he admitted in an
oundins confession. made to the
i. ]. ]. Fix and the Rev. BENJAMIN
mis-. Then in their presence he
ned brief statement for the pub
and, apparently possessed with
idea that he had pursed his soul
any stain, smiled calmly in the
ce Of death.
The confession was kept secret IN
shortly before noon roNay.