Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-09-01
MAY NOT REACH
BEATT|E TODAY
Defense Continues to Call
Witnesses to Uphold the
Character of Prisoner.
BROTHER ON THE STAND
Tells Of Domestic Life and
Scene at Owen Home on
Fatal Night.


Chesterfield Court House, Va,
Sept. 1.-For nearly an hour the
Beattie trial was suspended today
while lawyers for the defense tried
to verify a mysterious message re-
ceived by H. NJ. Smith, Beattie's chief
counsel, shortly after court conven-
ed. After conference with the
prisoner and his father, Smith said
to the court:
II have just received a message
which furnishes information of the
| greatest importance to our case. l
must ask the court to allow ae time
to telephone"
Smith hurried out, leaving the
| court room in a flutter Of excitement.
Altar an hour he returned and mere
| ly said he was unable to complete
his investigation. Douglas Beattie
| then resumed his testimony. An
hour later Smith dramatically called
| the sheriff. Writing a name on
piece of paper he handed it to the Of
| f1cer and said: Have this witness
summoned forthwith and keep his
name secret. Any policeman In
Richmond can tell you where to find
| him"
During the cross examination
| Douglas Beattie was involved in an
| argument with the prosecutor that
practically ruined his testimony
with the jury. "If I had known this
! case would have taken the turn it
| eliminated all the evidence If it was
| eliminated all the evidence If it was
to be used against my brother" Then
he admitted he had carried a mes
sage from his brother to Beulah Bin
| ford. Il told her that he merely
sent her word, not to forget him -
| said the witness.
! Over the muddy roads, slight
| ly bettered by a sessation OF rain and
bright, sunny morning, the biggest
crowd that has yet attended the trial
/ came to Chesterfield Court House in
| the expectation of seeing Henry Clay
Beattie, Jr., take the stand. But
| when H. NJ. Smith arrived, it SEEM
ed possible that the prisoner might
not be reached today. More Of the
| character witnesses who are expect
ed to give Henry Beattie good rep
utation in the minds of the jury are
to be called, and as Attorney Smith
desires the Judge, jury and the pris-
| oner to go with him to the bedside
| OF Mrs. NJ. G. Steger, a sick woman
who claims to have seen a mysterious
/ stranger near the scene of the crime,
! it is hardly possible that there will
/ be time to put Beattie on the stand.
Another event which was still on
the program and which will still fur
! ther delay pIactng Beattfe Oh the
stand is the visit of the jury to the
scene of the crime.
Attorney Smith declared that
many of his witnesses had failed to
| appear, and he delayed proceedings
| for half an hour. Then he began
calling character witnesses. Cap
tain Alexander Wright OF the Rich
mond police force, was called. He
gave Ernest Neblitt, who yesterday
attacked the story of Paul Beattie,
good reputation.
! R. G. Broadus, q Richmond mer-
chant, gave both the prisoner and
! Neblitt good characters. Three 9TH
er witnesses testified to the same
effect.
Then Douglas Beattie, brother Of
the accused man, was called.
Douglas described the household,
declaring that his cousin and two
aunts lived there with his father,
Henry Clay Beattie, Sr., his wife and
| himself.
What were the relations between
Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., and his wife
prior to her death?"
"They were both apparently hap
py," said the witness. They usu-
ally kissed when they met or part
ed
Did you ever see any lack of har-
mony between them?"
mo, never"
Now, the night of the murder,
what was your first intimation of
the tragedy"
Il received a phone call from DR..
Mercer at the owen house. My faith
er, my sister and l went there. We
had a bottle of whiskey. When We
got there, my father went in first.
| saw Henry in my fathers arms,
sobbing and fondling the little slip
per. 1t was one of LOuise's shoes.
| l knew then that Louise was dead.
couldn't stand it any longer so I
went out"
! The first serious undermining of
the strong case built up by the prose-
cution against Henry Clay Beattie,
Jr., accused of numbering his wife,
came when the lawyers for the de-
fense discredited in one important
point the testimony of one of the
commonwealth most important wit
nesses, Paul Beattie, cousin of the
accused.
In the long story that Paul Beattie
told detailing the purchase of the shot
gun and its delivery to his cousin
Henry before the murder was com
mitted Paul was very certain Of the
hour when he had given the gun to
the accused He had bought 1t on the
morning of the Saturday preceding
the Tuesday upon which the homicide
was committed; had left it wrapped
up and with his name on the wrap
pings In the pawnshop where the pur-
chase had been made and then shortly
after 10 O'Clock on that Saturday, so
Pauls testimony ran, he had accom-
panied his cousin TO the pawnshop in
the latters machine and had there de
livered the shotgun to him. He.swore
that he had not seen the gun again
until it was shown to him at the cor
oners inquest four days after Mrs.
Beattie had been murdered.
When Ernest Neblett took the stand
Continued on page 3D.
ROLLER SKATING at AUDITOR
lIUM TONIGHT and TOMORROW
EYrYEgp NOON