The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-24
MISSING SHELL
IS FOUND NEAR
TRAGEDY SCENE
More Evidence is Unearthed
Over Sunday in the
Beattie Case
PARENTS OF SLAIN
WOMAN LEAVE CITY
Mother Had Premonition Of
Harm and Fondly Kissed
Her Child Before
Fatal Ride

While Henry Cioy Beatue. Jr.s
whtled away yesterday behind the
thick steel bars of q felon's cell in
Henrico county jail. accused of the
heinous crime which has sent shud-
ders of horror through Virginia and
created sensation throughout the
nation, missing link was added to
the strong chain Of circumstantlal
evidence which detectives and law
yers are forging to prove the young
husband guilty of pulling the trig-
ger. which sent the charge of shot
into the brain of his bride.
This missing link. which lawyers
declare Is one OF the most valuable
yet found, is a shotgun shell, identi-
cal with the shell. which was found
in the gun. which ended the young
wife's life and Is believed to be ono
of the three which were purchased
for Henry Clay Beattie. Jr-. by HIS
counsiu, Paul D. Beattie In w. B.
Kids hardware store at 1901 West
Cary street the night the shotgun
was bought.
Shell is Picked Up.
Covered with dust and alightly dis
night for nearly a week. the second
shell WIS found yesterday in grass
at the base of a large pine tree with
in a short distance of the spot in
Midlothian turnpike where Mrs.
Beattie met death. Picked up by a
| curiosity seeker who had driven to
the scene of the crime in an auto
mobile the shell was seen at once to
be an important piece of evidence in
/ = y
into the care OF the authorities.
Detectives examined the she'll and
found that In size color and make
1 1t was identical with the empty shell
| which was extracted from the shot
| gun after 1t was found on the. Belt
| Line Railroad tracks about twenty
| five feet from tho turnpike the morn
| ing after the murder. The shell was
examined more infinitely and dent
was found In the erimped end, indi-
eating that the shell had struck
| against some hard object
| 1t was explained that this dent
(, might have been made when the shell
struck the pine tree or rock in tho
grass after being thrown from ths
road. the supposition being that the
! slayer carried the two extra shells
! in his pocket and threw them away
i when he found that one shell had
+, been effective. After the exterior OF
the shell was examined. the wnda
were removed and the. contents ex-z
posed. Here an important discovery
were made.
Same Size of Shot.
| When the shot rolled out upon =
piece of white paper they were seen
| to be size No and 1t was recalled
| instantly that shot extracted from
| the wound in Mrs. Beatue's head
were size No. 6. There was a heavy
charge of shot in the shell and the
charge which killed Mrs. Beattie was
said by gun experts to have been =
heavy charge. The powder IN tn0
f'shelf Yves weighed and IT WAS found
that there were two and a half drains
of black powder. This Is believed to
have been about the amount powder
in the shell which killed the bride.
After the exhaustive examination
detectives were unanimous In the
opinion that the shell found under
the pine tree was one ofthe three
purchased by Paul d. Beatue and
Identical with the, one which ended
Mrs Beatties life. The shell Will
be given Into the keeping of Conn
| 'monw ealth's Attorney Gregory to-
day and 1t is probable an effort viii
be made to have 1t identified by Paul
Beattie and the hardware clerk who
sold It, Detectives are anxious to
llearn what became OF the third she'll.
as they wish every point to be COM
plete when the sensational case -
presented to the grand jury OF the
Circuit Court of Chesterfield county
on August IA.
Mother Has Information.
Detectives revealed other important
evidence yesterday. in. the hull which
| Col of Saturday. Wh4n
tho coroner's jury returned a verdict
naming Beattte as the murderer OF his
wife and holding him for the action
OF the grand jury Probably the most
interesting feature of this new testi-
mony Is that which will be given by
Mrs Robert Vernon Owen. mother OF
Mrs. Henry Clay Beattie. Jr. Robert
Vernon owen and hia wife left for
Newport News Saturday morning to
visit relatives. hoping to escape the
turmoil and excitement Incidental 70
the startling revelations made at the
inquest.
Before leaving for the city on the
Roads the mother Of the murdered
bride talked with detectives and told
them many facts which win aid In
the prosecution. Mrs. Owen told Of
a grave presentiment. a strong fear
which came over her several weeks
ago. warning her, 1t seemed to tbs
mother. that her daughter was COM
ing to harm. Probably this fear was
born OF condolences. which the bride
OF less than . year intrusted to her
mother. Mrs. Owen did not say. GhA
was asked II her daughter had told
her of threats made BY Beattie. bH&
declined to answer. probably refu4e
! Continued on essend 1SeA1
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