The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-09-13
NOTED TRIAL
Ends ia Coagidiea q Rich Ysupg Han
fes auEderire Bis You5g Wife.

Re5 @aEoeElng alS loaGs Hhe.
Case Was FOUGHT HARL
The Jury Which Was Composed o
Farmers Sought Divine Guidance
in Reaching Verdict-Prisoner ant
His Attorney Gives Notice Of Theil
Intention to Appeal.
Twelve Virginia farmers knelt a
dusk Friday night in the obscurity O.
the small jury room Of Chesterfield
court house, praying ferVently tha
they might pass judgment Alright OF
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., indicted fol
the murder of his wife Gramly
determined they arose moment Ia
ter and silently, one by one, recorded
a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Pausing in solemn contemplation
for 5S minutes. weighing CAREFUL!
the meaning Of their decision ane
once more on bended knees beseech
ing divine assistance that they NIGH
not err, they filed into the hushee
stiffness of a crowded court room ane
with startling suddenness, IL voice:
instead OF the usual one OF the fore
man, spoke the solemn word guilty.
It was almost a shout.
The spectre of death which stalk
ed the Midlothian turnpike July lS
last, when the life Of Mrs. Louise
Owen Beattie was taken away with
the single report of a shotgun, stared
hard at the young husband and, ready
to claim its victim of electrocution on
Friday, November. Gath, next.But the
prisoner returned the gaze unswerV-
ing and unafraid.
The court of appeals to be sure,
will be asked to grant a writ OF error
and a new trial. Young Beattie, cog
infant Of the legal weapons yet at his
disposal, did not surrender. Instead
he consoled his broken down father,
white-haired and wrinkled, and com
forted him as he whispered, II have
not lost yet, father"
Unusual as has been the tragedy
and the grewsome stage where 1t oc-
Cured, the II juymen did not hesl-
tate to admit to their friend that they
stood in judgment not only over the
cold-blooded murder but upon his
martial -infidelity as we'll. 1t perhaIs;
was the dramatic climax of Virginia
justice which in the last half century
has swiftly sent to death such famous
murderers as Cluverius, Phillips, and
McCue.
At the close of q powerful argu-
ment by L. o. Wendenburg, the vol
untary assistant Of the Common
wealth in the case, the suspense was
felt not alone in the court room out
in Richmond where thousands of peo-
pie waited the outcome.
The jury had for eleven days heard
evidence, for two days speeches, but
the words of Wendenburg rang IN
their ears as they left the court room
to find their verdict.
LET that man go free!" he crleu.
What! Let that man go free! Why
the motherhood Of Virginia, the wo-
manhood of this nation, will shudder
in terror as the security Of its life is
threatened. Let this man go free!
The man who basked in the degraded
sunshine Of another woman while at
his home a young wife nursed his
child?
gentlemen, merely ask you in
the name of justice to do your duty.
Mr. Wendenburg concluded his ad-
dress a few minutes after 5 p. M, a
brief respite was given the jury, and
at 5:28 o'clock it began considera-
ton of the case. For SIS minutes they
were together in deep consultation, a
Jury of farmers. who each morning
SANG hymns, and strove to forget the
story of dissipation, with. its filthy
chapters as related day after day on
the witness stand. What had been
generally predicted was true-their
minds were we'll made up before they
left the court room. W. L. Burgess
a square jawed man with an earnest
face. was elected foreman. They bal
loted and it was no surprise, they aft
erward declared, that ali voted fol
conviction.
They prayed that they might moi
take a life in vain, and they opened
their consciences to one another fol
nearly an hour, so that they might &C
back to the court room firmly con
vinced of their duty and of one MIND
In the court room sat Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., the sporting page OF
newspaper spread before him. bu'
he did not read long. He folded the
paper and concealed his face in 1t
Those who sat near the young mai
Of iron nerve observed a twitching o.
his lips as though murmurlng
prayer as he sat with closed eyes
awaiting the return Of the jury. III
raised his head for a moment. drop
ped the paper and again began read
ing. Then he whispered few WORDS
to his father and brother. It was fol
them he felt and to them he counsel
ed cheerfulness.
1t was nearly dark in the cour
room when the jury returned. Three
oil lamps gave meagre .ustre to tn'
scene. Sunsets red rays still streak
ed through the windows. On ever!
sill rested telegraph instrument ant
operators tensely waited for the an
nourcemert Of the verict. Masse
of upturned faces stared at the jury
1