Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-08-24
BEATTIE CASE
ON IN EARNEST
Testimony Actually Begins of
Anniversary of His Marriage
to Murdered Wife.
AUTOMOBILE ON HAND
Accused Man Picked Final
Twelve Men Who Are to
Render Verdict.
AUTOMOBILE ON HAND
Special BY United Press Wire.

special bg United Press Wire
Chesterfield Court House, Aug. "a:
The fight for the life Of Henry
Clay Beattie, Jr., began today in real
earnest when the story Of Beattie's
wierd midnight automobile ride with
the bloody body Of his dead wife
across his lap. was related by
Thomas Owen, uncle Of the murder
ed woman to whose home her body
was taken. Beattie's stofcal calm
was undisturbed by the gruesome
story, told in a simple, straightfor-
ward manner, not even the blood
| soaked garments that Beattie wore
the night Of the killing disturbed
! the prisoners calm, but he eyed
Owen throughout the testimony with
serious attention.
The prosecutor led the witness
through lengthy description Of
Beattie's appearance wsen he
| brought his wife'g body home. Owen
identified Beattie's coat, his trousers,
both Of which were blood-soaked,
and Owen also identified the shotgun
as the one which Paul Beattie said
he purchased for his cousin and with
which Henry Beattie said the mur-
| der was done.
Owen plainly felt bitterly toward
Henry Beattie and lie spared and
fenced with Attorney Smith for the
defense, He concluded his testimony
Just as court adjourned for luncheon.
Today iS the anniversary of Beat
ties marriage to Louise Owen. II
the grim circumstances cause the
man accused of wife murder the
inb Ln -
Calm and smiling he took his place
in the dock and the first witness for
the prosecution was called to testify
Beside him sat his father, the aged
man keeping his arm protectingly
about his accused sons shoulders.
The blood stained automobile, IN
which Beattie took home the body of
his wife, was brought to the court
house today the grewsome exhibit
to be examined by the jury. Beat
tie and his father examined the ma
chine carefully, Beattie pointing to
the blood marked floor of the car
and arguing earnestly in low tones
with his father.
All of the fifty-four witnesses an
swered present when Judge Watson
called the case Of the State of Yir-
'cWs-4Le set ----t+-44I,-. VS. 5vsr IlsIU-
ted to remain in the court room.
Neither Paul Beattie nor Beulah
Binford were brought from Mercer.
Standing in front of the jury box
yesterday Beattie picked twelve men
from the sixteen, who Will try him.
A hard game was that which this
young fellow elected to play alone.
During two days the Judge and bis
counsel had gone over the venires,
listening to the qualifications Of the
farmers of Chesterfield to sit in judg-
ment on the young mans life. Very
carefully they wtnnowed out sixteen
men, according to the law Of Virginia.
who were to sit for a final elimination
to the Jury number Of twelve. Judge
Watson had, with grave courtesy, once
moro reviewed the list and had made
each man stand and say that he was
still a fit person TO render impartial
Judgment according to the facts and
the law.
Sixteen men. counted fit by the Judge,
sat there; yet there must be only
twelve to hold justice in their hands.
Beattie, his lawyer and his father had
retired to little jury room, with the
list of the sixteen, and had consulted
for fifteen minutes. They came back
All sat down but the young prisoner
he stood with his whitened knuckles
braced on the table in front Of him
and looked from face to face in the
jury box across the aisle.
The provisional jury met his gaze
Most were the faces Of young men,
farmers from the wilderness and men
of small trades. A few were old men;
one had square set jaw and little
eyes that looked severely out of cav
ernous sockets. These faces young
Beattte had to read He shook his
head impatiently. Minutes passed and
there was absolute silence in the little
courtroom. Still his eyes passed slow
ly from face to face, and the muscles
of his Jaw tweaked and twittered.
Yet the boy stood alone and gazed.
All of sudden his shoulders went
back with a quick Jerk of decision.
| He sat down and with q pencil struck
off four of the names on the list be-
| fore him. The clerk read the names
4
of the four Jurors thus eliminated.
One was the old man with the harsh
eyes, one was youngster no older
than Beattis, who had disposition to
| grin, another was a heavy faced man
with slightly vacuous eyes, and the
fourth was just colorless citizen who
| eschewed neckwear
So the young man accused of having
| murdered his wife on black road In
Chesterfield county a month ago made
| his discard and was ready to play the
game with death across the table.
Beattie's lawyers had hoped that the
Judge would allow their client to re
main In the Richmond jail Of nights,
as he had been doing during the pre-
lininary days of jury getting, but
Judge Watson ruled that he should go
In the dingy lookup behind the court
house, there to remain until his fate
shall be decided.