The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-23
BEATT|E CHARGED WITH WIFE MURDER Sensation Caused By Vir-
 ginia Tragedy ACCUSED MAN CALM COroner's Verdict Charges Husband Directly With the Crime-"WOm-
 an in the Case" Reveals
 Her Secrets

Her Secrets
 Richmond, Va, July 22.-Accused by the coroner's jury of murderng his wife, is in the Henrico county jail, still smok- ing cigarettes. He calmly insists upon the truth of the story he told last Tues day night when he drove his automobile into Richmond from the Midlothian turn uike holding the blood-stained body of his dead wife in his arms. Seventeen year-od Beulah Binford. the pretty little lieved to have led to the tragedy, and Paul D. Beattie, cousin of the accused, who testified at the coroner's inquest today that he bought for Henry Clay Beattie, Jr.. the shotgun with which the killing was done, are held In jail as wit nesses. The police refused to release them except under heavy bonds.
 Public feeling has been so aroused by the developments in the tragedy that the authorities were afraid to keep Beattie in the Chesterfield county jail after the coroner's jury this afternoon returned it's verdict placing the crime upon him.
 Rearresting the young man on the charge of murder, the police hurried him through the great crowd which had gath cred outside Coroner Lovings home dur iny the inquest and brought him into Richmond. Before Magistrate Jacob he hal waived the preliminary examination and he was committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury.
 In other cells in the same prison Paul Beattie and Beulah Binford. both almost prostrated by their situation, were locked up neither being able to furnish the bail bonds required.
 The inquest proceedings this afternoon were sensational in the extreme. The hearing yesterday afternoon eliminating in the arrest of Beattie on the charge the public had been expecting the police to make for two days, eXcited\popular feel ing to such a pitch that the police re- serves were ordered out to maintain order today. The crowd surged about and nut tered, but there was no attempt to harm the prisoner or interfere with the pro- ceedings.
 Paul Beattie Paints
 Paul Beattie, exhausted from the convulsions which seized him when arrested yesterday, was the chief wit ness before the inquest today. While telling how, at Henry Beattie's re quest and with money furnished him by the latter he bought the gun wita which Mrs. Beattie was killed, the wit ness tainted Physicians were sum
 
 minutes.
 Beattie said he had been quite sick in a hospital since yesterday and was still in bad shape He had to be helped to the stand. Counsel Wendenburg, for the commonwealth, picked up the gun from the coroner's table.
 Where did that come from?" he asked
 Tt looks like the one I bought answered Beattie in low voice T bought it last Saturday afternoon"
 Well, tell all about it-how did you come to buy it?"
 My cousin. Henry Beattie, called me up one afternoon and ask ed me to meet him at Short and Main streets, and l met him there, and he asked me to get him a shotgun. He did not tell me what for. and l didn't think there was any harm in buying it. I went over to Beatties store on Saturday night and todl him I had picked out one and he came over in his automo bile on Saturday night and got it. We left the Beattie store at 10 o'clock Sat = urday night. He stopped the car t Sixth street, this side of Broad, to fix the lights, and asked me to go over to the pawnshop and get the gun. and l did
 Where did you get the money?' 
 Gave Him Money
 "IIe gave me s4 the night he called me and met me at Short and Main streets
 Did he ask you to buy him some shells, too?
 Yes, he gave me nickel to buy shells, and I bought three at Kdds and gave them to him.
 Suddenly the witness showed signs of collapsng. He asked the lawyers to wait Quickly he became dazed. He would have fallen from his chair had not several persons rushed forward to him. They carried Paul into the house All the time Paul was on the stand Henry Beattie. Jr., kept his eyes lev eled upon the witness, but Paul would not glance in his direction.
 As Paul was carried into the house Henry Beattie, Jr., lighted a cigaretta and entered into conversation with his father
 After Paul was revived and returned to the stand he testified that he was 21 years old; that after he left Man chester he went to Richmond later living in Norfolk Philadelphia and Salem. He returned to Richmond about four months ago. he said. driv- ing wagons, working on street cars as glass blower and as a carpen ter.
 Asked If he had been on pleasant terms with Henry Clay Beatte, Jr., he said that he had. He admitted, how ever, that they had disa greed once when Paurs brother, David Beattie went to the navy.
 Did you insist on his telling you what he wanted the gun for?" the wit ness was asked.
 No"
 Did he tell you what to do with it after you got it?
 No. I took 1t to him at his store There was no more talk between us about it. The first thing I knew this murder happened. l have been nearly crazy ever since"
 Beattie Denies Story
 Henry Clay Beattie, Jr., who is under arrest on the charge of killing his young wife, sent a message to his father to- day, in which he declared "absolutely'' untrue in every particular the signed statementgof Paul Beattie. his cousin, to the effect that he bought the shotgun with which it is alleged Beattie shot his wife on a lonely road near here