The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-08-29
PROGRESS IN BEArTlE CASE
More Testimony Of Witnesses.

where Mrs. Beattie's body was carried
about midnight.
"The husband told me that while he
was motoring along Midlothian turn
pike ne nearly ran down a man who had
shotgun and fired-more, he thought,
to scare him than anything else-and
hit Mrs. Beattie.
after struggle for the possession
of the gun the assassin, he SAID, ran
off through the woods.
''The man, according to Beattie, sand
D you, you want all Of the road.
Knowing that bloOdhounds were on
their way to the scene If the murder,
the witness declared that he took pre-
cautions when he first went to the spot
TO avoid destroying any scent by keep
ing all persons possible off the road;
| farrell narrated how Beattle told him
him he picked up the body of his VIE
and holding her on his left arm, steered
to the Owen home with the right.
Nv as there any blood stains on the
shotgun when found?" inquired Mr..
Wendcnhurg.
ayes. there were, replied the
slueth. ;,
Then FARRELL described how the blood
in the automobile was principally on
the right hand side of the car and not
on the left, where Mrs. Beattie is said
by Henry to have sat when slain.
GLOW did Beattie act after the crime
had been committed!
"He talked IN quiet way and did
not seem much excited. When we got
in the automobile on the second trip,
when the prisoner went with US TO the
scene Of the murder, the lights went
out. He exclaimed, - the lights,
let them 20 ---; 60 on up the road!
Major James ID. Patton, pres ident OF
the penitentiary board, testified about
how the bloodhounds were raced on a
train from the State farm to the scene
OF the murder at $50 O'Clock on the
morning of July ~.
w. w. SydnOr was next witness.
He had charge of the blOodhounds.
He states that he was at the scene OF
the crime at $40 O'Clock the morning
after the night when Mrs. Beattie was
shot
"rherc were two tracks IN the gutter
Of the left side of the road going west.
one track was headed into the bushes
and the other returning, testified the
witness.
"hOw many stumps did you see on
the south size OF the road!
81 noticed one in particular, because
the footprints led to very near that
stump and were only n few inches from
IT, -
1.-THE prisoner said to me, " continued
Sydnor. "that as he leaned over to
crank his car the man with the shotgun
fired"
did you 60 to the tree stump" was
asked.
'Yes. the dogs pulled me there. an
swered the witness.
A gray-ha.red darkey. Jerry Rey-
nolds. explained how he had seen the
gun lying on the railroad tracks about
20 feet from the turnpike. tie said he
picked up the gun and put It IN his
wagon and later turned it over to Mr..
Pettigrew.
Mr.. Pettigrew ted how Reynolds had
handed him the weapon. He then iden-
tilted the gun. which he said had been
picked I'D about four yards from where
the road crosses the railroad track.
There was no blood on the gun, &C
cOrding 10 TINS MlthteS.
Sam Tally swore that about II o clock
that night, sitting On the back porch OF
bis home. not far from the roadside, ne
heard the scream Of woman, then a
shot and finally the noise of an auto
mobile starting.
Magistrate w. A. Jacobs said he saw
the defendant on the night of the muir
der
Asked if he saw the body. Magis-
trate Jacobs said:
eyes, law the body.
He also testified that the woman s
hair was filled with road dirt and grit
and blood
He also saw the gun and there were
blood spots on It.
Saturdays Proceedings.
Saturday at Chesterfield c. H..
considerable progress was made by
the prosecution in the case OF II. |
C. Beattie jr., charged with the
murder of his wife.
A number OF witnesses were
heard. Just before adjournment OF
court at 5 D. m. an application by
Beattie's counsel was granted that
Beattie be permitted to go TO Rich /
mond Jail so that the defense
might have a conference over sun
day and save time in preparing
for cross-examination.
Beattie was whisked back to Rich
mond. waving from his automobile
to passers-by whom he recognized.
w. B. Sydner identified the Beat
tie car, brought to the courthouse
for inspection by the jury as the
one that he and his companions saw
that night while returning from
dance.
Six boys told the same story of
the woman on the running board /
and fixed the hour OF their passage
on the Midlothian pike as almost
coincident with the hour of the
murder.
+. B. Adams, another boy told
OF seeing a man alone beside a ma
chine similar to the Beattie car on
the same road three hours before
the murder is supposed to have hap
pened.
Adams testimony bore out the
charges of the prosecution that
Beattle could nave taken lhe shO'
gun obtained from Paul Beattie 10
the place where a few hours leter
he conducted his Inflated wife.
The testimony of Detective Scher-
er excited interest on the part OF
the prisoner, and his usual non
chalance gave way to a tiger
like crouch over the bench as he
strained forward to catch every
syllable.
The muscles in his face pulsated
as he ground his teeth. Occasion
ally Beattie put both of his arms
around the neck of Fl. NJ. Smith. jr.,
the lawyer beside him, and insist
ed on continued whispering.
His attention on Scherer's testi-
mony was in direct contrast to the
ease he manifested at noon, when |
he stood with the jury on the lawn
observing the once blood-soaked au-
tomobile.
Scherer said in part: "Beattie
asserted to me that while bending
over the breaks the highwayman ha
fired. He said that Mrs. Beattie
AtrI