The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-14
JUDGE GREGORY ..
SCORES PRISONER
Commonwealth Attorney in Bitter
DenunciatiOn Demands RetributiOn
for Murder of Mrs. Louise Beattie.

Tor MURDER OF urS. Louise BeatC1e.
CHESTERFIELD COURTHOUSE,
Sept. Court began at 1880 O'Clock
with an uncopfortably l?rge crowd
present and the weathe4 dlsagreeabis
hot.
The prisoner. as usual. appeared
with his father, who met him at the
Jail. He wore a suit of blue and a
neatly Numbered negligee shirt. There
was nothing about his looks to sug-
gest depression or anxiety.
Judge Watson, observing several
women in the audience. announced
that much of the testimony offered
had been OF a nature unit for fem
mime ears. AS he expected counsel
TO comment on this evidence. he sug-
yested that the women retire. The
good old sheriff gently cOaXed out the
fair intruders. About a dozen Of
them. some not twenty years old.
blushingly retired.
This work done, Judge Watson de-
liVered the instructions to the jury.
He apOlogized for his hoarse voice,
as he had a cold. The jurors listened
most attentively to every word, as
did also the prisoner.
Gregory Opens Argument.
Commemorative Attorney Gregory
then began the first argument in the
case. He came forward from the bar
so that he could face the jurors.
In his opening remarks he said:
Il feel il my duty to say that the
facts and circumstances in this case
without the splendid aid and assist
ance and the interchangeable energy
and faithful service rendered the
Commonwealth by the policemen of
Richmond and our county authori-
ties"
The speaker after reminding the
jurors of their oath. then quoted the
scriptural Injunction: Thou shalt not
kill" and called attention to the
crime Of July 18th, which stained the
soil of Chesterfield with the foot
prints of a midnight assassin"
7 believe" sternly added the speak
er, that l can say to this jury that
no other man could have or did COM
NIT the crime, other than he who
stands here upon your deliVerance.
There has been no man, according to
the testimony up to this time, who has
been seen on that murderous spot
other than this accused"
Judge Gregory here called atten-
ton 10 one significant fact-the fact
that Beatties auto on the night of
the crime had on it lamp that threw
its luSter SeVenty-iVe yards on both
sides of the road, burning in the
midnight hour" with sufficient light
for the accused to see anybody who
stood in that highway at this fatal
moment.
q,
the only man seen in front of that
machine is the prisoner. and I chal-
lenge proof to the contrary"
Judge Gregory asserted most posi-
lively that the man seen by Dairy
man Roland Sydnor and the Bon Air
dancers on the Midlothian Pike with
a woman was none other than Beat
tie and that his intention was to kill
that woman"
The speaker read from the evidence
of Major James d. Patton. with whom
! the accused talked a few hours after
the crime. In that conversation Beat
| tie described the murderer with some
particularly, but first he said the as
sassin ran of into the woods. Later
! the prisoner said he was under the
impression the man ran up the road
! According to Major Patton, Beatti6
at first positively identified the CUR
which figured as an exhibit in the
case, but later said. AT least, 1 think
that is the gun"
Changed to Match the Hounds.
| Beattie did not change his tune
about the direction in which the mar
! ran until he had heard that the
| blOOdhOunds would not take the trai
in the woods. Then it was, ne de
clared, that after reflection h'
! thought the man ran down the pike
The Commemorative Attorney
scoffed at the testimony of Charlie:
Kastelberg, and said that the intro.
duction of his testimony was. in it.
self, a confession of weakness on the
part of the defense. Judge Gregory
here said, somewhat dramatically
| Birds OF a feather will flock tOgeth.
err"
The speaker, touching on the eff
! forts to rebut the evidence of Dairy
| man Sydnor and the Bon Air dancers
| exclaimed:
"A fatal blow has been struck al
| this prisoner by his own evidence. He
has drawn the sword and he must die
| by that sword"
1.-THE time does not suit, the place
does not suit, the man does not suit, >
shouted Judge Gregory, in referring
TO the defense testimony which bore
on the stranger or strangers seen neal
the scene of the crime. Beattie wa:
there by his own words. He makes
poor effort to find somebody upoI
whose shoulders he can lay this terri
BILE sin, but the darkness of nigh
shields everybody, and he has to re-
sort, by compulsion and necessity, tC
find somebody upon whom to faster
the crime.
Hard on Kastelberg.
Abiding to Kastelberg, Judge
Gregory said: There is not a
Christian man on that jury who