Arizona republican., 1911-09-09
After That it Took Them Just 58 Minutes to Find the Young Virginian Gull ty of the Murder of His Wife.
MOTION FOR NEW
 TRIAL IS DENIED
Although Under Sentence of Electrocution Novem- Der 24, the Prisoner Con fided to Friends He Still Has Hope.

CHESTERFIELD COURTHOUSE Sept. S.-Twelve virginians. mostly farmers. knelt at dusk tonight in the obscurity of the small jury room in the Chesterfield courthouse and prayed fervently that they might pass Judgment alright upon Henry Clay Beattie, Jr. indicted for the murder of his wife, then they arose from their knees, deliberated nearly an hour then silently. one by one, re- corded a verdict of guilty
 After weighing carefully the mean ing of their decision. and once more on pended knees beseeching Divine wisdom against possible error. at the end of 5S minutes the jurors filed into the hushed and crowded court room and with startling sUddenness twelve voices. instead of the usual one of the foreman. spoke the word, guilty" in a chorus.
 It was almost a shout The pris- oner sat with steady gaze The court of appeals will be asked to grant writ of error and a new trial Young Beattie. cognizant of the legal Wea- pOns yet at his disposal will not surrender. Instead he cOnsoIed his heart-broken father and comforted him as he whispered, T have not lost yet. father
 Unusual as was the tragedy. the jurymen do not hesitate to admit to friends that they stood in judgment, not only over a cold blOoded murder. but on Beattie's matrimonial infiedelity as well. Prosecutor Wendenberg con cluded his address to the jury few minutes past five o'clock. A brief respite was given the jury and at 5.2S it began consideration of the case. For 5S minutes the jurors were in deep consultation and prayer. They are men of simple life, who each morning during the trial sang hymns and strove to forget the story of dissipation as related on the wit ness stand.
 What has been generally predicted was true. namely that their minds were made up before they left the courtroom In the courtroom, mean time. sat Henry Clay Beattie. Jr.. the sporting page of a newspaper spread out before him. But he did not read long. He folded the paper and con- cealed his face in it. Then he raised his head a moment and whispered a few words to his father and brother.
 It was nearly dark in the court room when the jury returned. On every window sill rested telegraph instruments and operators waited to flash the announcement of the verdict. The court asked the pris- oner to rise. He calmly stood up and waited.
 Have you gentlemen agreed upon vour verdict?-' asked Judge Watson.
 We have" said Foreman Burgess. and almost the same instant Judge Watson asked: What is your yer dict?"
 And the twelve men yelled guilty. Unversed in law and forms of murder trials. the jury had not specified what degree of murder. Asked what degree. the foreman answered, Guilty as indicted" Under the Virginia practice murder is presumed to be second degree unless otherwise speci- fled. It is incumbent upon the jury to fix the degree. and the court ad- vised the jurymen to confer again on this point Seven minutes later they returned a verdict of Murder in the first degree"
 The prisoner stood erect and mo- tionless His face. yellOwish green during the day. was immObile. His eyelids sank but did not blink It was a resentful expression. and when the court asked the prisoner if he had anything to say. he re- piled: Il have nothing to say. He then sat down. PerfunctorN motions for new trial were made ] by counsel for the defense. The usual granting of permission to argue 1 the point was denied. as Judge Wat son in a stern voice declared. all trial rulings by the court had been on com paratively unimpOrtant details and could in no way have influenced the verdict X stay of execution was granted. however. in order to give counsel for the defense opportunity to apply for a writ of error when tho