Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-09-05
Henry Clay Beattie Spends Six
Long and Weary Hours On
Stand in His Own Behalf,
PRISONER D0NS BLOOD
SOAKED CLOTHING
While Prosecution Wishes That
Wife'S Shot Pierced and Gore
CIotted Garments Could Be
Produced,
rBy Mornlus louruI tpeera Ieasss wirsi

[By Morning journal Epeciai Ieasee wirsl
Chesterfield Courthouse. Nae Scpt
i.-Through six weary hours n
crowded and stufty court room, Henry
Clay Beattie. il. indicted fnr the
murder of his wife hattlcd Tor his
Hfe today Evening shadows alone
interrupted a vigorous ctoss-cNamd-
nation hy the commonwealth. ludee
Watson ending the ordeal by adjourn
inp court until tomorrow when Prose
cutor Wendenhurg will continue his
questions
4 lone figure was young leautie III
tho crowd that surrounded him on ou
/ sides. evon windows and trees COM
manding the court room being thick
with staring faces And the prisoner
sat for hours, his manner cool and
/ collected. unfolding the sordid details
Of his relations with Reulah Rinford
seventeen years old, for whom the
prosecution alleges Reattie killed hls
bride OF a year.
Not only the orgies of the fur
years before his marriage and 'hosa
that preceded the homicide, bus the
| nruesomp tale of the alleged utf tck
hy a hiphWayman, the wild ride To the
owen home at fifty-tNe miles an
hour with the llfeless bloody body
Of his wife IN the machine beside him
was given to the jury in all its detail.
The prisoner, by request of the
prosecution, stood up and donnod the
blood-stamed coat that he wore the
night of the murder and attempted
to explain why blood had not tlecked
certain portions OF the garment If his
wife were reclned against him IN
the way he described
The clothes OF the dead woman
were burned Just before the arrest Of
Bcattie ana as moro than once there
was occasion to refer to them Prose
cutor Wendenburg exclaimed
Il wish TO God we had them here.
The accused man sat IN an arm
chair, his head often resting on one
hand while with the other he rubbed
a knotted handkerchief over his pale
! face. In the bar sat his brother
Douglas, and his white haired father
! the latter at times covering his face
with fan as salacious details were re-
cited by the son. Bui the end of the
day came. the father, as usual, bent
over the prisoner ana kissed him.
Boattie answered questions readily
In an even voice and without emotion.
Except for the nervous lingering OF
his handkerchief ANA the characterls-
/ tie vibration Of the muscles IN his
- checks he sat like a school boy eN-
[ pressonless. ns he narrated the story
e Of the crime. IN no essential ala his
n version of the affair today differ
p from that which he gave at the coro-
o nors inquest or that to which the de-
r fcnsc though It's witnesses has clung.
n The prosecution IN its cross-eXaml-
- nation gave particular attention to
- two points n the previous testimony
{ Of the prisoner II the accused had
on the night of the murder a light
: fastened TO the rear of the machine
r why could ne not see the Fleeing high
10 Wavman to the rear OF the ear. or If
= the prisoner had grappled with the
y assassin ana succeeded in wrestling
= The shotgun from him falling to the
ground at the same time on the sud-
y den release Of the weapon from the
u highwayman's hands, why did the
:, hiehwayman flee with Reatte az his
~ fcet ON the ground
Those questions the prisoner did
not attempt to explain, but tomorrow
y the prosecution will hammer away al
them anew
Denial after denial came from the
~, lips Of the prisoner as Prosecutor
Wendonhurg questioned him concern
Ing the alleged purchase Of Il shotgun
- for him by his cousin Paul Beattif
on the saturday before the murder
ana the testimony Of the latter as tC
tho confession, which Henry Is alleg'
cd to have exclaimed;
G u wish to God hadn't done it
would not do It again for million
dollars,
!. Beattie disclaimod amy connection
r. with the purchase of the gun ant
al knowledge Of the transfer Of any ell
el by Paul to him. declaring he nevci
e. saw the fatal shotgun until the nigh
D. It WAS raised by the hlghwuyman OF
al the Midlothian turnpike.
He emphatcally doniod he had beer
Of with Paul at any time within tn,
70 week or fortnight previous TO TIL,
"a. Saturday night before the murder an,
20 on this declaration the prosecution
er tomorrow viii lingcr. rs tonight De
~ tective Sherer declared that fou
~ Witnesses were to be produced wh'
- saw Henry and Paul together on tn
~ Thursday, night before the murder.
THAT It was his wife who suggested
-, the ride on the Midlothian turnpik
Ms al'er '''N were n'"i'"S wy
homo on their return from the dru